The Ogden standard. [volume], July 22, 1914, 4 P.M. City Edition, Page 3, Image 3

About The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
j . THE OGDEN STANDARD, OGDEN, UTAH: WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1914. , H
I AS IN FORMER YEARS
1 We Celebrate Pioneer Dai
I Glad to close our store all day as a mark of respect
to those sturdy Pioneers who paved the way and laid
i the foundation for this grand commonwealth we have
I today '
I Another Way We Always
I Celebrate
is to quote SPECIAL LOW PRICES on wear
ing apparel that all may have new clothes
I a new suit hat or shoes, and have some
I1 money left to take a little trip or do some en- i
tertaining at home.
For Instance note these Pioneer Day Prices:
Men's Suits from . .25 to 59 -JL'm
I Boys' Suits at 25 to 50 j l If
Oxfords 25 "H
I We have a few shirts, values to $2.50 for 95c
J 125 Hats at 1-2 Price
I GET YOURS
Watson-Tanner CIo. Co.
It MM j
I NEW NOXIOUS WEEDS
IN STATE OF UTAH
I
i
Logan, July 22 Dr. Frank Harris
in company with Mr. H. R. Hagan of
the Utah Agricultural College made a
jt trip bv motor through the frozen
J wheat fields of Park Valley. They
ii-; expect to tabulate information obtain
3j ed with a view to helping the farmers
!l of that section in aoiding such frosts
It as that which injured their crops this
j.) year. They -il be gone about a week.
m Prof. William Peterson and Dr.
B Itobt. Stewart will leave for San Juan
county in a few days. They go to
j that region in order to carry on the
j i r
I McBride's
t Massage
I Cold Cream
I For Tan and
I Sunburn
25c
llyff cBRIDE
I IT A Drug Co.
"THE HOUSE OF
QUALITY"
2463 Wash. Ave.
; I MEET US
I At The
HERMITAGE
JULY 31.
soli survey which thev are conducting
I over the entire state.' They hae now
j made a map of practically every geo
logical strata in the state with the
exception of the region they will visit
next week.
Dr. R. J. Evans, state leader In farm
management, is planning a state-wide
campaign to be conducted among the
farmers and real estate owners for
the purpose of eliminating some nox
ious weeds which he says have made
their appearance in the state for the
first time He will send out informa
tion describing the weeds and meth
ods of elimination.
Word has been received at the j
Presidents office that a delegation of
Russian agriculturists will visit that
institution and the experiment station
within the next few days. The party
consists of a delegation sent to Amer
ica to study - farm conditions and
methods of agricultural education
A large relief map rf Utah measur
ing over twenty-five feet in length Is
nearly completed at the Agricultural
College. This map is being construct
ed under the supervision of Professor
Wm. Peterson and is to be put on
exhibition at the Panama-Pacific ex
position in 1915 at San Francisco.
nn
ARMY WORMS ARE
RAVAGING FIELDS
Harrisburg. Pa., July 21 Federal
government field agents toda began
an investigation into the ravages of
the army worm in Pennsylvania.
The reports received at the depart
ment of agriculture today showed that
the worm has appeared in large num
along the northern tier. Erie reported
a bad visitation
Today a new pest was reported
from several corn growing counties,
it being the wel worm which attacks
the interior of the stalks and Is very
destructive.
oo
HEAT OVERCOMES
NATIONAL GUARD
Milwaukee, July 21. Fifteen mem
bers of the Wisconsin National Guard
were overcome by heat during the
maneuvers at Camp Douglas today.
The day's march took the men over
the seven miles of sandy road while
tbey were loaded down with equip
ment. A temperature of 100 decrees
was reported in many parts of the
state.
u u
HEAVY EARTHSHOCKS.
Washington. July 21. Heavy earth
shocks somewhere In a radius of 1,
S00 mPes of Washington were record
ed t"day by the seismograph at
Georgetown university. The vibrations
beccn at "61 p. m and continued
fifteen minutes
oo I
I Read the Classified Ads.
