The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-09

inum rate and the interest to be maid
on bonds, and limiting the issue OF bofh
STOCK ana bonds TO the actual cost Of the
enterprise. placing them under state SUI
perVlSion, with ali transactions puhIfc
and open fer inspection. providing heavSr
penalties Tor fraudulent or negligent con-
duct or the company or state officials and
rendering all contracts procured by fraud
void whenever discovered and proviiins-
tnat water rates should be reduced when
ever more was paid than was sufficient
Tor necessary repairs and interest
The third method would be TO provide
Tor the formation of irrigation districts
somewhat, perhaps, after the analogy Of
the Illinois and Iowa lanes for the forma
ton of drainage districts.
To go back TO our home Illustration
from the Utah lake district embracing an
the lands in Salt Lake and Davis counties
except, perhaps. the north end of Davis
county,. and such parts OF Tooele and
Utah counties as could properly come
therein. Begin by allowing the commits
Stoners, or officers by whatever name TO
secure all water rights in such districts
as they need them by purchase of con-
demnation. then decide by careful surveys
and estimates how high il Will be neces-
sary or desirable to raise the lake in order
TO reach all the lands possible TO be
reached. Then proceed to dyke the lake
Wherever necessary, laying foundations
sufficient for the highest dyke that will
ever be required, raising IL from time to
time as the demand for water increases,
The money for this work should either
or by the issuance OF bonds for the drain
age district which could doubtless be
noated at So or per cent interest After
tne system becomes we'll established a
fairly distributed water tax should be
leVled sufhcient to pay all expenses, in
terest and & small amount toward a sink
ms fund TO pay off the bonds.
In many ways this would be superior TO
either OF the other methods. It is greatly
10 be regretted that our wretched system
OF electing United States senator BY
lngiEf9rnra inst OF bx~ ha.
people, system that has not single
valid argument in its favor except that IL
IS established, prevents our people from
electlng members of the state legislature
with reference to their qualifications as
legislators and their ideas upon questions
OF state policy rather than solely with
reference to the question whose henchman
they VIII be in the senatorial contest. It
Will matter little TO the farmer of Utah
in 1910 or the people in general who was
elected United states senator in 1899 but
IL will make a great difference to them
and to the whole people of the state
whether they are freenen, paying mOder-
ate and reasonable water taxes or whether
they hold their farms as vassais of an ir-
rtgatiOn company having the right TO tax
the farmer all his land will stand and pay
Tor cultivation Under one system. by
that time. every foot of land susceptible
OF cultivation in the Salt Lake valley will
be in a high state OF cultivation, largely
owned by well TO do forming DODula-
ton with comfortable and in many cases
elegant habitattons and all the conven-
lenceS OF modern civilization. Under the
present system, if continued. large pro-
portion Of the farmer population will be
confined to a meagre subsistence and
there Will be before them the constant
1ebatable question whether 1t will be bet
Ter TO cultivate this or that piece of land
and pay water taxes or let it lie fallOw.
II this question of irrigation goes over
The next session of the legislature a sys-
.em may be fastened upon Ile people of
Utah whose chains il will be impossible
% break. And my advice to the people Of
Utah is to look well to the next legisla-
.ure- EUGENE LEWIS.
Salt Lake City. Sept. 6, '9S.