The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-04
SEWERS.


evers, it's increase of sickness and IT'S
heightened death lists. reminds the
people CT Salt Lake with greater
force than its predecessor had done
that we must not coufne the sewer
question to talk, but solve it by work.
The comm nifty will approach the
beginning With fear and trembling
The undertaking is ore to alarm tex
payers. The more they think OF the
matter the greater is their dread of
making q start IN the work that must
take thousands after thousands OF
dollars from their pockets. and con-
tinue thing OF vast expense during
this generation at least. When the
Waterworks were undertaken the cost
was to be much less than has been
put into them, and yet the money
was expended economically and the
work honestly and intelligently per-
formed. II the wateryorks were an
expensive necessity, what must De
the cost of sewerage that will De
anything like beneficial generally?
The vide streets and scattered houses
are pretty to look upon. but the
beauty and airiness have to be paid
for in water mains, gas pipes and
sewers. It would cost more to effect
lively sewer Salt Lake City than to
drain any other city in the United
States containing twice the popula-
ton OF this place. And yet the i'm
provement is as necessary here as
elsewhere. It ia demanded in every
months mortuary report, and in the
constantly recurring doctors bile.
The accumulated filth of third of q
century is fostering in back
yards, in the cutters and
on the streets, breeding disease
and death. It is true they
are afflicted by diphtheria and scar
letins and filth fevers generally, in
cities possessing quite thorough sys-
tens of sewerage, but this fact does
not destroy the truth of the assertion
that g PERCENTAGE OF the deaths in
Salt Lake js unquestion ably due to
the want of drainage to carry off the
slops and filth, taking their offensive
odors and seeds of disease beyond
local contact with the masses. We are
aware that a movement to properly
drain the city would be met by for"
midable opposition by those who
would necessarily have to bear the
burden of the cost; but this opposi-
ton ought not to be PERMITTED to
destroy the hesthfulness OF the city,
or interfere with i.s growth and
desirs bleness as place of res
idence. The HERALD is net
in favor OF going too fact or
undertaking too much in this
matter. We never want to see Salt
Lake burdened with a heavy debt
that will weigh like a mortgage upon
the place; at the same time We are in
favor Of making q start towards
draining the city. and of progressing
with the work as rapidly as possible
without grievously depressing any
body or increasing obligations that it
will be difficult to meet. II there is
any improvement for which the pro.
perty owners ought to willingly sub
NIT to an increase of taxation, it
should be sewerage, for with good
drainage the value of g. house is
greatly enhanced, and the value of
the city generally will increase more
than the cost of the sewers.
The HERALD would like an ex-
preston of public opinion as to the
desirableness of beginning the work,
and would also be glad to publish
what doctors and sanitarists have to
gay on the subject. as we'll as in
, telligenE estimates as to the probable
cost.