The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-04-03
CANAL ROUTES.

The special election to be held next
Monday, has been called for the pur-
pose of giving toe voters an oppor
tunity to decide whether the city shall
borrow money with which to increase
the water supply OF this city. The
people are not asked to approve or
reject any particular plan for obtain
ing water, nor to endorse, amend or
change any canal route. All the
voters have to do Is to ssk themselves,
Does the city require more water !?
Can We afford to get it? and having
answered these questions in the
affirmative, as every intelligent per-
fon must do, vote Eyes" The
manner of obtaining water must be
left entirely to the City Council.
OF course, the Council is open to
hints and suggestions from any and
all persons who care to present them.
All wisdom is not concentrated in the
Council chamber when the municipal
legislature is in session; nor have the
members of that body mastered the
sciences. But they are presumed to
have G sufficient degree OF wisdom 10
listen to what science has to say. If
they have not, or if the masses OF the
people think they have not so much
intelligence, then the voters who re-
Gently elected the Council should ask
it to resign, that other members msy
be chosen.
The Council is committed to the
construction OF a canal, as being the
best means for obtaining the necessary
supply of water. and, in fact, as the
only practicable plan; the assertions
of civil engineers and others to the
contrary notwithstanding. Reservoirs
will not answer as supply Gources
for irrigation; that IS to say
reservoirs that the city can
afford to construct and make
safe. Bot while committed to
canal, the Council is not confined to
a particular route or grade, if better
can be found. It would be grossly
and recklessly unwiae for the city
fathers to insist upon following a route
that engineering science declared
would prove a failure; it would be a
gross violation of the trust reposed in
them for tae Council to insist upon
keeping to a grade too light or too
heavy; t would be almost criminsl
negligence for them to proceed with
cut first asceItaining, so far as skill
and geieuce can determine, the fact
beforehand that the canal will be
success.
We think these important details
may safely BE- entrusted to the City
Council, which is composed net Of
fo)lhardy, reckless men, but CT men
possessing wisdom aud good iudg-
ment, cautious in the management
and expenditure of their own money
and that of the public. We
think the Council may be safely
trusted TO listen to suggestions, take
advantage of hints and make use Of
undoubted engineering ability before
committing Itself to the grave blunder
Of constructing a canal that will prove
failure, and a most expensive one.
II the route that has been selected by
the Council aud designated in the ad-
dress to the voters. shall, upon proper
scientific examination, prove inferior
to another that may be pointed out,
the Council will be wise enough TO
adopt the latter; so, also, with the
grade-ii it shall be declared to light
or too heavy, By competent engineers,
the city fathers will bs recreant if
they refuse to order the proper
change.
Those who are Directing to the
canal seem to find fault oniy with the
"Old Church Canal" AS a matter of
fact this latter ditch has nos been
adopted. though it was the intention
TO do SO, as intimated in the Councils
address. Economy was the chief OBJ
iect in view in this; but if the ditch
will not answer; that is to say, will
less water than is REQUIRED
or fail ID reach a point high enough
to make the water eerviceable for a
large portion of the city, the Council
will not be above being shown the
facts and profting by them. r. in
stead OF following the old canal ad. |
vant2ges may be taken of the forty
feet fall between the point where it ia
Joined by the new section, and the
city, to carry new ditch further east
and bring a larger scope of country
below the canal. it will be in the in.
terest of everybody 10 abandon the old
route. The best and the most for
the money are VIVA. the City Council, |
as well as the people, want, and We
have confidence in the Council to
obtain these.
Vacant Places
In the dental rank will never OCCUR
n arr - 10