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Show PROTESTING TO THE LEGISLATURE. LEGISLA-TURE. The Chamber of Commerce, after careful consideration of the waterworks water-works commission bill, as proposed by the city administration, has gone on record In opposition to the measure. In an open letter to the legislators ot Utah, before whom IIouso Bill No. 15 Is awaiting action, the Chamber ot Commerce has offered tbe fol'owin.s: reasons for opposing the measure: ' Our reasons for opposing the water conimlssloln bill are: First We are opposed to an ap-polntlvo ap-polntlvo commission because It places them too far from the people, so that a man appointed for six ?ears could not be reached by the people for that length, of time, 'and then only indirectly. indi-rectly. ' . - Second Because, having endorsed the Dos Moines plan, this commission would be superfluous, and not at all contemplated under that system, and wo are satisfied that should we fall to get the plan at this session of the legislature, wa will by next. Third We are opposed to a commission com-mission that is expected to work for nothing. Small service can bo expect-erf. expect-erf. from any commission that is compelled com-pelled to work undor a $10,000 bond and work for nothing. Fourth Under that system tho only persons that could afford to accept an appointment would be the retired capitalist,' cap-italist,' whoso interest it would bo to keep the water rates high, that tho taxes on pr6perty would be lower. Fifth Instead of the commission being a "non-partisan" commission, we fear it would develop into a strictly partisan affair, and would become the main wheel In a very strong political machine. Sixth The bill has many defects. It provides that the commission may extend the water mains when the extension ex-tension would pay 8 per cent, but does not require that it shall be done. It provides that a meter may be placed on the water pipes of any consumor by the commission, and that the expense ex-pense shall be paid by the consumer. Seventh We would rather trust the city council that Is directly amenable to the people, than to trust "an appointive appoint-ive commission that can only be removed re-moved "for cause" by a vote of seven out of ten councilmcn. Eight While we do not desire to unnecessarily oppose our city council, yet wo believe that they are'only particularly par-ticularly desirous of passing this bill to fulfill their pledge to the people made at tho bond election, in fact, President Browning stated as much before the Chamber of Commerce, and in this line we desire to call your attention at-tention to last night's proceedings of said council, and to the fact that they passed a rcsolutllon favoring the passage pass-age of the bill, but refused to go on record as to how many of them had ever as much as read the bill over, or knew what it contained, t The Blxth paragraph in the forego- Incr is x sfrnnir nhlorflrtn Vn rnn.. mission should be allowed to discriminate discrim-inate in favor or against any person or section of this city. The extension of water mains, under certain conditions, condi-tions, ehould be mandatory. In paragraph four a fear is expressed express-ed that a commission composed or retired re-tired capitalists would maintain unnecessarily un-necessarily high rates. The Chamber of Commerce declares for that which is the sentiment of all the people, that they would lather trust to those who are directly answerable an-swerable to tho people than to a commission com-mission beyond tho reach or the people. |