Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 4; No. 2a. SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, MARCH 4, 1TO5. Pkicu 5 Cents j ';H
I NEW BRANCH OF THE WATER GRAFT
H After Investigating both sides of the
B question, Truth desires to be undor
H stood as unequivocally opposing the
H granting of a franchise to the Consoli
H dated Railway and Power company
H for a term of fifty years boyond the
I time of the franchise (about 40 years)
H under which it is now operating, or for
HI any other term.
H This paper has not joined In the
H general clamor raised by the city pa
H pers, for the reason that It wanted to
H bo put in possession of all tho facts
H before expressing an opinion. Now
H that those facts have been submit
H ted there is no apparent reason why
II such a valuable privilege should bo
II given away, for that is what Is asked.
The concession pleaded for by the
' Consolidated is worth a great deal of
M money. It would mean tho occupation
of tho streets of tho city as thoy are
fl at present for nearly a century
U to come. It would mean that posterity
would have to tolerate tho company
j with no just consideration at rates
tm fixed by the concern and would be
WW binding our children and their chil-
M dren to a condition that might bo
very unjust.
B No ono can predict tho future of
light and power as applied by elec
M triclty. Improvements aro so rapid
that wo can scarcely keep pace with
them. Dy tho time this proposed
franchise shall have elapsed there Is
Uttlo doubt that electricity will bo
within the reach of tho poorest and
that Its uses will bo much more gen-
eral than at present. By tho time
this proposed concession shall have
I elapsed electricity will no doubt bo
not only in uso for lighting and power
I purposes, but for heating as well, and
IT the plan of distribution greatly im-
Proved and cheapened.
1 But laying aside tho speculative and
returning to tho practical; tho con
sideration offered by the company Is
iar from being adequate. This fran
chise, as proposed by the attorney for
nnLc0poratlon ls worth at least $5,
000000. When it is considered that
e'Shty years ago New York City was
n y twice tho present slzo of Salt
Jke, while Philadelphia and Balti
more had about the same population,
MoT01,11 in valuo of a Privilege like
'" thls city can bo estimated with
somo degree of accuracy.
nf ? i retliFn for thls favor n the part
I , c'ty tho company proposes to
CnHnl0 the cIty certain rBhts In Big
ti,n "wood canyon said to bo worth
ho nUm, .f. 100.000- Granting that
run n. eI.tlon of the corporation is
nish Tl at ll w111 continue to fur
1 lent ucly Bovernment itself with,
'tat as it does now, and that it will
"m
pay a tax on each car used of $io per
annum, the offer ls not an advanta
geous one.
But the rights in Big Cottonwood
aro not worth $100,000. Nor is it at
all likely that tho company has any
rights there at all, except in its plant
that is located at "the stairs" which
was constructed by Jones some years
ago.
As tho matter looks to Truth the
whole scheme is the result of the at
tempt on tho part of tho present ad
ministration to increase tho water
supply. As ls well known tho mayor
has been trying to establish a record
for himself. Truth believes that in
order to Increaso that supply tiio
mayor, as stated by Judge LeGrand
Young In his communication to tho
council, suggested that if tho corpora
tion controlling the lighting and street
railways owned any rights in tho can
yon the city would bo glad to extend
franchises in return for a surrender
of tho rights. That on tho strength
of those statements tho company de
cided to file an application for an ex
tension. This entire water deal Is rotten. The
conditions are that tho city is to got
certain water rights now owned by
farmers by exchange. Tho city is to
give 25 per cent more of tho water of
Utah lake for Irrigation than It will
receive from the cold streams of tho
canyon and from the source of tho pro
posed supply which will be piped Into
tho city ns a result of tho recent salo
of city bonds. In addition thcro Is
a bonus of $10 per acre to each farm
er Included in the deal. It is a merry
good thing for tho agriculturist, but
a bad affair for tho city tax payer.
Tho payment of tho sum of $40,000 or
any other amount to tho owners of
tho old papor mill, sltuatod, or which
was situated, this sldo tho mouth ot
tho Big Cottonwood canyon, Is folly.
What rights existed thcro lapsed years
ago. Tho mill stood ldlo when tho
writer came to Utah In 1890 and was
dismantled of its machinery. It has
slnco burned down. To hold
water for power purposes, or other
purposes, ono must uso It. This water
has not been -used for power purposes
for that term of years. It did not
"even flow through tho channels de
signed to convey it to tho mill beforo
tho building burned and It certainly
has not flowed through them slnco.
To pay $40,000 or any other amount
for something that does not exist ls
throwing tho money 'way and any
attempt on tho part , tho council
to do such an act ought to bo on
joined by tho courts. Tho proposed
extension of tho light and railway
company's franchise Is nothing but
I part and parcel of tho corrupt and
senseless water proposition on which
tho present city ndininistiatlon pur
poses to squander a million dollars.
Tho whole scheme should bo knocked
in tho head.
n
WHERE ARE UTAH'S IRRIGATION
PROJECTS?
Whore is Utah In tho nrld land re
clamatlont service?
Is sho getting left? If so, why?
TCvcry man conversant witli iirlga
tlon and nild lnnd conditions in this
stnto will concede that "no morn
woithy place or people can bo found
than is hero afforded for tho success
ful application and operation of the
reclamation land law."
