The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-24

o. 90
The individual opinion of the writer
is that Hall and Stubs are away off
on this proposition. 1t is all right to
talk of the woes of the working man.
| the poverty of the poor, masses against
the classes, etc, etc, etc, but in this
instance the Door man isn't in if as
| concerns the water tax. This water
! business with him is like the Repub-
j lican argument that the foreigner
pays the tax" only one cannot prove
| the latter while the former condition
/ is against the rich fellow. as shown
| by the records. The wealthy bear the
water burden in Zion. For instance.
Mr.. Richard Macintosh pays SIS per
annum for the privilege of sprinkling
i his lawn. He pays several dollars for
/ his house with its porcelain bath tubs.
Mr.. Dolly contributes the modest sum
of $500 per annum to the city treas
ury for the block which bearS his
name. The Alta club pays 800 plunks
for the lavatOry the members maintain
up there where President Joe Gallagher
and others keep the clear comDleXions
free from foreign substances. Mr.. Nc
Cornick checks out nearly as much as
the average wage Garner makes in
year from his funds for the water used
in his building and also makes a neat
little entry when he pays the water
assessment on his humble but happy
home on the hill. These are only a few
cases, however. More could be cited.
If the water tax is abolished the
wealthy men of the city would be hap
pier by far than the poor chaps. 1t
would be relieving them of a great
burden.
Messrs. Hall and Stubs seem to for
get that TO make water free would
mean the mains must be extended to
every house in the city. If not where
is our free water? If you give TO one
and not to another there is nothing
free about it. And to extend the mains
TO every home in the city means the
additional expense of several hundred
thousand dollars. Mr.. Hall is on rec
ord as an economist and Mr. Stubs
wants the workingmen to have work.
1t is not difficult to discern the drift of
Mr.. Stubs argument, but where does
Mr.. Hall get off at?
G, g g
The solution of the problem by the
advocates of free water is that the
system will be maintained by taxation.
If that be true the man who gets water
will be taxed in proportion to his prop
erty value and the poor oppressed fell
low who owns little home will be
compelled to come TO time in DroDor-
ton to what he owns. which all make
MS DurCen no less, Tor the tax cannot
be levied on the man who doesn't get
any water from the mains Oh no.
He could go into court and knock that
tax higher than the famous kite flown
by the immortal Gilderov.
y :. @
1t would seem that until the system
is extended all over the CITY. the hes.
plan would be to have the council de-
vote all excess revenue received to the
extension of the water system. Then
when every one can get water. do a
little talking in the way of reduction
of the rates.
DR.. Silver. another member of the
league, wants 10 prohibit expectora-
ton in public. This would be all right
if confined to street cars and places
where people resort, but II ii comes
down to a simple proposition that one
must not spit on the street there will
be a pretty mess. No one would want
to break the law and we can Imagine |
a fellow running down the street at a |
rapid pace. refusing to stop to answer
questions other than TO exhibit a card !
on which he had written: Can't stop
to talk; can't talk; am going over Jor-
dan to spit"
Free water and no expectoration may
produce a clean city, however. although !
it is difficult to see how crime will be |
lessened unless it is proposed to either