The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-07
THE JOINT PUBLIC BUILDING.

The Salt Lake city council has begun
new style of ''monkeying" with the joint
public building. The council has
''monkeyed'' with the project from the time
the present councilmen were sworn into
office. AT that time considerable work had
been done on the structure and there was
money in the treasury to finish the build
ing, which should ere this have been fairly
on the way to completion. But no sooner
was the new government installed than
work was discontinued, and it was gerer-
ally understood that "a movement was on
foot to change the location of the building
IN the interest of a real estate pool. The
alarm became so general that apublic meet
ing was called and resolutions were adopted
demanding that work be proceeded with
and the building erected on the site origin
ally selected. But the work was not con-
tinued. Fault was found with the plans,
which were trotted about the country and
architects were solicited to condemn them.
Months were thus wasted in an effort to
get rid of an architect who was politically
offensive to the council, and finally
the man was bounced, at a
cost of several thousand dollars
to the taxpayers. Then it was discovered
that the plans were all right, and move
ment was made in the direction of pro-
ceeding with the structure, when it trans
pire6 that the municipal treasury was
empty, q million dollars having been
squandered during the year; the city's
credit was gone and nobody would take its
paper except at a discount.
Now the scheme for taking the building
TO another site has been revived, and it
begins to look as if the job might go
through. The proposed removal is not the
one suggested year sgo, but like the
other one, is in the interest of real estate
pool and against the interests OF the people
Land owners are working the scheme in
dustriously, because they expect to make
lots of money if they can bring about the
change.
THE HERALD does not believe that any
thing can be done with the council. That
body mas demonstrated conclusively that it
cares absolutely nothing for the rights of
the people. Public sentiment has no in
fiuence whatever upon it. Nine tenths of
the taxpayers may petition or protest and
the council will give the matter no atten-
ton, but will impudently chuckle over the
helplessness of the poor people, The coun-
Gil seems bent only on one thing-the get
ting of money TO be spent recklessly and
without benefitto the corporation.
But if the council has no respect for the
rights Of the community, the county court
should not so wild and defy the people
The county government has been wisely
managed until it formed an alliance with
the municipality and became entangled in
the schemes of the city council We sug-
gest that it is time for the county court to
call halt, lest it fall into disgrace and
bring upon itself suspicion and contempt.
1t may not be able to extricate itself at
once from the net into which it has fallen.
but it can avoid becoming more deeply eu-
tangled, and the way to do this is to stop
here and now. The county court should
say to the city that it will not consent to
the removal of the joint building, but will
insist upon the structure being erected
upon the site chosen. It would be still bet
ter, If it could be done, for the county to
withdraw from the offensive partnership,
but we presume this is impossible, the city
having gotten possession OF the county
money and spent it. But the county need
not throw good money after bad, and the
court should be so careful of its reputation
as to avoid giving rise to the suspicion that
it is permitting itself to be used in further
ance of a Job.
The proposed public building ought not
TO be removed from the site already chosen,
and if the county court win be true to the
best interests of the people, true to those
who elected the members, there will be no
change. The city council, which delights
in doing what the property owners and
people oppose, cannot carry this removal
scheme through without the connivance
and consent of the county.