Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-17
A LEGAL QUESTION
Raised by Allen on The Mayors Veto
Of Drainage Ordinance.
REFERRED TO CITY ATTORNEY.
Report OF City Engineer on Eltctio'
lysIs-Busy Session-MIscel-
laneOus Matters.

only read the title oil communication
rom the Mayor, Mt last nights Coun'
ril meeting, when Councilman Allen
wac instantly on his feet and asked the
indulgence OF the members on ques'
tlon Of per5onal privilege.
III would like to know" he said,
"when the ordinance on the drainage
project passed at the last Council
meeting, was sent to the Mayor" Mr.
Reiser replied that he thought it was
on the day following Its passnEe
"Wednesday.
"rhen," continued Allen, CHE bill
has become u law ana we have no
right to consider the Mayors objec-
ti0nB, for the time given him to con-
slider proposition OF this kind has
Iapsed. According to the ordinance
he has five days." Councilman Allen
then proceeded to read the ordinance
touching on the question In Issue.
LeProhon raitel laugh by suggest
Ing that 1t was quite possible that tn e
document did not reach tho mayor
until Thursdsy.
City Attorney Mckay, being pres
ent, he was asked for an opinion. He
said he had one but did not care to
express 1t until he had looked the
matter up.
On motion OF Allen, the question
went over for one week.
Following is tho May no veto:
return 10 your honorable body with
out my approval the report OF the mi
noriIy OF the Committee on Streets and
Jordan canal, which was adopted by the
Council on the OH instant, and provides
for an expenditure of $4,000 in the con-
struction of canal with lateral branches
and bridges, extending from First South
to Ninth North street, on Ninth West
street.
There Ia grave doubt in my mind
who her the contemplated improvement
can be made without mourning a liability
for damage to private property, as con-
iemplated by section 2, article !, of tho
Constitution, which provides that, "pri-
vale properly shall not be taken or dam
aged for public use, without lust com.
pensation." 1 am already admonished
that the construction of the proposed ca
nal will be detrimental to property inter-
ests along the proposed route. and that
the adjacent landowners will insist upon
compensation II ON the city for land dam
age II the work is proceeded with.
There is another serious objection to
the immediate construction OF this work,
viz: II seems . least doubtful i'll view
of the decision OF the Supreme court In
what is known as the county warrant
case, whether this city may legally con-
tract for or incur the expenses of con-
structing this improvement during The
present year. Under the law as laid
down by the Supreme bourt in the case
referred to, the city taxes to be realized
"A laUv mazda Inlu
only be used TO meet debts incurred in
or 10 become due during the year 1898,
SO tnat he only revenue that may be
depended upon for tho payment OF the
interest on tho bonded debt and current
running expences tor the balance of the
year 1897 is that which Ia now In the
treasury, to which should be added &c.,
0C0 taxes not yet collected, and such
current revenue as will be derived from
licenses, water ra es, fines and other mis-
cellaneous resources, which all will
probably amount to about 500, 200, while
the expenditures up to The 3lst of Dec
next, including $500 interest ON tho
pnblic debt, will amount to about $685.
900; leaving an apparent deficit Of say
S97 ,OnO. For the foregoing reasons. do
not oeem ii wise to incur tho expense in.
yolyed in the construction OF this work.
CAUSE OF ELEoTRoLYsIs.
City Eugin er kelsey iu carefully
and well gotten up report, showed the
eff CT OF eltctrOlysis upon the city
water mains. He calls particular at.
tenti1n TO the condition OF the pipe on
West Second South street and says:
The results, in brief Of investigation
and tests made by electrical engineers
to de ermine the cause and remedy for
eleotrolyBis are as follows:
That on all single trolley railways
where the current leaves the rails for the
ground it will flow to and along the I'M
derground pipes, and wherever it leaves
them, corrosion is sure to result.
That ample metallic return conductors
provided by thoroughly banding the
rails and connecting them every 200 or
800 with overhead or underground
cables extending TO the power-house,
will reduce the action to great extent,
but will not entirely prevent 1t.
/ am informed by Superintendent
Read that the rails within The paved dis
,rict are wei banded and, In addition, II
supplemental bare copper wire is laid
between the rails and connected with the
band every 2 0 feet. Outside the paved
district the only return conductor pro-
yided beside the rails Is an insulated
overhead wire, on East Second South
street, extending from the power-house
and having one connection each with the
tracks where II crosses them, on Second,
Third and Filth South streets. Outside
the paved district, the rails are banded
with No. copper wire fastened to the
fiauge of the rail with riyets.
j. :. Cameron of the Rapid Transit
writes that the only return conductor
outside the rails provided for their sys-
tenn IL an overhead No. OO0O wire extend
ing from the power-house to the inter-
section OF state and seventh South
streets. At this point II connects with
two No. wires, one running north on
Stale street, to the intersection of First
Sou tn street, the other following the
Calder's Park line to the intersection OF
Ninth East and Tenth South streets.
These conductors are connected with the
rails at intervals OF from 200 to 400 feet.
Inside tho paved district the rails are
banded with No. bare copper wires,
fastened TO the rails with IA quarter inch
rivet. Outside of this district the rails
are banded with Two strands of No. IL,
or three strands oil No. 10 bare copper
wire riveted to the flange OF the rail
When the lines were constructed con-
neciions were made At several points on
each line between the rails and the fire
hydIants, and also "a connection was
made with the water pipe in front OF the
power-house.
SUGGESTS REMEDIES.
The engi lser then ssyi:
These statements show that the street
railways In this city are not provided
with ample return conductors. The rails
outside of the paved district are not sum
GENTLY we'll banded and the return wires