The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-29


l OF the interstate commerce law. Be
lieving that our business interests woul
be adversely effected by. this change, IN
I directors procured the preparation of a
I argument and filed the same at the De
cember hearing in Washington. In thi
movement the chamber was Joined by tn
Jobbers association. The question at is
l sue Is still undetermined by the commits
sion, and we await with some anxiety tn
final decision
Speaking of this hearing-Mr. George
hlndel who, with David F. Day of Colo
RADIO. appeared personally before the com
mission in the interest of the city o
Denver. in a letter to the chamber-says
was astonished to find that was tn
only person to combat the suspension o
the long and short haul-section 4 of tn
interstate commerce law. Nine state
would have been everlastingly made L
suffer if It had been left unchallenged
Utah's interests in respect to the sus
pension of section 4 is identical will
those of our state"
On December II the chamber was ad
Vlsed by wire of the desire of the citizens
of Los Angeles that Salt Lake have
representative at the hearing before th'
! deep water harbor commission then sit
ting in that city. This commission is by
| law charged with the determination of {
place on the southern California coast fol
| the expenditure of appropriations here
toforc made for a deep water harbor. We
We're informed that unless effective work
| was done there was great danger thai
| the Santa Monica harbor would be Sc
| lected for the expenditure harbOr the
| approaches of which are said TO be en-
| tirely controlled by the Southern Pacific
! Railway cOmpany-and as the interests OF
| Utah and of Salt Lake would thereby be
greatly Jeopardized, and the hopes of the
/ builders of the lOnS-prayer-fOr and now
| almost certain Los Angeles railroad in a
measure Illustrate the chamber called
meeting of its directors and the bust
ness men of the city and sent Mr.. c. o.
Whittemore to urge upon the commission
the selection of the San Pedro harbor.
the approaches TO which are controlled
by the railroad builders of Los Angeles,
with whom our local company is said to
have close relations. This mission was
at once undertaken by Mr. WhittemOre,
who ably presented Utah's position in the
matter before the commission
Perhaps nothing of local interest af-
fectinS the general public has been made
the subject of more discussion during
1896 than the matter of our supply of nat
ural gas, and the business relations be-
tween our people and the city corpora
ton with the several gas and light COM
panieS.
These important questions and especi-
ally the question as TO our natural gas
supply, became subjects of general dis
cusston in November. when il was de-
clared that the natural gas had failed
and could therefore no longer to supplied
for fuel. This declaration produced
profound impression and was received
with CONSERVATION by hundreds of citi
natural gas for heating and domestic
purposes. Following this declaration
came an emphatic denial of its truth from
the owners of the natural gas fields.
and vehement statement that the sup
ply was ample and that the blame for
its withdrawal from use was attributed
entirely to the Salt Lake & Ogden Gas
q Electric Light company, which had
contracted with the owners of the gas
wells to deliver their product TO con-
sumers. These contradictions had the
eject of putting everybody at sea upon
the question and induced the chamber OF
commerce to take steps to investigate
the subject and acquaint the public with
the true state of affairs A joint meet
in= of the board of directors and of the
committee appointed d 4 meeting OF cit
liens was held in the chamber rooms and
the several gas companies invited TO be
present and state their positions. At this
meeting full discussion was had and
a result of it committee was appointed
from the chamber and from among the
citizens to make a full investigation and
recommend such steps as in its judg-
ment would most speedily bring about
harmony between the companies and the
certainty of our continuation of the gen
e-al use of natural gas.
The committee organized with Mr.. VIII
lard Young as chairman, and at the
time OF this writing has not reported the
result of its Investigations. l am in
formed, however, that the committee has
made a thorough examination of the gas
volume and pressure of the gas at the
wells. and the business methods of the
various companies; and that the public
will soon be given a report which will
put at rest all doubts and contain sug
gesttons for legislation calculated to in
sure us the continued enjoyment of nat
ural gas at prices within the reach of
all
This and many other things which can
not be mentioned within the compass of
this report. are among the accomplish
ments of the chamber for 1896.
Interfered with by death, harrassed by
adverse criticism. impeded by poverty
and at times almost discouraged by the ,
of the public and the failure
OF members to pay the small monthly
dues, the chamber has done what il could
and the members of the present board of
directors retire from office with the CON /.
seriousness that they have been as eff /
c;e2t in their work as adverse circum- [
stances would permit.
With this much about the past. | ven /
ture few words concer ning the present /
and future.
tons. and discouraged as are many of /
ou- people the fact remains that as a 1
city, Salt Lake is envied by almost every 4
other place in the west If you would ,
-a-e an illustration of what depression I
and discourag cement really are and learn
10" much we have to be thankful for. (
20 east, or go to some of the other cen /
-e-s of population in the west and COM
)wn- You will return to Salt Lake con-
Finced that the people of the east and
If those cities are very much worse off
han are We What we need now is
and united effort. This is not
he time to sit down and cry. but rather
he time to raise our voices and proclaim
our greatness.
Let us at once organize n crusade
Lmong our business men and unite their
strength in the chamber. Then we shall
AVE the sinews of war and can work and
work effectively. The chamber can be
made popular and its influence can be so
directed in the interest of its members as
hat no reputable business man can afford
o withhold his aid and support from it. |
We can let it be known among the peo-
lie who are members and urge that they
AVE trade preferences over those who
elfishly share in the chambers work and
from il their assistance
On the borders of the city. more beauti-
uliy situated than any other military
-arrison in the United States. is Fort
Douglas. Alphabetically ii is a relic of
ntfuuitv Its buildings are falling into
uin and no effort is being made by the
eneral government to improve it. We
hould unite in an appeal TO congress
through our representatives in Washing
on for an appropriation of a least $780,
DO to rebuild it and make it what it
ught to be-the most beautiful military
ost in the United States We should ask
hat the western front of the military
be given to this city as q
ublic park. and then we should stimulate
movement looking to its Improvement.
'hink of what q park that would make
18th the majestic mountains behind il and
his beautiful valley flowing away from
s feet In a recent conversation with
ne commanding officer at Fort Douglas.
e expresses his desire to cooperate with
ur citizens :n an effort to secure aDDro-
riations for the purpose of rebuilding
ne fort He is an enthusiast upon the
ubject and having him with us we
hould not hesitate or delay our part of
he work.