The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-30

IN IaVOr OF the bringing OF water DS
any means, so long as these means
were reasonably certain and reason
ably cheap. These men represented
fully one-seventh of the entire tax
able property of the city, and each
man declared that the bringing of
water, even if it had to be done by
increased taxation, would be pro-
fitable investn ent to the city and to
citizens Individually.
On the 5th day of April the ques-
ton of assuming the debt Of $250.000,
or as much thereof as would be
necessary, TO enable the city to con-
struct canal, was submitted to the
people. The vote was not a very
heavy one, but the majority in favor
of the canal was overwhelming, the
result being 1911 ayes to 252 noes ;
total, 1868.
AS before stated the work had al
ready commenced, but on the result
of the vote, activity in pushing the
construction was greatly increased.
One difficulty which was urged
against the bonding Of the city was
that the bonds could not be sold at
par, with but Z per cent. as the rate
of interest. Business men, however,
were of a contrary opinion. AS soon
as it was decided by the public that
the canal should be built, Mayor
Little went to San Francisco. and
had bonds to the amount of $780,
coo executed. Itmay be interesting
to state here that a California bank
offered to take every one of the
bonds at par as soon as they were
issued. In order that the citizens
might derive the greatest possible
good, the bonds were offered for
sale in any number to citizens, so
that the mechanic, if he had $500,
could go and get a city bond. and
thus derive a double benefit. Every
thing that could be conceived which
would be of advantage to the city
and citizens was done, in order that
whatever of burdens there might
accrue, would fall as light as pos
sible, and in order that every
benefit might be enjoyed by the
citizens alone as near as pos
sible. 1t is needless to go
into the details of construction.
Every person who is properly in
formed knows that the expenditure
of the money has been judicious.
and that the work has been pIose-
cuted with all due diligence and con-
sideration for the people through
whose property the enterprise
passed. Contracts were let to diff
ferent parties according to their
ability to perform the contracts
thus giving the poor farmer with
one team an equal chance with the
wealthy man who h&d a number OF
teams thus also avoiding sub-letting
and saving to the city and to the
small contractor. AS to figures, the
character of this article will admit
of their use only in a general way
but it may be proper to remark thai
the itemiZed statement heretofore
promised will be given as soon as
called for by the City Council; anC
it will then be seen that more
careful, judicious and conscientious
expenditure could not have beer
made. The only difficulty that has
been experienced was in securing
the right Of way through some
pieces of property, but these diff
cultles were all amicably
Perhaps it would be well to refer
here to the charge that the church
had fraudulentlv been given $4,000
for part of the old canal. The
amount paid the church was II
cents a yard for actual excavation
the same figure precisely was paid
other parties from the same class OF
work-and the whole amount PAID
the church was SIS, l64.27. This was
for the old canal exclusively. Fol
the right through church property
in the city. the trustee in trust de
clined to take anyJhing-the receipts
were signed and the money returned
to the city.
The best evidence that the canal
is a grand success is found in the
fact that the water is now flowing
through it in adequate quantities
1t must be borne in mind that nc
promises were made as to the
amount of water that would be sup
piled, and therefore, were it never
so little, it still would be within
that which was promised. The cost
up to the 30th of last month was
$207, 764, OF considerably less than
the sum which could legitimately
have been consumed had it been
necessary. Already there have been
several additions to the sinking
fund, which have reduced, materi-
ally, the amount to be paid. Had
the canal cost 100000 it would
have been cheap, the benefits result
ing from it being considered. In
fact, the good it will accomplish
cannot be estimated in figures, and
it can hardly be conceived. For
all ordinary purposes Salt Lake
has now as much water as
it will ever require. As the city
becomes more thickly populated the
amount Of water consumed will IN
all probability decrease, as under
ordinary circumstances a great deal
less is required for culinary pur-
poses than for irrigation, and with
the building up of the city there
will be a decrease in gardening
within its limits. The water now
flowing into the city is sufficient for
all purposes, if it can be properly
utilized. In time to come it may
be necessary to secure water else