The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-06
Further Reduction Can BE Made
Department Dfsbursements.

pense $3.50 $500 1880 90
joint building ;E e eEee 500. .o 1000 co
pitai, siSs.56. cu.lc.i' SYo'.Yo ..o $500 90
penses. 500 -. Wv. o.. 700 90
ling, 81, so. '..................9.. 1850 90
Total. .$35, 500 90
Many improvements suggest themselves
which would inure greatly to the interest
OF the city, but as we have not at pres
ent financial ability to make them, l VIII
direct your attention to one of para
mount Importance, the cost of which is
not SO great as to prevent its conSum-
nation during the year.
To Ensure Pure Water.
Ever since the erection of the present
water works system for few weeks
during each spring freshet, and as often
as there occurs a. heavy rain or cloud
burst, the Inhabitants have been COM
PEELED from necessity to drink and use
wholesome and unpalatable water. This
ought not to be allowed longer to con-
Gnue.
This evil can be remedied only in one
OIL Two ways. BY erecting a reservoir OF
suihclent capacity to supply drinking and
culinary water for two or three weeks,
and keeping it filed with clear water,
and when the usual water supply be-
comes muddy and unfit for drinking and
culinary use, it could be allowed to pass
away through the original channels and
pure water be drawn from the reservoir.
me erection Of such a reservoir, how
ever. would cost more than the city can
at present afford to expend.
BY utilizing the clear spring water al
Tsauy developed in Emigration canyon,
the desired object can also be obtained.
rms can be done at q cost Of about
Si5OU0. including the cost of running a
tunnel about /, 400 feet TO tap the water
enamel below the bottom of the present
stump. sunk In said canyon.
Inns stump has already developed at
leaSI Two millions of gallons per day OF
clear spring water and at least one mil
non more, according TO a careful esti-
mate, has been developed in a tunnel
run by the city in close proximity to the
stump. AS the 1,400-foot tunnel would tap
the water channel many feet below the
bottom of the stump, it is fair TO presume
from DEVELOPMENTS already made that
me present supply of water would there
ny be greatly increased.
At least three millions of gallons per
u9y mas already been developed. This is
suinclent TO supply the city with pure
water during the muddy stages of the
ihere IS already laid an iron pipe Of a
capacity of three millions of gallons lead
ing from the vicinity of said stump and
Ccnnecting with Parlev's conduit.
L know of no other improvement which,
the present administration can make
Which would be so beneficial to the in
habItantS of the city, or which would be
more highly appreciated by them.
Increased Water Supply Necessary
I therefore recommend that the city
engineer he at once peremptorally order
ed to make the necessary surveys and
that the board of public works be author
lied to make the contracts subject TO the
approval OF the council and mayor. for
running said tunnel, and doing the other
things necessary in the solution OF the
muddy
such pressing Importance that [ am firm
IN the opinion that it should be accom-
plfSheG even though it should be neces-
sary to increase the present rate of tax
alton for that purpose.
1t will become necessary in the near
future if the city shall land there is lit
rapidly to increase in population, to
greatly increase the water supply, ana
anything which the council may do in
this direction within the scope of its
power and the financial ability OF the
City, [ will most heartily approve.
! The best and final way of solving tht
water question in my opinion, will be tC
increase the storage capacity of Utah
lake. This may he done by raising the
dam at the Jordan narrOWS, say four feet
higher, and purchasing the land which
this raise would cause to be overfiown
also by tapping with q tunnel, the bot
tom of the lake below the lowest point tc
Which it can now be drained.
The increase thus obtained would be
sufficient to furnish an ample supply fol
al time. Then an exchange of the lake
water for that of Big Cottonwood, would
furnish a superabund1nCe of drinking
and culinary water. The accomplishment
/ make the suggestion only to direct at.
tention TO what in no distant future
should be done.
& Wrong Idea.
! There has been much discomfort mani
Tested with the present water rates, anC
The idea has been expressed that there
should not be any more water tax col
lected than what is necessary to main
tain the waterworks department. This
idea is wrong.
The present water system mas cos
about s.. SOC. 600, for which the city ha;
issued bonds bearing interest at the rat,
of per cent. per annum. This interes
and principal must be paid. To do thi:
from the general fund would not bt
equitable, because thousands of the in
habitants who pay general taxes, have
no water service.
The payment should be made by thos'
who receive the benefit of the water ser
vice; however in raising the means b!
water tax, to pay this interest and prin
cipal, the rate should not be made AM
higher than necessary.
The ordinance relating to water rates
as it now stands, if not equal in it!
operation, should be amended. Until thi!
is done it is not within the province o
the water tax assessor and collector Il
do otherwise than execute said ordinanc,
in its spirit and intent.
Street Lighting.
Lighting the city is a matter which de
mands earnest, careful consideration.
! think steps should be taken to ascer
tain whether City Creek is capable o
furnishing power sufficient to light tn
city. and if so. steps should be taken Il
utilize this power for that purpose TIL
city having its own plant, operated b,
its own cheap motive power, there Woul(
be no inducement on the score of econ
pIny as now, to confine the lights to
small area in the more pOpulOuS and bust
hess portions Of the city, but on the con
trary, as I am thoroughly convinced in
0estigation viii show, the whole of tn
city, or at least all except the most re
mote and SparSely settled portions there
CT, can be lighted for nearly the sam
amount of money we have for SeYera
years last past been paying for lightin;
a comparatively small area of the same
and the valid objection to the inequitabl
system of lighting small portion of tn
city at the expense OF the Whole, woult
thereby be practically overcome.
J In consideration of the present expen
sive, inequitable and unsatisfactor,
method of lighting the city, ] earnestl!
urge q careful consideration Of the mat
ter.
While the financial condition of the cit,
is at present such as to preclude the in
auguration of rev enterprises inYolYinj
the expenditure of large sums of money
I think il not improbable that a salts
factory arrangement with private partie
may be made for the erection of plan
IN City Creek canyon, on such terms a
will relieve the city from eSpending j,
greater amount than it would otherwis
annually pay under the present unSatis
factory system of lighting the city
4 a propcSition of the chara cter mention
ed has already been made 10 the council
and is on file with the recorder.
1