1 WATERWORKS. WATER
REVENUE 10
TAXES
In last Friday's issue of the Stand
ard appears a local storv under the
heading, ' City Officials Are Figuring
on the Tax Rate." In this story we
are told that before the close of July
the city commissioners will, in accord
ance with the law, fix the rate of tax
ation on real and personal property
to raise funds to defray the expenses
of the city government for the ensu
ing year.
It appears that the present rate of
taxation in Ogden city for city pur
poses, is 12 mills, which, added to
the levy made by the county and state
makes a total of 35.5 mills. This also
includes the city school taxes.
It is an important occasion. It is
manifest that if 12 mills will not pro
duce enough revenue for running tho
city, then expenditures must be cut
down or the tax levy raised, say to
13 mills, which is an unlucky number,
especiall.v in this case. Of course, the
valuation of property, especialh busi
ness property, might be raised from
one-seventh of its Belling value to, say
one-fifth, which would help some.
But the mayor has still another
idea. There are the waterworks. You
will remember, Mr. Editor, what a
time the city had in getting posses
sion of the city waterworks system
some four or five years ago. You will
recall that the opponents of municipal
ownership said that a city could not
run a water system as cheapls or
as well as a private corporation could,
that there would be graft and reckless
expenditures, and as a result no
profits from the sale of water, but
now let us hear what the mayor says
about it, quoting from the above men
tioned story:
"The tax levy for the city in 1913
was 12 mills, and Mayor Fell says he
does not anticipate that it will be
any higher this year. In fact, he is of
the opinion that it will remain at
the same mark With the city water-1
w orks department furnishing a net I
revenue each month and with econ
omy exercised in various directions,
the mayor plans to get along with the
same amount of money as the city
rad last year.
"He says that he can see the way
clear for the last half of the year
and still have in the treasury some
money at the beginning of next year.
A number of accounts have been paid
off and there is left a balance on
hand in favor of the city, and, with
the curtailing of water main exten
sions and lessening other expenses in
other directions.. Mayor Fell says
there will be no necessity for increas
ing the tax levy."
I take it for granted that the mayor
has been correctly quoted and "that
he can see the way clear" for it wa3
not always so. The writer of this sat
at the reporter's table in the city
council room twenty-five years ago
this month and heard the mayor,
then a member of the Fred J Klesel
city council, answer the roll call and
east his vote in favor of selling the
city water system to John R. Botn
well for the sum of one dollar.
He was sincere in that vote and
in casting it as he did he had the
backing and approval of a large pro
j portion, perhaps a majority, of the
1 citizens, but that does not do away
with the fact that after a lapse of
twentv five years he finds the water
works system a fine thing for the
city to own. It saves taxes It , is a
revenue producer-an ever present
help in lime of need. It furnishes a
"net revenue each month." That Is,
it makes money for the city the whole
i year round.
But the paragraphs I have quoted
contain still another story. Among
other things they illustrate the futil
ity of "voting for good men,'' instead
of voting for principles and platforms.
The mayor was elected as a 'good
man for the office " and he fills the
requirement. iso one impugns nis
integrity or the integrity of the other
city commissioners They are all good
men but they are wrong dead
wrong in their attitude toward city
ownership of public utilities.
To begin with the are probably
not very enthusiastic, even theoreti
cally, over the city owning the pub
lic utilities and after the city has
once acquired them their policy
would probably be the same as the
one they now apply to the water
works. That is to say, if the city should
come into possession of an electric
light plant the city commissioners
would probably run it not to burnish
light so much as to make money out
of it a profit.
