The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-20
THE JOINT BUILDING.

The city and county have discharged
their late architect of the contemplated
joint public building, and will probably get
free from the gentleman one Of these days
when they pay his little bill. Having
summarily disposed of Mr.. APPOINT the
city council has again shown interest in the
joint building project and authorized the
committee on improvements to act with
the county authorities in the employment
Of another architect to revise the plans or
prepare new ones. This haste may be
commendable in the opinion of the council
men, but we respectfully suggest that
under all the circumstances it might be
better to practice little delay. If it shall
be determined to go ahead with the build
ing nothing can be done until spring Four
or five months must run before stone can
be laid or any progress made, hence there
is no urgency now. By the time work can
be resumed it may be that nobody will
want resumption of work; therefore it
doesn't seem wise to spend more money at
this time.
The HERALD does not believe that the
public sentiment is in favor of Joint city
and county building. We believe the SEN
timent is against it, and we think the pro-
iect should be abandoned. We believe it
would be abandoned at once if the county
could recover the money it has already in
vestedin the scheme, and were free to pur-
sue its course alone and without handicap
alliance The truth is just here, and it
might as well be stated frankly-the city's
financial condition is not such as to Justify
the attempt to erect costly building Of
course the corporation is not bankrupt,
but it is to day paying interest on the
money used for the current expenses of the
government. The revenue enormous as
it is and oppressive as the taxes are, is not
sufficient to pay the ordinary expenses in
Cured by the extravagant and in
competent council now in control. At
the rate things are going not only
will the treasury be empty but the
debt limit of the municipality will be
reached before the retirement of the pres
ent government. 1t would be disgrace
full thing to commence the building
and then be compelled to abandon it for
want of money to 60 ahead and it must be
apparent to everybody who knows any
thing of the city's financial condition that
the corporation will not be able to contri-
butte its half of the cost of such struc-
ture as is contemplated.
But suppose that the present reckless
extravaganza should be checked and de-
gree of economy practiced which would en-
able the corporation to save and borrow the
money required for its portion of the build
ing, what would be the results A structure
not satisfactory to the county, unsatisfac-
tory to the city and not at all pleasing
to the people. We cannot think that build
ing with joint ownership, under joint
control and occupied jointly by different
and distinct sets of public officials whose
business is not connected or associated in
any way, will be a success. 1t may be set
down as certain that the structure which it
is proposed to erect will not be large
enough for the two sets of officials who are
to occupy it,
Again, the county is abundantly able to
erect and pay for just such building as ii
requires. The finances have been so man
aged that the county is not compelled to
await the slow motion Of the city, and
therefore ought not to be delayed and tied
down for years because the corporation has
been made poor by Encouragement, official
incompetency and extravaganza.
And finally, the city should have two
public buildings instead of one, and they
ought not to be together. The people will
take no pride in the reflection that the
county and municipality had to combine
| forces in order to erect creditable build
ing: The taxpayers will prefer two struc
lures, even if they have to wait few years
for ole of them, until a council has beer
elected which knows how to handle the
peoples money wisely, and which think.
that the control of the. public treasury
means something more than the multipli