The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-03
MOTORS.

depriving the people OF the use OF
water from the mains for driving
machinery. There may be ques'
ton as to the right Of the Council to
do this thing. as proposed by the bill
for an ordinance presented ct the last
meeting. That is something tina! ne
DO not care 10 discuss at present. II
lawyers shall think that the people
have any legal rights in the premises,
it is probable that their rights, as
we'll as the Councils power, will be
determined in the courts; for it is no;
likely that the considerable interest
involved in the use of the water as
motive power, will surrender any OF
its privileges. There are moral rights,
however, which the Council ought to
consider fully before taking action.
Parties have gone to large expense
for machinery and appliances, in
some instances hundreds if not thout-
ends of dollars having been expended
in arranging for the use OF the water.
The permission OF the Council to do
this was given. and the parties NATURE
ally expected they would not be dis
turbed so long as they paid the license
fee provided in the water ordnance.
We say though the Council may have
the legal right to revoke all these
grants, it is under moral obligation
to continue them at least until the
interested parties have been made
whole in the matter OF expenEe tor
applying the water. In connection
with this proposition arises the ques-
ton of expedieney in q 6nsncial'I
sense. We do not know how much
money the city treasury derives from
motor licenses, but the sum must be
somewhere in the neighborhood OF |
81. 600 year. It should be borne In |
mind that for nine or ten months in |
the year the water for which this |
money is paid would otherwise run
to waste, and during the remaining |
two or three months the water, after |
passing through the motors, is put TO |
its legitimate use-irriga ion. The |
motors may interfere somewhat with |
the proper distribution of the WaG.r |
for irrigation, giving one portion of
the city more than ii should at Ger.
tain seasons, or certain hours of the |
day or night, according as the ma
chinery is In operation, YET this is not |
a serious matter. and might be az
ranged 80 as to practically overcome |
the difficulty. In case o! scarcity |
the mayor has power-and 10 one |
would question his right or protest |
against the exercise OF ito prohibit |
the use of water for driving machin-
cry, operating elevators, etc. The
only really good objection, it seems
to US, that can be brought against
the use of the water for motors, is
that 1t lessensj..the pressure in the
mains, and in case OF fire
might interfere ! seriously in
the prevention of effective
work. But this difficulty can be
readily modified if not entirely over
come. We believe there is no ma
chinery driven by water from the
mains, tut could without great loss
or trouble, be instantaneously stopped.
Let it be provided by ordinance that
the ringing OF the alarm bell shall be
the signal for shutting of the water
at motors and hydraulic engines, and
at the instant the fremen would have
the full force OF stream at their ser
vice.
Now, as for at leaet -fonr.hs of
the year the water used by the mo-
tors would otherwise flow to waste.
and for the remaining fourth the
rights of those whose title TO the
water is best are interfered with little
il at all, would it be wise tor the
council to throw away the revenue
derived from tie water license fees ?
The intended prohibition would be
small benefit to the city, while it
would result in financial injury, as
we'll as future Inconvenience, to the
dozen or so institutions using motors
or hydraulic engines. We do not be-
lieve the people, whose servants or
trustees ithe councilmen are, would
approve oil this unnecessary cutting
eff of a considerable revenue, nor do
we see wherein the council can jus-
tify itself in passing the bill now De-
fore it. The HERALD would like to
hear Rn expression of opinion on the