For by reading again what the may
or says you will see that It Is his idea
that city waterworks are established
not so much to supply water to the
people as to make a profit, and thus
save money to the tax payers For
if the mayor's statement means any
thing it ib a frank admission that
the "net revenue" from the city va-
M All Honor to Those Brave Men and Women Who Landed in This
II Valley on July 24, 1849. j
j Have, too, a little thought for her who daily prepares the food for fu- j
; ture saviors of this city, county and state. Install gas in your house j
v and Buy Her a ted
Modern Gas Range
1 'TIS A HOUSEHOLD NECESSITY . J
. I Utah Light & Ry. Co. J
terworks is beiig Averted from tho
water department to the payment of
"other expenses in other directions,"
What other construction can be
placed on the expression "curtailing
of water main extensions," than that
the city commissioners plan to use
the money thus saved for other pur
poses? Thus the city waterworks are being
operated not to furnish pure water,
and plenty of it, to all all the peo
ple of Ogden, but to make a profit
and thus keep down tho tax levy.
The mayor virtually says so.
There are localities in Ogden
where the people have been clamor
ing for years for a chance to drink
some of the city water they own
When a private corporation owned the
system applicants for extensions were
met by the stereotyped statement
"we will make no extensions until all
litigation with the city has been
settled,"
Since the city acquired the system
many extensions have been made, but
always on an 8 per cent basis, always
with the view, not with furnishing
water to the people, but of making
money for the waterworks system.
It is safe to say that there are still
hundreds of houses in Ogden city
where the occupants must continue
to use well water and that, too, where
the ground water is in many casea
contaminated and unfit for drinking
purposes It is one of the contribut
ing causes to the large death rate
from typhoid.
Again, the failure to extend the
mains retards the growth of the city.
There are scores of owners of va
cant lots who will not build on their
property because they can get no as
surance that the city will furnish ,i
connection with the water system
The policy of the city government,
as outlined above, illustrates quite
aptly the difference between the so
cial and the capitalistic administra
tion of public utilities If you ask
the average citizen to define Social
ism he will, in most cases answer
glibly that it means "the public own
ership of public utilities," but that is
only half the story
It is necessary that publir utilities
should be managed democratically
that is, for the benefit of all the peo
ple, and not capitalistlcally for the
benefit of the few. Otherwise, the
people are no better off than they
would be if private corporations still
controlled the utilities The first es
sential for success in the public man
agement of utilities is that they
should be run at cost, and not as t
profit. For instance, a waterworks
svstem should be operated to supply!.
people with good drinking water at
cost and not to give the city a chance
to make money out of its citizens.
The present water rates are no
lower now than they were when a pri
vate corporation owned the system
and in some cases they are higher.
The city is making a net profit ot
from $30,000 to $40,000 by selling
water to its citizens and is using that
money to pay general expenses,
whereby it is taxing the many for
the benefit of the few, to be more
exact, for the benefit of the taxpayers,
which, to be still more exact, means
the benefit of the large taxpayers.
Let us take an instance that I know
all about. The last time a deputy
assessor caught roc in my office he
found me in possession of the follow
ing described personal property, to
wit:
One roll top desk (somewhat worm
One revolving Office chair (has
seen better, days).
One Maey filing caa? (slightly bat
tered) Two ordinary kitchen chairs for
' customers, (rather rickety, meaning
the chairs, not the customers I
The deputy assessor agreed with
me on a valuation on this junk where
by I estimate that my taxes this
year will reach the modest sum of
about $2 I am not one of the large
taxpayers.
Now then, If Mayor Fell should not
be able to keep the tax levy down
and should be obliged to raise the
rate from 12 to 13 mills my taxea
will be increased, of course. They
will be increased from $2 to $2.06 I
should worr .
There are lots o! people in this city
who do not pay taxes or water rates.
They pa rent The owner of the
u,,o tVo all tflvos hut he make3
nuuoc v'-1 ,
the rent that much higher, so the
renter really pays the taxes, and the
cost of the city water
There are still other people who
cannot be classed as large taxpayers,
who. nevertheless, pay some taxes.
They belong to the great middle clasi.
owning their own house, a four or
five-room cottage, built on their own
lot. They pay taxes on the house
'and lot and also on the daughters
piano
The average tax of such an average
citizen is around $25 per year. In ad
dition to that he pays for water for
his house and lawn about $12 a year.
