The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-25
THE SEWERAGE.

system of sewerage. 1t went to the
further trouble of interviewing in the
neighborhood of forty-fve persons,
being property owners in the district
named, as to their sentiments on the
subject. In the published reports of
those interviews no man was mis-
quoted. If THE HERALD said man
favored sewerage then he did favor it;
and when it said that nearly half of the
taxable value of the property in the dis
trict named had declared, in favor of
the adoption of a system of sewerage
it kept strictly within the truth. THE
HERALD published the list of taxpayers
and gave all the facts that people might
act intelligently and do as they pre-
ferred.
AS to the sewerage not being benefit
TO the poor people, the facts are that it
is a benefit to them. While it
may be hardship on some to raise the
money necessary, there will never be
time when sewerage can be had as
cheaply for those of limited means as
to-day. AS an instance There is lot
in the northwest part of the district
that will have to. pay $50 toward the
laying of the laterals; the lot is about
as large as the Emporium corner, which
will be taxed $l,400; the latter gets no
mora sewerage than the lot which pays
$50, and yet pays twenty-seven times as
IF fhic iS 70 Tho rio
OF which the poor gets the benefit, then
all estimates and values must be re-
versed. Nor will it. cost as much Tor
connections and plumbing, though
nearly so. IF the pipes for discharge
are the same and other things also, then
the cost will be the same, butno other
wise.
1t looks as though the district to be
severed were too large. 1t takes in
many people who will find it difficult to
meet the charge, and there is no doubt
that it would have been better if some
method could have been devised by
which the cost would not have been
immediate, but could be made to fall in
installments; but it is too late for these
considerations now.
There is no plan adopted yet for the
disposal of the sewage. The question
is, will the district named be sew
ered?n and as the decision is, so will
- the action of the Council be.
For the main sewer, the whole city
will be compelled to pay, those imme-
diately benefited and those who are
not. This was just as true of the Jor-
dan and Salt Lake canal. 1t is true of
the water mains that are now bene-
fitting the heart OF the city. The only
object for sewerage is the benefit it will
be to the health of the city. To say
that only certain parties ars interested
in them is to talk the veriest
rubbish. If it will have no effect on
the public health then we do not want
it, be it never so cheap, and be the
hardships so limited that no one will
suffer. If it will prove of value to the
public health, that should be primary
consideration and any reasonable sac
rifice, t1at does not entail loss of life,
should be made.
If the citizens have no confidence in
the disposition the Council will make
of the sewage, then the former made
serious mistake in electing the latter to
the positions they occupy. There are
but two or three members of the body
not personally interested as tax payers
in this question, and we do not believe
they will fritter away their own money
nor that of the people for the sake of
gratifying the desires of the few. 1t is
manifestly question that the
Council must decide, and we
are not yet informed that they
are committed to any plan
or method. They will be open to any
proposition, if the people of the district
want sewerage, and it is but fair to as
sumo that they will look to the best
4 interests of the citizens.
THE HERALD's desir9 wholly is that
citizens interested may know how to
vote on this question, and in its columns
4 will appear the pro and con of all
( interested who care to talk. We have
no axe to grind. We look upon it that
sewerage is needed in some form or
another, but if thu people can stand
matters as they are, We can also. AS
to sewer district No. 1, it will be for the
property-owners in the district to de-
eide before October 10th, whether or not
there shall be sewers. Each can as
certsin in few minutes with reason
able degree of accuracy, what the cost
will be to him individually. and know
ing that he should be able to say for
himself if he deems the advantages
equal to the outlay.