Wiiy have 'there been no effective
utops to tlint end?
Why are California, Arlzonn. Col
orado, New Mexico, Idaho, South Da
kota, Montann and Washington nil
having some nctual construction work
done or contracted for, while Utah
is dead as a door nail?
The general government is not to
blame, It has mndo its surveys. Go
to tho olllco of Goorgo I Swenson,
of tho government reclamation ser
vice, in Salt Iako City, and seo the,
government plans.
What Is being done In other states?
1. Tlioro la the big million dollar
dam at Yuma, California, which Ih
now being built. The government Is
investing two and a half million dol
lais of the reclamation fund thcio,
to help out tho settlers in Hint pari
of California and Arizona.
What of Utah?
2. There is the thlrty-mllo cnnal
now under construction in Nevada,
with a distributing system to cost
three millions. Nevnda Is now getting
more than her share of tho reclama
tion fund.
What of Utah?
3. There Is the New Mexico pro
ject nt Itoswell, whoro tho government
Is getting water on twelve thousand
acres of land, by a system that will
cost two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. Now Mexico is in tho swim.
Whnt of Utah?
4. Thcro Is tho great Gunnison con
tract already let to tho extent of a
million-dollar dam and cannls for half
a million dollars. This system means
tlireo millions begun to bo expended
on thnt ono Irrigation schemo In Col
orado. What of Ut h?
5. Thcro ls the Bcllo Fourcho pro
ject, In which tho government ls now
advertising for contracts for a half
million dam and inlet, tho systom in
volving tho expenditure of three mil
lion dollars of government money for
tho benefit of tho agricultural settlers
In South Dakota.
What of Utah?
C. Idaho has got down to work In
the great Minidoka project now being
carried ) by tho government, which
will irrigate a hundred thousand acres ' jijjBB
of land In tho Suako river country BH
In two yenrs from now, and ultimately 'n HB
menus a two-million dollar Irrigation i ,j HH
works nt Mluidokn, Idaho. jjc HB
What of Utah? 'ft HB
7. Montnna's Yellowstone project, $ BH
to Irrlgato one hundred thousand acres ' ij BH
or more, Is to bo advertised for this 'ti BH
mouth. It will uso two million dol- l HB
lars, commencing this summer, in the Ji'mBBI
stato of Mon tuna. ' vBBI
What or Utah? i ijvBH
8. Tho I'alouso river schuuc, In IBbI
Washington is being mndo ready, with ''niBHl
tho likelihood that this summer will '.'BH
see contracts for a million dollar gov- ! ,HH
eminent irilgatlon project In the , 'VHHfl
Mute of Washington. , 'HJ
What of Utah? , HH
!). There are two Wyoming pro m!H
JeclH, one ready for actual woik as jHH
soon nH tho wonthor penults tho tun- VHJ
ncl, dam and canals of the North ;j IHHB
Platte woiks, involving throe million HHHHl
dollnrs; and tho other, tho Shoshone iirl
project, a two-million dollar enter 'jH'HH
prise, to go on this summer. This Is 4IHH
llvo millions of tho reclamation fund IJIHH
for Wyoming. jfiHH
Whnt of Utah? (itHH
10. Tlioro Is tho big Salt river val- if H
ley project now getting into operation &HHB
In Arizona. Tlireo millions of dollars IHH
aro being expended from tho rcclama 'Pl
lion fund in our southorn neighbor'? H
Interest. IpHJ
What of Utah? HH
This figures out as actually under Jl
wny, excluslvo of tho Palouso river .?H
scheme, projects In the states and tcr- ''"HHl
rltorlcH named aggregating $2.1,750, j
000 out of a total reclamation fund n-HHJ
on July 1 next or $25,000,000, leaving l?HH
only $1,250,000 unappropriated now. jHJ
Whnt of Utah? I'H
All or thoso stato have projects In ,r-HHH
embryo also. That Is whoro all ol IflYJ
Utah's are. But the others havo some 1;BH
in fnct. IHHI
Why hasn't this state? ii'H
Two years ago Utah appropriated 1HH
six thousand dollars for "soinotlilng." f
Over flvo thousnnd dollnrs has been A HH
expended. For what? Flftcon thou (t HJ
sand moro Is asked. t'tfHl
For what? "H
Utah had an nrld land fund rccla ;HHl
matlon commission to spend tho sh' L 19B
thousand dollnrs in getting govern- KlHH
niont reclamation fund monoy Invest- &HHJ
cd In Utah. Most of tho six thousand 'J HH
was spent, but "nary a cent" of gov- f'HHJ
ornment cash. Other states had, no HiHHl
such commission, but got tho govern- tBBb
mentjmoncy at work. Has that com illBBa
mission dono a slnglo good thing tha' !f BBb
could not have boon dono by nn ordln- El
ary dork In thirty days? IIBBb
,What else has it dono? iFHHI
pid it stop all work in Utah by, in i 11HHJ
isting on ono big visionary schemo: to HhHI
cover evqrythng from tho niackfoot'.t'i HBBb
tho- DuChcsnc, and havo It all knocked JUBBh
In tho head by tho government saj f$BBb
Ing l.t wouldn't work, because Imprae IiBBb
tieablo?. Read tho commission's repor J BBb
to the, ;ovornor, pages 9, 13 and-14 f BHl
f
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