The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-06

away out of the country il has bee
used to develop the country abou
Corinne. The communication also i'm
plies that mir. Rowe has made no eff
fort to reduce rates.
The expected meeting between tn
W. commission and Mr.. Rowe a
which the latter was to give over TIL
books of the company dealing witt
the cost Of the construction of the sys
tenn did not occur yesterday morning
Mr.. Rowe said he received the books
Friday night and had them ready foi
the commission but that none of then
called during the day as per appoint
ment. He further said he would make
no further replies till after the election
and animated that he did not care
whether the bonding proposition passed
or not.
Regarding the mayors exhibit of bill:
from saloons Mr.. Rowe stated thai
the difference between the bills and
published schedule came in the fact
that these saloons had extra fixtures
closets and the like.
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
Public meetings 10 discuss the bond
proposition have been arranged for
Monday night in each ward as follows:
First ward in Second ward meeting
house.
Second ward in Third ward meeting
house
Third ward in Mound Fort hall.
Fourth ward in Fourth ward Amuse-
ment hall
Fifth ward in Fifth Ward Amuse-
ment hall
1t is to be regretted that these meet
ings have been postponed so long. The
Herald has contended all along that
the proposition was not perfectly under
stood and urged that all information
be made public. However. these meet
ings will afford an excellent chance
for people to question and get at the
facts if they go about it in the right
way.
Those opposed to the bonding PROPOSE
ton beStirred themselves this afternoon
and the following petition, receiving
the signatures attached, was circu-
lated:
AS an election is approaching at
which the. people are asked to vote
bonds for $3.50, 000 the matter being
one of great importance TO the tax
payers, we wish TO express in print our
opinion on the subject.
As an original proposition, we be-
lieve it would be entirely proper for the
city to own its own waterworxs. Under
present conditions, however, we are
brought face to face with a serious
problem of finance. Ogden City is al
ready bonded for sos 900. and is carry
ing a floating Indebtedness of $50. 900.
Besides this amount the Ogden City
school Indebtedness is $135, 900 in bonds
and $4,000 floating. Weber county is
bonded for $4,000. and has floating
indebtedness OF $40, 900. total, S195, 600,
of which the city must pay about 20
per cent, or S1S6,O0O. The total of Og-
den City's present liability, including
the CITY school indebtedness and Og-
denis percentage of the county's in
debtedness. is $S74500.
To add TO this Indebtedness the sum
of $3.50. Gee, which the people are asked
tc vote next Tuesday, the grand total
would be 81. 124500.
1t seems to us that it is about time
that our municipality should begin to
devise come method of finance by which |
our Indebtedness should be decreased, |
instead of continually increasing the |
same. An individual who continues to |
go into debt all that he can, must end |
in bankruptcy. The same rule applies /
90 a community interest. In public, as
well as in private affairs, inevitable /
ruin must come from a continuous in |
crease of debt. Our Indebtedness is
now entirely too heavy. The enormous
interest we pay thereon increases the
city taxes one-third. The public debt
has driven down the value of property
already, and to increase this debt one
quarter of million dollars Will GER
tainly discourage investments ferre,
and viii nearly destroy any chance TO
dispose CT real estate. The people no~
have to pay nearly all their SURPLUS
in taxes. and they have no
money left with which TO build and i'm
prove the CITY.
The enormous increase of indebted
ness that IS proposed can only produce
a further and heavy depression.
We wish il understood that we do not
defend the course that she water COM
pany has adopted. We are. earnestly s
in favor OF requiring the water COM
Dany to live uD 10 its contract and that
the city should receive in full all the
damages due from the failure on the
part OF the company to fulfill its agree
ment. But we do not favor q system
If Furnishing the company by increas- :
ng she burdens of debt and taxation on
ourselves. The remedy of the civil
courts are at hand. Let the city seek
-ecourse there. but taxpayers should
Tot be blinded into voting a PROPOSE
ion so full Of danger ito themselves
md their children, by any appeal TO i'll
will and prejudice against a private
corporation.
The company. we are informed pro-
,oses to reduce water rates from 10 TO
51-3 per cent. During the present ]
lard times. while the people are groan-
I
AVIATION. would il not be wise 10 ac-
ept the proposition made. at least un-
Il times shall have revived, so that
he people viii feel more able TO stand
he increased burden of this immense
additional deb12
Il is urged that if the people vote
'onds for 5ee00 il win not necessarily
IMPLY that tie council intends 10 use
ne bonds. but simply that II puts into
he hands Of the city council the power
( action. should ii be deemed neces-
airy. History shows that where pub
c officials ar egiven the power TO
pend money they viii be likely TO do
c.
A condition now confronts US. The
Indebtedness which the peo-
lie must bear Is appalling in its ma
Ire. We are already bonded 10 the
xtent that we have practically lost our
nancial freedom. Shall we finally lose
ur homes and all we possess? The
npartant Question. therefore, is, shall
he taxpayers Of ogden City unneeez--
arily put a yoke Of Bondage about
leir necls which viii make them the II
nancial slaves of the bondholding m
asses. and which will entail genera