The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-01
WATER ASSESSMENTS.
THE CITY COUNCIL HEARS THE
GRIEVANCES or TAXPAYERS.
A BOARD of Equalization is Appoint
nesday Evening and Every Eve
ming Thereafter TIL All Com
plants Are Disposed Of.

There was big attendance of kickers
at the meeting of the city council hast
night, as a committee of the whole,
held to discuss the matter of over as
seSsment of the water tax. The por-
ton of the new council chamber set
aside for the public was toierably well
filed and within the bar were noticed
Major Downey, Hyrum Cartwright, of
/ the q. c. NJ. l., M H. Walker, Thomas
W. Jennings, F. D. Cliff, John Clark,
| H. c.. Wallace, Henry Dinwoody, Orson
A. Wooley, Dr. w. H. Groves and olhers
who appeared in the role of kickers.
All the members of the council were
present, but Cohn and Ciawson and
President Mccormick presided. The
latter called on Councilman Young to
state the object of the meeting and that
gentleman said that in d good many
cases the trouble arose from last years
assessments not being made in accord
ance with the ordinance. How univer-
sal that was he didn't know, but he was
Of the opinion that this year the ordi-
nance had been strictly compiled with
and if there was any fault he was of
the opinion that it was in the ordinance
Itself.
A communication was handed in by
Mr.. Gift, the substance of which was
a protest against the amounts charged
for water this year which he stated
were in many cases 100 per cent more
than last
SOME EXAMPLES.
For instance at 262 to 266 Main street
the two upper floors contain sixty-three
rooms, of which there has not been
more than eight rented this year, there
are four closets in the building and
only one in use, yet full rates are
charged for all the rooms and for all
the closets. Last years tax was $25
and this year it is $50.
The Cliff house block with forty-five
rooms, twenty only occupied, water tax
$21S.
The Gladstone block, twenty rooms
out of thirty are used yet all are
taxed.
The store of Lipman, Nadel & Sons
which has but one drinking tap is as
sessed at $50 which should be no more
than SIS.
Ten houses on West Temple street,
only seven occupied, assessed at $43
more than full rates OF last year.
Councilman Lynn said Office rooms
which had no water in them had been
assessed the same as those which had
water, with the understanding that
rebate would be allowed for such
rooms as had not water, but the orcii-
nance did not provide for any rebate
and it was necessary that some scheme
to remedy this be formulated. Mr.
Lynn, however, stated that in the bulk
of the cases in which complaints had
been received the assessment was
really not higher than was warranted
by the amount Of water used. The
fact was that last year many of the
big consumers had been rated too low
and he thought it ought to be so
fixed that all should pay for what they
used and no more. Although some Of
fee rooms were assessed which had no
water connections, the occupants of
these offices used the lavatories and
water closets in the buildings in which
their office rooms We're situated and
ought to pay for such water.
John Clark, of Clark, Eldredge & Co,
suggested that those who were pres
ent be allowed to state their griey-
ances.
President Mccormick said he didn't
think it was intended that this should
be a public meeting or a board of
equalizat ton to adjust grievances. He
thought it's object was to discuss the
matter privately among the members
of the council.
O'Meara understood that those who
had grievances We're invited and
thought they ought to be heard.
Bache was of opinion that the pro-
testers should be heard, and Mr.. Clark,
OF Clark, Eldredge G Co., was called
on and said his firm was assessed at
$45 and S25 for water tank, in which