The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-07-29
UrAH LAKE WAFER,
THE FER AID,
Salt Lake City, Utet

QermRn Ritter talks ABOUT the propJsI
tiOn to utilize Utah Lake as a reserves;
from which this city shall draw its va
ter supply. o: course, the alderman i
opposed to the scheme, and in supper
of his position as an opponent presents
come figures relating TO the cost. We
are glad he has done this. for the show
ing he makes will convince others tina
Utah Lake must be looked to as the
sourcs of the oity's water supply. Mr..
Riter's opposition is based almost en-
tirely on the enormous expense in
Yolved, and he tells US that IL will cost
probably 81 900 900 to bring water from
ths lake through thirty inch main.
In saying this he gives his case away.
What is such a sum as that compared
with an abundant supply of water for
this city? What if We had to pay twice
the water necessary to the growth and
prosperity of tue city? Is there any
body who will say the investment will
not be wise IN every sense? The present
Season Is supplying for
chile, a most convincing argument
in favor OF proceeding with this
work, and carrying it to completion as.
as sool as possible if the cost is to be
no mora than: the Alderman estimates
Ii. To-day everybody within the "a
dius OF the water works system is either
restricted in the use of the water to less
than he requires. or he is violating the
law and laying himself liable to prose-
cntlon and fac. The condition of
things is such that We ought not to
think OF permitting it to continue if the
remedy eau be had for twice two mil
lion dollars. And matters will ma
turally and necessarily grow worse
every year, and more rapidly than here
tofore, as the population and demand
Tor water will increase faster than ever
before. That is to say. the increase
will be greater, provided the people
already here do not declare that Salt
Lake City is as large and populous as
they desire to see it, and further growth
and extension will be resisted.
The objection is also raised that the
borrowing power of the corporation is
not sufficient for the proposed under
taking; that the municipality is pro-
hibited from borrowing the money re-
quired. This is true, and We are
heartily glad it is true. But the
city is not forbidden to borrow the |
cash to begin the work, and to carry it |
along as expeditiously as possible. No |
body ever thought of completing the
great undertaking in one season, or
two. New York, Chicago or San Fran. |
CISCO would not expect to do so much |
in year. They would make q begin
ming and proceed as their means would |
permit.
There is one very important feature |
connected with all these propositions |
to obtain water, watch is too often lost |
sight of. Whenever a9y suggestion for |
the expenditure of money is presented, |
ia IS at once met by the assertion that
the city treasury is empty and that the |
corporation cannot pay more interest |
for borrowed money. What is the city |
treasury?, Not banking Or other
commercial institution devoted to !
earning or spending money; not a |
strong box to be guarded by the fifteen |
men making mp the Common Council. |
It is merely the channel through which |
the people in their capacity as an or
ganized community pay money for |
what they buy, The people purchase
police regulations, road-making, street |
lights, and so on, as they require |
them for their protection, con-
yeaience and pleasure, the same |
as they buy bacon, shirts and theatre |
tickets, as they want and can afford |
them; and they pay for what they buy,
as members of the municipality. through
the city treasury, as they pay for their
groceries and dry goods through the
bank. The "city treasury" pays for
nothing, as it has nothing with which
10 paw, nor has it.occasion to buy any
thing. The people have ali and pay for
eyerything. Now. ia this matter of
vater, it never has and never will cost
the CITY treasury nickel. Water has
cost the people, who have utilized it, and
will continue to cost them, but the fluid
can never be tax on that mythical
bugbear of which We hear so much, the
city treasury.
Bat, conceding that the city treasury
il an Institution of a commercial char
acter, like bank or financial corpor-
a.ion, how much Of tax on it have
me water works of this city been ?
None whatever. Through the treasury
q tie people contributed and borrowed
money which was invested in the water
works, end also through the treasury
1 the people have paid the interest and
reduced the principal. They have
done This in the ierm Of water
.