Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-13
City Council Adopts Report Regard.
Ing North Main Street,
HEAR PROTESTING CITIZENS
Vote 10 Change Established Grade
Was "a 90 3-City Auditor o.
fers suggestions

voted the greater portion OF their time
at last nights meeting to q sonsldcra-
tion Of the North Main street grade
question. After a discussion OF tho
street committees report. recommend
Ing a change Of the o. per cent estab.
liHhed grade to i2b per cent grade
lasting nearly two hours. 1t was adopt
ed by n vote OF 10 to Z.
number OF citizens were present
and for and against the proposition.
Mr.. o. II. Young. n civil engineer. said
he was opposed to the change contcm.
plated In the committees report. Ito
wanted the best grade and that was no,
the one asked for by !. a. Fritsch and
others. nor recommended by tho COM
mlttce.
Chairman Morris said his committee
had considered the matter for months
and a majority favored change. fully
believing II would prove 20 the best
Interest Of the city. The grade would
be about ~ per cent for 800 feet and 3
per cent for 900 feet north OF currnnt
street. He read letters from Engineers
brooks and nm and gave verbal
statement from Engineer J. Fewson
Smith. al OF whom gave II as their
opinion that II would be unwisc for tho
city to maintain the established grade.
j. \. Fritsch, In behalf OF the petit
TONERS. made quite talk for a change.
and rccitcd the benefits that would
come TO the property owners II tho
committees report was adopted.
Architect =. G. Dallas. by means Of
piece OF string and a rule, gave a
nruFtllul lllMNN - "a an
cent grade was like.
W. II. sherman said the established
grade was a "monHtrosity' and ought
not to be longer tolerated.
lennc Barton suggested mature DELHI
Grafton. The question was an import
ant one, not only TO the residents OF
Main street north VI First North. but
10 every person In the city. lie fav-
orcd poHtponcmcnt OF the matter un-
I'll further Inquiry had been made.
Buckle introduced anu,hcr petition
signed by " business men and private
citizens. They asked that action be
postponed until other plans. now I'M
der consideration. had matured. The
petition was ruled out OF order.
Tue motion to adopt the commit
tees report was put and carried by
vote OF 10 to ., Barnes. Buckle and
Robertson voting In the negative.
a CHANGE PROPOSED.
city Auditor Douglas a. Swan called
the attention OF the Council to the un-
satisfactory condition OF the accounts
of his office, due. Mr.. Swan says. TO the
Improper system In witch the books
have been opened and kept. and the nc-
counting between the auditors office
ana the departments OF the city.
Mr. Swan says no records appear to
show the correct value OF any property
owned by the city. The location OF the
various lands belonging 20 the city. the
auditor says, N contained In the records
Of the engineers department. but there
~ nothing either there or In the audi
tors Office to show their value. Fur
thermore Mr. Swan says that amounts
representing operating expenses have
been charged to accounts representing
property such as the crcmatory. FIRE dc.
partment etc. No that the accounts
never show either the current operating
expenses. or the cost OF the patents.
Again. Mr.. Swan says. FOR some
time prior to 1897 accounts showing In
come and expenditure have not been
closed ~ the end Of the FISCAL year Ac-
counts showing the cost of various i'm
proNcmonts, long since completed, the
auditor says, Htlll remain open. These
accounts In no sense present the city'a
liabilities and resources, they nrc madc
To appear ms such. II those accounts on
both sides were closed. Mr.. swan says,
OF about 500 orc.
Mr.. Swan further states that there IL
no regular system Of reports existing
between his office and the city depart
mcnts.
The auditor. Mr.. Swan says. ahould
be In n position at all times 10 furnish
the Mayor, Council committees or pub
lie, any information with respect to
general financial condition Of the city.
The. law, he says. requires his books
to show. but under the present system
II u Impossible to do 30.
The auditor recommends that the
Council appoint a committee TO np-
praise the value Of all the clty's prop
erty; that the auditor he authorized
10 Investigate the accounts listed. that
o proper system Of accounts be ihgii-
tuted. under the direction OF the audi
tor, supervised by the finance commit
tee, In all the departments. Mr. swan
further recommends that whenever amy
special work II done by nny NJ tho de-
partments, nm appropriation be made TO
cover the cost, that the auditor be In
structed to audit no bills IN excess OF
the appropriation for the purpose; and
that he be required 10 make a monthly
report showing the amount Of appro-
prlntions remaining uncXpended. Re-
ferred to finance committee.
"TlIERELL DE a HOT TIME"
IiWAfu MtAhFtnNt Nnnlffnnn. ana w.
r, Ayland, secretary. OF the Flremen's
invitation committee, sent In n com
municntlon inviting the members OF
the Council 20 attend banquet and
entertainment TO be given nj the fire
department headquarters, by the mem
hcra Of the IRE department, Monday
evening next Tho banquet " TO be
given In honor OF tho Mayors. present
and elect. ard the Councils. ditto, OF
this city, Al the members present
voted to attend.
ENGINEERS COTTONWOOD RE-
PORT
city Engineer Kelsey presented a
preliminary report on the Zig Cotton.
wood Creek wnter Investigation. Sonic
parts of the report We're not fully com.
pleted. ms Mr., kelsey said no had NOT
been able to obtain ard compile MI the
information necessary To complete II.
He asked for permission to finish tho
report before II was considered by the
Council. The report VIII be ready By
next week. The request was granted
without opposition,
FIREMEN's RELIEF FUND.
Relative to the firemcns fund Chief
DeVlne, In n communication addressed
to the Council. said 1t now amounted
to N,lj0, The chief suggested the APP
polntment OF committee. consisting
OF the Mayor. chairman Of the commit
tee on IRE ana police. captain OF the
a ~ a4NHN col. -