The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-02

perfectly. AT the end OF the block, the
wires would be run up in sort of pillar,
SO that it would be easy to get at then.'
What will be your next moye?'
ITO introduce a resolution charging
each company so much rental Tor every
pole IN our streets. That will bring
them to time, Think
$ win such a tax stand?'
at viii. That is the decision in the
st. Louis case, in which the city was
sustained. ] have written for the decision
and other information on the subject
and will be better prepared TO talk about
IL anon. l have posted myself more
thoroughly as to the various plans by
which the evil may be remedied. The
steps taken thus far are only preliminary
but 1t viii certainly END in the wires
going under ground"
The City Council am saItair Railroad.
To the Editor of tn zRALn.
The action of t city coun neil with re-
gard to the petit IN Tor a fra 1chise by the
Salt Lake & Los angeles rail- way is not as
thoroughly compre hended oy our citizens
as it ought to be. For vnis reason 1 ask
space for the following statement, which
l believe our citizens should read. l have
no direct or indirect interest in the Saltair
railway. In considering the merits of
this subject one distinction should be
borne in mind-that the Saltair is a
local enterprise, and any benefits de-
rived from it. or moneys made through
it, viii remain in Salt Lake city;
whereas whatever profit this commu-
nifty contributes to its opponent-the
Union Pacifc-is taken to Boston and
other eastern points. Therefore, our
city council, looking to the permanent
prosperity OF this city, and all other
things being equal, should give whatever
preference there is TO De given to the local
road. On the contrary, however, it mani
tests disposition to throttle the young
enterprise IN the apparent interest of a
corporation which has never done any.
thing for Salt Lake that its own profits
did not compel 1t to do.
The Saltair people asked for n franchise
which would enable them to make con-
necticn with the Denver & Rio Grande
Western railway and ultimately reach their
own depot grounds. Singularly enough
the first thing that follows the request is
opposition on the part of persons recog-
nized asthe "Union Pacific councilmen.'
They appear to be willing to give the
Saltair road only what the Union Pacific
wants il to have. With seeming fairness
they offer the Saltair road what they con-
tend is equally as good as it asked for,
but which, to those who are familiar
with the facts, means a franchise that is
practically valueless.
Let me give little history. When the
Utah and Nevada railway was constructed
its grade was made out of the street which
belonged to the city. 1t is narrow guage.
The franchise Cost it nothing, and
permit me to repeat again-the street
along which it ran was robbed to make
its grade. Our citizens will remember
well that for number of years the coun-
ell directed the Union Pacific, which
owns the road, to grade up the street and
repair the damage done The Union Pa
cific, however, politely declined, and
having acquired a right of way for mar
row gauge along that street from which
the city could not dispossess 1T. the rail-
way company was in a position to defy
the city council, and refused to make
good the evil it had wrought in that
street. This was all well and good then,
and the street was left as before. 1t hap
pens, however, that the Union Pacific
has to make very short turn on South
Temple street in order to reach its depot
on First South street, and patrons of that
road and the bathing resort will recall
many instances when its engines have
been practically unable to pull loaded
trains from the beach around that curve.
Then, as soon as the Saltair people have
started their road and are spending much
money making a vastly more attractive
resort for the people than has heretofore
been offered, and are using broad gauge
cars. Il becomes evident that the Union
Pacific will. in the early future, be COM
PEELED to widen its gauge, and
to make other needed improve
ments. (All know that we really
had no bathing resort at Garfield
until the D. &. r. G. fixed up Lake
Park. Now the u. ?. when it broadens
its gauge. as II must do, will hardly be
able to get around that particular curve
on South Temple street, and in view of
the fact that il has deied the council and
refused to grade the street, there should
be no reasonable expectation that it will
be accorded an additional franchi Tor a
wider gauge tract, and on another side of
the street, unless the council is wholly
the creature Of this company. The U. p.
has made its own bed, and, seeing the dam
ger it is in, proposes TO get out of it
through the means of the Saltair
railway. The Saltair now has
a right of way along the north
side of that street for distance. It de-
sires to keep on the north side because it
wants to make its depot grounds on q
block on tbs south side of the street, and
needs the room to make 8 turn for a broad
guaee road. For the same reason the
Union Pacific also wants the north side of
the street, and when the Saltair people
come in and ask for a franchise. certain
counciimen, who were presumably chosen
to represent the city's best interests, but
who are recognized as representing the
Union Pacific interests, Immediately in
terpose and propose such a grant to the
local enterprise as will practically throttle
ii and at the same time get the Union Pa
cific out of the hole into which it has de-
hberately thrust itself
This is the condition of the contest.
1t might be well for our citizens to
know why Salt Lake city's councils so
often seek advice from the Union Pacific
officials. As lon as / csn remember
there has been in the city council some
person or persons who regularly arise in
opposition, and with loaded artillery,
whenever anything is proposed which,
in the remotest way. might affect in
iuriously the interests of that corpora
lion. It used TO be so even with our
Legislators tor the territory. 1t does,
however. seem that there should come a
time when the tax payers of this city
could secure consideration for local enter
prises without forever being subjected to
The criticism and opposition of the Union
Pacific officials.
l desire to say, without any feeling
whatever, that the franchise granted the
Saltair railway is wholly and purely such,
and such only, as the Union Pacific wants
# to have. and | would like to inquire if
the whole council IS TO be viewed as the
personal property OF that railway COM
nanv. Citizens should at once have notice
If this be the case, that they may secure
their concessions from the Union Pacific,