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Show OGDEN'S WATER COMMISSION. Under the heading, "Ogden Does Not Want the Water Commission," the Salt Lake Tribune, in its issue of Sunday, says: The interests of Ogden cltixens are bound up to a certain extent ln the proposed bill now before the legislature, legisla-ture, which provide for a water commission com-mission to manage the newly acqulrod waterworks system ln that bustling city. Tho waterworks system of Ogden Og-den has been a feature which has occupied oc-cupied more space In the mind of the Ogden citisen for the past twenty years than many a more weighty question. ques-tion. It has made and unmade parties, par-ties, politicians and plans. -It has been the bugbear of the public-spirited citizen, citi-zen, and the salvation of the ward-heeler, ward-heeler, and each year as It came In found more troublea awaiting it ln tho way of the water wagon than all the other business which the city handled. City councilmen were elected elect-ed one year on a "purchase-the-water-system" platform, arid the next year defeated upon the same platform. Like tho prohibitionists, "water! water!" was the cry, until finally they got It Into their syltcm, purchased the system sys-tem for the city, and how don't know what to do with it. - Several bond elections were held and numerous and divers Bums were appropriated by the city authorities, before the waterworks were secured to the people tho first effort at municipal mu-nicipal . ownership for the city at the junction. Now they have the waterworks system, sys-tem, and they also have ln the city council a very severe attack of "com-ml8sIonitIs." "com-ml8sIonitIs." Every city has troubles of this kind, but after a few attacks they become immune. Not so Ogden. The fire and police commissions went the way of the useless years ago, because be-cause thev were expensive, oumber-some, oumber-some, replete with rod tape, and divided di-vided responsibilities which should have rested upon the shoulders of the elected representatives' of the people the city council. Experience was a teacher In that case, but It has been so long ago that it is almost forgotten. Some of the Ogden citizens remember remem-ber the experience, however, and they also remember experiences of other cities cities where commissions overlooked over-looked the fact that they were in any way responsible to anyone but the political representatives who named them for the position. These people are making a quiet fight against the commission Idea. They have been insisting that the council and water committee, together with the mayor,, should have under their hats sufficient gray matter to handle the waterworks property. They have also been looking up Salt Lake's history (a the waterworks line, and they find that Salt Lake has no water wa-ter commission. It has no high-priced water officials, it handles all its water system business through the regular channels. "Salt Lake pays its superintendent of waterworks $1,600 per year. Why should Ogden spend any more than that? Ogden's water system is one-fourth one-fourth as large as Salt Lake's, and should cost less for maintenance In every department," said an Ogdenlte. "and don't forget, either, that we In Ogden have recentlv raised the treasurer's treas-urer's salary to $1,600 per annum, so that he may devote his whole tlm to the office. In Salt Lake the water collections are made through the city treasurer's office, and the expense of a separate office, such as Ogdon has, Is unnecessary. Ogden people who have studied the matter are opposed to the bill now in the legislature, and it really should not pass. "The fact is, and you can say so safely, the peoplo are red hot against It. Tbey look upon it as a rank Job, simply a proposition to let somebody get their hands into the treasury. "What I would like to know," said the Ogden man, "is why Ogden coun-cllmen coun-cllmen have so much business to attend at-tend to that they can not handle tho water Bystem properly, and on an economical eco-nomical basis, without a commission, when Salt Lake councllmen can do so without any trouble whatever." |