The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-06-19
MORE OF THE GRADES.

Mr. BASKIN dies hard in the matter Of the
cutting down of the street in front of his
residence on First North street. A week
ago the council refused TO heed his protest
against the act and sustained the city en-
gineer. On Tuesday evening by a majority
of one the council declined to reconsider its
action, but afterwards voted to visit the
premises and look at what was being done.
II the councilmen are reasonable and just
the visit will settle the matter in favor of
the protestant, and the excavated street
will be filed up; if they are not reasonable
and just, THE HERALD again expresses the
hope that Mr.. BAsKIN will carry the case
into the courts and have it settled once and
for all, if an engineer can establish and
change street and sidewalk grades
without regard to the rights or con-
Venience of lot owners. We hope Mr..
BAsKIN viii do this not only in his
own interest, but in behalf of all citizens
and of the municipal corporation itself. If
no restraint can be placed on an engineer,
if he can cut and slash at pleasure and
make things conform to his own peculiar
ideas, it is high time all understood the
matter, when in selecting an angineer the
council could choose one who would give
assurance that he would not use his auto
cratic power to the injury of individuals
and to the bankruptcy of the city treasury.
The grade was once officially established
on First North street, and in building and
arranging his lawns, gardens and drives,
MIR. BAsKIN conformed to the lines laid
down by the surveyor; now, after many
years, comes along another engineer and
cuts down the street eight or
ten feet, leaving the lawn high in
the air, closes some of the drives,
and besides destroying the beauty and
convenience of one of the most slightly re-
sidences in the city puts the owner to hun
dreds, if not thousands, Of dollars of ex
pense, and involves the city in the expen-
diture of a large sum Of money and all
this to very little purpose The improve
ment of the street when finished will be
triiiing, and comparatively few people will
be pleased by the new grade. Mr.. BAsKIN
is right IN denouncing the business as "a
glaring outrage
A similar outrage, only less in degree,
was committed on South Temple street,
h.
That street was not particularly uneven,
and it wasn't absolutely necessary that
the walk should be constructed on a true
grade from one end to the other: in
deed, there are those who think that
the appearance would have been Better
If different grades had been followed and
the walk been made to conform somewhat
to the natural and by no means abrupt
slopes of the country In fixing the
grade the engineer seemed to be con-
trolIed by the idea that he was surveying
for railway, and his duty was to avoid
pulls and save steam. The result is that.
the lot owners will have to expend thous
ands to get off and on their premises with
out the employment of balloons or ladders.
while it will cost the city fully $4,000 to
make South Temple and the cross streets
conform TO the new grade; and after the
work has been done and the money gone
three men out OF four viii say that neither
beauty nor convenience has been added TO-
We do not believe the city has any such
rights as those which are being exercised
by the engineer. Whatever rights in this
matter the corporation possesses must be
exercised in reason, which is not being
done at present, hence the hope that the
courts will be appealed TO TO check the
recklessness, extravaganza, ignorance or
stubDornness that is being INDUCED
Private citizens and the public treasury
need protection which it seems cannot be
obtained this side of a suit for damages.