He pavs this $12 a year for city water
because he does not buy the water at
cost but seems to prefer to pay a
double price so that taxes will be
less.
Xow let's see: If the mayor cannot
keep the tax levy down but has to
add one more mill, Mr Average Citi
zen will find that he has to pay more
taxes Yes. Indeed His taxes, in
stead of being $25 will be increased
to $25.60 It is easy to see that no
should worry, too.
If. however, the city should sudden
ly become so socialistic as to sell
water at cost, and should cut clenr
from the ancient custom of grafting
on It sown citizens, then Mr. Avr-r-,
age Citizen would be able to buy oil'
the city water he needs at half the
present price a clear saving of $6
a year. That ought to offset nicelj
that Increase of 60 cents on his regu
lar taxes.
But there are citizens and tax pay
ers who would not find It to their
financial interest to have the City
operate the public utilities soeiallv
What thev would save on cheaper
water they would lose on hlpher
; -
LAST TIME TONIGHT
Pierre of the Plains
A Story of the Royal Moun
ted Police.
Performances 7, 8.20, 9.45
Only a Dime.
-it happens pioneer day I
every year J
men's oxfords supply your needs in the way of a new I
izlt $$1.85 suit, a new hat, a new shirt or any other j I
all leathers W 1 I f II I i ll
6.oo z-i M arc,e of apparel, while prices are lower I
l tZZlOIruc. than ya ve ever seen tnem n really high- I
n c J , grade wearables, 1
$3.50 oxfords $2.65 I
$4.00 oxfords $3.00 5 M
It fo ZlZt ll fs -save money and also get just what you ;
$6.00 oxfords $4.50 , . 1 5
, ,. want at - I
men s shirts tM
at these mark-downs. wSw SF V
$1.75 shirks a! $1.35 JWMMS '5fciTi3y
$2.00 shirts ai $1.55 I v tmileccles BUfLDNO B i 1
' I
a
taxes. Who are they
Well, I have made a rough estimate
and find that if a citizen is paying
ordinarilv as high as $2 taxes a year
an increase of one mill in the tax
levy would raise his taxes to $2 06
and the increase of $6 would just
exactly eat up the saving of $6 he
would make on cheaper water.
".Mayor Fell says there will be no
necessity for increasing the tax
levy. "
Very well. then, will he sell water
to the citizen for cost?
If he cannot do both things, which
will he elect to do? Give the people
cheaper water or raise the taxes on
the people who have so much prop
erty that their taxes amount to more
than $200 a year?
For. as it is now. all the profit
that he makes for the city out of the
sale of water at two prices goes
straight into the pockets of the large
taxpaers of Ogden city.
It is not my purpose to claim that
it is the deliberate Interest of the
city commission to favor big stock-1
holders or taxpayers at the ex-1
pense of the small taxpayers, still
that is the result of their present i
policy. Not one taxpayer in ten
profits from the high water rates
In fact, there are many of the
large taxpayers - those who pay in
excess of $200 who would be gain
ers through reduced water rates. For
many of them have their money in
vested in dwellings or buildings
where water Is used in large quanti
ties and they could well afford to pay
more taxes if they could buv water
at actual cost.
But it is a cinch that the citizen
who pay no taxes, those who pay only
l small sums and those who are under
the $200 limit, composing nine-tenths
or more of the 30,000 population, are
losing the money the city waterworks
earn for the city and the other one
tenth the big taxpayers-are saving
just that much
There is but one way to do justice
in this matter and that is to sell the
city water at cost and then let thr
people who own this city pay tty
taxes necessary to run it.
O. A. KENNEDY.
Mr. Kennedy may be overlooking
the fact that Osden, in order to pre j
pare for the future, must plan exten- j
sive improvement to its waterworks
sstem. and the knowledge of this
perhaps prevents the commissioners
reducing the water rentals. Ed.
ORPHEUM 10 CLOSE
FOB THE SEASO!
