The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-17
THE SALT LAKE SUNDAY MARCH H. PAGES

down OF the cost to the people of main
tanning government, and it will, like
charity, have to begin at home. Ex-
orbitant salaries with attendant fees
as perquisites must not continue. The
state should pay its public servants
sufficient To secure efficient ability but
not to encourage parasites. Fees ought
TO be turned into the public treasury.
No more offices should be created and
none maintained but those which are
essential to the public service.
In some parts of the country the
proposition is gaining ground to unite
city and county governments under
one system. BY extending the munich
pal authority to the county lines, in
cases where the corporate limits in
clude the greater part of the county
population and much Of it's territory, a
great saving is effected to the tax-
payers. 1t has been tried IN some
places with excellent results.
Suppose the municipal government
of Salt Lake city were extended to the
whole of Salt Lake county; would not
the probable result be beneficial in
every respect? We believe it would.
At any rate it is matter worthy of
serious thought. Why should three
men have the power to run the whole
county into the serious financial diff
culties that now confront US? Why
should we maintain a double set of
officers and a dual system at great and
needless cost?
The union of the tax business, to the
extent of employing but one assessor
and one collector for all the taxes in
city and county. works we'll and saves
money. Why should not the same
principle be extended until It embraces
the entire city and county affairs?
We firmly believe it would bring
greater efficiency in government with
considerable reduction of expenses,
which would mean reduced instead Of
increased taxation.
An alarm will probably be raised at
once that the city taxes would be
levied on the whole county, and that
the rural districts would be compelled
to bear part of the burdens that are
incident to city privileges. But that
is not the intent, and that could and
would be guarded against by a graded
the benefits received There would
have to be general tax throughout
the whole county, and special taxes
within the limits of those populated
portions where lighting and paving
and sewerage and other local benefits
are received.
An adjustment Of all those matters
could be made on equitable principles,
and there need be no injustice or
encroachment upon the rights and
immunities of the people in any dis
trict near to or remote from the seat
of government.
In framing the constitution, the
privilege of uniting the city and
county government where desired
might be secured, in general terms, to
be regulated by the legislature and
subject to the vote of the people. A
Simple provision authorizing the legis-
lature to provide for such a system
would be sufficient in the organic law.
A thorough municipal organization.
covering the whole county, abolishing
the county court and a number of
county officers, or of some of the city
officers as might be deemed expedient.
but placing the management Of affairs
under the municipal head, would in
our opinion, be found to extend better
government to every part of the
county and save the taxpayers con-
siderable expense
OF course every district in the county
would have to be represented in the
municipal council as each city ward
is represented now. There would be
the advantage Of the talent and ex-
perience Of the whole body and the
executive ability of one set of officers,
all controlled from one headquarters.
and there need be no preponderance of
city over county interests, and no
cost to the outside precincts which
belongs to the inside wards.
Our system of government needs
our public expenditures
need reduction. Anything that tends
in these directions should be encour-
aged. The disposition to create new
offices, increase their emoluments and
the burdens, now weighing all
too heavy on the taxpayers, ought to
be opposed. We suggest these con-
to the delegates in conven-
ton assembled and to the general
public.