Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-17
HOW TO BUILD CANALS.


Independence, Mo- Mhf'h ~ 1890
To the Editor:
An article entitled Utah Cannl
Schemes" I'm your issue OF the sth tells
n woeful story of the way eastern cap
ital Is proposing to bring additional
thousands of your people into bond
age. These capitalists are going to
furnish the money to induce your
hardy citizens to go to work to help
themselves to natures resources. Nor
are the capitalists to blame; they SIM
ply take advantage Of an abnormal
condition existing In the minds OF
the people. The land Is there, the
water is there. and there are thou
sands of landless laborers there who
want the land and the winter, but be-
fore they will go to work to help them
selves to this land and water they
must call on men with gold and silver
to come and help them
Help them TO do what? Can gold
strike a single stroke with a pick or
shovel? The answer Is apparent; II
cannot Then why ask Its assistanceY
Labor will build the canal without u
dollar in money, and has done 50 III
Utah for many years. Now let us flg-
IL Hlllt VA lilN 'illtAl sNiiNlHN VIZ
the basis of the article mentioned.
First the land IS 10 cost 81 per acre on
time payments without interest, That
is very reasonable indeed, but mere
comes the canal company and wants
Sl5 per acre for the water, payable IN
twenty years, and while the rate of
interest Is nos given. IL Is safe to fig
ure that these capitalists are not In
this canal scheme for their health, SO
the Interest VIII be perhaps per cent,
which makes yearly tax of $l.20 per
acre. Then ada the $3.50 FOR annuul
repairs. and you have n tax of $40
per acre to pay. q acres 10 II man.
would mean a yearly tax Of s12.90.
This amount FOR twenty years would
mean sl,45S, To which add the 81 cost
OF land and Sf5 original cost of water.
When the twenty years have expired
the men who built the canal with their
labor win have returned to the capt.
tnlsts three dollars for every one re-
celved. The capitalists stlll own the
canal, and will charge you perpetu-
nj royalty for every drop of water you
receive.
Surprising the pioneers of Utah had
waited to go TO work and develop the
natural resources In the valleys of the
mountains on the captalistic plan
how many OF them would own their
own homes today? They demonstrate
ed that labor ana the product OF labor
would not only build homes, factories
and everything essential to the well
fare of community. Money was en-
tirely unknown in the transaction
hence the great prosperity OF the col
onies. There IL no one who can ques-
ton for moment that TO pay an an
nual tax of from 81 10 50 on every
acre of land remote from the markets
OF the world will keep the people in
perpetual bondage to the money
power.
In a communication entitled. Home
Enterprises wanted" In the same Issue
OF the News" the able writer very
iorcibly illustrates the degeneracy of
the people who are unwilling to strike
n lick for liberty, but Will work ever
so hard to get themselves into bondage
10 capitalists, and In n few years yield
up all their denominations to SATISFY
some mortgage Indebtedness: he says:
wheat viii build mills, If the spirit
OF cooperative action Is not asleep"
But the distrustfu seltislness of the
people wants only interest bearing
money Mt the same time they complain
of their bondage. Why this suicidal
anarchy"
To secure all the wealth labor can
produce to the laborers themselves is
the hight of patriotic craftsmanship.
%niie the present degree of statesman
ship seems to be to secure all the
wealth labor can produce to support
idie owners OF legal tender money, and
IN their dire extremity the people rush
headlong into commercial bondage.
There Is only one practical remedy,
ana that 1t to leave the money to the
capitalist severely alone, as IL IL were
n pestilence. and issue a medium of ex-
change based on labor. Now, let us
puild the canal with the peoples labor
alone, and capitalize II, by Issuing ex-
chahse checks ,worded something like
this: Receivable by the People's
Canal company in exchange for water
for irrigating purposes" Make these
checks the only thing that viii purchase
water, and see hlw fast they would
go TO premium above gold or silver
Then when all the outstanding checks
are redeemed in this way. the canal In
paid for. Instead Of the capitalists own
ing II the people own every foot of il.
ana besides are now getting their water
absolutely FIRE OF any charge
NOW compare the cost of your acres
Can you find where YOU ever paid out
cent more than the original 81 per
acre? Besides this enormous saving Of
80 per acre. you have a perpetual free
water right. While this canal is build
Ing those checks based ms they are on
created. substantial wealth. Will clrcu-
late In all branches of trade as a safe
and preferred medium of exchange.
make business brisk, and prosperity
THIS system called the Labor Tx-
change is being adopted all over Amer
lea among the working people. ana IL
proving success far beyond the fond
est expectations and there Is no place
In the world where It could be put into
practice with as much assurance Of
success as among the people of Utah.
FOR they are far more harmonious than
any class of people In the world. All
II needs is Ia understand It. and the
people Will flock 10 II. enclose n sam
pie Of the check used by the Labor Elk
change. which II would he well to re-
produce In the News" SO those inter-
ested can get an iden Of how the plan
is working in other places. II teaches q
grand lesson In political economy and
though distastcful to capitalists Is
boon to the producers OF wealth NIL
thinkers.ns well MS by divine inspiration
the direction OF that equality SO much
taught and desired by all modern
over the world and r. q grind step in
Respectfully. f.. PETERSON.