The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-04
Ms. RowE's SIDE.
Denies the accuracy of the Councils
Figures.

The bond election which is to decide
whether the city shall issue bonds to
the amount of 100000 for the acquire
ment of a waterworks system occurs
Tuesday next. The city council has al
ready complied in part with the gen.
eral demand for Information on sub
| jectS connected with the proposed bond
issue. but there are still a great many
points on which the people desire to be
informed Some time ago The Herald
! pointed out that there were TWO sides
to this question and that the water
company had some advantage in the
controversy which it was unWise to
overlook
Being DESTROYS of giving both sides a
hearing a Herald representative yes
terday called on w. H Rowe of the
waterworks company and asked him
as to the several matters contained in
the published reports and estimates of
the water commission. Mr.. Rowe stated
that while he had given the engineers
report only a cursory examination he
had detected errors in it which made it
unreliable For instance, no estimates
were made as to a certain kind of
valves necessary to the system and
which will cost several thousand dol
lars. Mr. Rowe intimated that he was
preparing a statement which would
answer the report in detail and that
until then he did not care to discuss
the matter.
AS to the charge that the company
is sending the money out of this
country, Mr.. Rowe said it was absurd.
About $1,000, 900 of foreign capital has
been invested in the water works, and
street car system and the Bear river
country, and not one dollar of interest
has vet been paid back.
His company, he says, has a schedule
of rates lower than the schedule of
Salt Lake in every item except that
of five-room houses. where the differ
ence was but q difference of about 80
cents. Furthermore, in Ogden the
minimum rate is charged in everything
except saloons, where the maximum of
the fixed schedule is charged.
As to the description of the system by
Engineer Hardesty. published in the
Engineering News, Mr.. Rowe said he
did not supply the figures and did not
know if they were accurate. Mr.
Hardesty, he understood, secured in
formation just as any other reporter
Even if his report was correct it was
not complete enough to allow any one
to calculate with any accuracy the cost
of the system.
AN UNDERSTANDING REACHED.
The council held a special session.
commencing at $50 in the afternoon,
and the mayor formally reported that
the water commission had visited Mr..
Rowe, who had refused TO give the
commission the information as to the
cost of the system of waterworks. The
mayor appended Mr.. Rowe's letter, in
which he stated that he would give
them the desired information if the
council would pass resolution declar-
ing that it was their purpose TO buy
the system
George w. Jones introduced such a
resolution, providing that the water
commission call on Mr.. Rowe and for
mally request the information relative
TO the original cost of the system.
The resolution was unanimously
adopted and the council took a recess
until o'clock, and in the interval the
commission, mayor and auditor visited
Mr. Rowe and presented the resolution
and he informed them that the books
dealing with the company's business
at that time were now in Corinne but
that he would get them and meet with
the commission Saturday morning at
10 o'clock and give the desired infor-
nation.
At the evening session the interview
with Mr.. Rowe was reported to the
council and an adjournment was taken
until tnnight