Following the presentation of the j
regular weekly program of Empress
vaudeville and the moving picture
drama, "The Wrath of the Gods" on ,
Sunday nieht. the Orpheum theater
will be closed for four weeks. During
this period the theater will be redec
orated and resurfaced for the 1914-15
season.
When it Is reopened in the autumn,
it will be with a six act bill of Em
press vaudeville and all subsequent
bills will contain six acts, this havinc,
been arranged by Manager los. Goss
during his recent trip to Chicago and
New York. A few weeks after the
reopening ot the playhouse, the Em
press vaudeville will be replaced bjr
the Loew Empress vaudeville. Marcus!
Loew having purchased the interests
Of the Sullivan and Consldine com
pany several months ago
In addition to the improved vaude-,
vllle. Manager Goss announces that!
the best road show s that could be
booked wiii he seen In Ogden next
season. Anions them will be the fol
lowing: The Gilbert and Sullivan
Opera company with Dp Wolf Hopper.
"Sevon Keys to Baldpate' "Wben
Dreams Come True," in which Joseph
Santley of Ocden, appears "Shepherd
of The Hills" a beautiful drama;
"Nearly Married," "Trail of the Lone- i
some Pine,'"' one of the New York suc
cesses; Ruth St Dennis and her com
pany; '"Baby Mine," "Today," "Too
Many Cooks," which has been playing
to big business; 'Peg 'O My Heart."
that old favorite "Forty-five Minutes
from Broadway," 'Broadway Jones,"
"Potash and Perlmutter," the biggest
comedy now in New York; "Things
that Count," "Marriage Game.'" '"The
Yellow Ticket,'' and Maude Adams in
her new show, the name of which has
not yet been announced.
oo
OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
CALLED TO MEET
New York. July 22 Colonel Rob
ert M. Thompson, president of the
American Olympic committee, has
directed James E. Sullivan secretar
m
of the committee, to Issue a caU for kpl
a meeting of the executive commit- iH
tee to be held at the New York Ath s;9
letic club on Monday next. Many i j
important questions relative to ac- j
tive preparations for the next Olym
pic games will be taken up at this i I
meeting. According to Secretary Sul
livan, who has just returned from a j
trip abroad, all the foreign countries
are making great efforts to put j
strong teams in the field for the
games at Berlin in 1916 and America
cannot afford to remain idle.
oo . . '
M. W. A. NOTICE 1
All members are requested to attend 1
funeral of Neighbor C. A. Folkraan at f
Fourth Ward, Wednesday, at 2 p. m.
ORSON F. OLSEN, Consul. T
J. H SHAFER.
Advertisement. Clerk. E
oo "1
1 Read the Classified Ads. I
r : I
I
LAST WEEK OF VAUDEVILLE
BIG COMEDY ACT ON NEW EMPRESS BILL ;
One of the biggest screams that
ever played the Orpheum circuit but
never appeared in Ogden is now head
lining the Empress bill for the com
ing week. It is "More Sinned Against
Than Usual" with a cast of 10 play
ers. The same special scenery, elec
trlcal effects and superb staging that
marked its successful tour of the Or-1
pheum circuit will be seen at the Em
press. To have missed "More Sinned
Against Than Usual" is to have mis
sed the laugh of the season There
are five otheT excellent acts on this
week's bill which will close the sea
son for vaudeville. The first per
formance will open tomorrow after
noon. Box ofice opens today Adver- j
tisement.
I FREE! FREE! FREE! I 1
H A QUART OF ICE CREAM TO YOU
If you have one of our yellow packers or know of one B j
and will 'phone us its location, giving street and num-
ber, we will present you with 50c worth of Delicia Ice I !
Cream for your trouble. II j
j BROWN ICE CREAM CO.
I ! PHONES 315 and 316 2456 LINCOLN I
j Ask your de aler for OUR " g I
Delicious Raisin Bread I
in Sanitary Wrappers ,
10c m
IE HESS BAKERY
Scientific Bakers j JJ3,
2557-61 Grant Ave. Phone 601