The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-03
THE WATER PROPOSITION.


On Tuesday Mr.. WITcHER JONES and as
sociates made proposition to the city coun-
Gil TO purchase outright the city water
works, the canals and irrigating bitches
and the water supply. The gentlemen pro-
pose to pay cash down, the price to be
mutually agreed upon. They are also willing
to agree to maintain the waterworks and
canals in good order and repair, to furnish
water to the citizens at price not exceed
ing the present rates, and as an argument
in favor of their proposition they say:
This offer, if accepted, viii secure to the
citizens an ample supply OF pure water
without using the tax receipts and without
increasing the personal water rents. 1t
viii result in the laying Of all new pipes
and mains needed without expense TO the
AUDITING property owners, and il will i'm
mediately place in the treasury of the city
a large sum of money which can be ex-
pended on needful municipal improve
ments."
One is forced to admire the forwardness
or courage Of the petitioners. As there was
no expression of opinion it cannot be said
how the proposition struck the council,
but we may believe that it sent g chill down
the spinal columns of Mayor SCOTT and as
sociates; especially SO If the mayor and
councilmen have not forgotten that they
were elected on platform pledging free
water to the citizens of Salt Lake. To be
thus approached with a proposition to put
upon the people perpetual tax for water
and that tax to be equal to the present
high rates must have caused the council
men to feel that at least the petitioners
placed no faith in Liberal promises.
But as to the scheme itself, THE HERALD
is going to assume that there is, first no
disposition on the part of the council to
sell. and, second, to assert that sale is
impossible and out of the question. In the
first place the city council has no authority
or power to sell the water flowing into the
city. That water belongs to the land,
it goes with the land, and cannot be
alienated from the land without the con-
sent of the owners. The council may reg
ulate the matter, may direct as to the
bitches and conduits, and may make regu-
lations as to distribution, but it cannot
dispose of it any more than it can dispose
of air and sunlight In each block there
are eight lots; if the owners Of seven of
these were to sell their water rights, the
owner of the eighth could still maintain his
right to an eighth of the water belonging
to that block, and he could do this in spite
of the unanimous action Of the city coun-
Gil. Hence, if MIR. JONES and associates
shall ever acquire the ownership of the
waters, they viii have to deal directly with
the proprietors and not with the council
which latter does not occupy the position
Of even an agent.
The cry of the past few years has beer
for more water, and every year that CRY
grows louder and more earnest as the pop
ulation increases and the consumption /:
greater. 1t has been asserted many time.
that the city has about reached its limit a:
to territory and population until better
supply of water has been obtained. w,
read in Mr.. JONES petition that he pro
poses to obtain that better supply, satisfy
ing the demand, and we do not question hi
ability to fulfill his promisein this respect
The water is to be had, without doubt
there being enough flowing into the vale,
to make this the best watered city il
America The question is simply one o
money, and we presume that MIR
JONES and his friends can readily solv,
that, just as many other individuals O
companies might do. But if Mr.. JONES
can get the water, so also can the city, ano
who of the citizens will say that they woul
prefer that the necessary fluid should b
controlled by individuals or private com
pany rather than by the municipal corpora
tions THE HERALD processes to know
something of the disposition, the senti
ment and the temper of this community
and its knowledge in this respect inclines
TO say that not per cent. of the peopl
would consent to the sale or surrender O
the city's water rights. We believe w,
per cent. Of the landowners would tigh
to the bitter end the disposal Of the waite
to private company. MIR. JONES' propc
sition, therefore, may be regarded as re
iected, with emphasis, before it has bee
SO much as investigated by the council
AS this community will testify tn
HERALD has ever deemed it timely and i
season to urge the procuring of more water
Winter and summer this paper has presse
and importuned the council TO do more tina
it has done. A dozen or fifteen years ago
when the thing was possible and within th
power of the corporation TO accomplish, w
81, l,ol. -