The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-25
A Paying Financial Invest
ment.

ment.
Editors Herald:
The inhabitants of the dry bench
in the Eighteenth, Twentieth ard
Twenty-frst wards, who have been
long and anxiously expecting that
the city fathers would furnish them
with water, have for some few
months, lived upon the hope that
the desired boon would soon be
granted and that the springs of
Dry canyon would be the source of
supply.
Many of them were taken by sur
prise, however, on hearing that at
the last meeting of the City Council
proposition was made. discussed
and laid on the table, involving the
organization Of private water COM
pany to which the said springs are to
be handed over, the company to
construct and operate water works
in the above wards as "a paying
financial investment"
Several of my neighbors living on
the bench, have requested me to
cause to be inserted in your col
umns a pr Jtest against the plan pro-
posed by Alderman Raleigh. They
have no objections to urge
against the respectable gentlemen
who have expressed Willingness
and somewhat of a desire" to de-
velop system of WaterWorks "as
paying financial investment" They
think that no doubt quite number
of such persons would be willing to
do the same thing, but it is the i'm
preston of my neighbors that the
City of Salt Lake is the only corpor-
alton authorized to construct and
operate waterworks for the benefit
of the inhabitants; that it is the
duty of the city to distribute the
water flowing into the city among
its Inhabitants, and that this duty
cannot be delegated to other corpor-
ations. They think that if system
of waterworks as above, if inaug-
urated, will prove financial sue
cess, the profits must be de-
rived from their pockets,
and in that case they
prefer that the paying investment
inure to the benefit of the city
rather than private parties.
Seeing that they are now taxed to
assist in paying the interest on a
quarter of a million dollars, Dor
roWed to furnish water to the peo-
| pie of the city, not one drop of
which reaches them, they are i'm
pressed with the idea that a portion
of the above sum not heretofore
expended, amounting to about $i4,.
000' dollars, could with propriety be
invested in the construction of
water works for their benefit. This
sum will of course fall short of the
amount necessary to convey water
from Dry canyen to the houses of
the aforesaid inhabitants, but they
submit that any deficit might be
legally provided for by the city.
These people have full and i'm
pllcit confidence in the fidelity of
their representatives-the members
of the City Council believing that
it is their intention to be just and
wise in their administration of the
public affairs, and therefore presume
that the proposition above referred
to will be rejected, but, inasmuch
as the season for doing such work is
rapidly passing away, and as the
necessity OF water for the people is
imperative, they hope that no fur
ther time will be consumed in spec
ulating as to what ought to be done,
but that, as the probable expense is
already ascertained, and as about
two-thirds of the requisite sum is
already on hand, they expect and
respectfully ask. their representa-
tives TO proceed to either let the
necessary contracts for the work, or
order the same to be done by the
properly authorized agents of the
city,at the earliest possible moment.
And now, Messrs. Editors, although
it may not be necessary and prob.
ably will avail little or nothing, per-
nit me in conclusion to endorse the
above protest, and to urge upon the
City Council the propriety of an
early and prompt discharge of what
deem to be duty in regard to the
question herein discussed.
II. D. J.