The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-01
Graft 81 the Fee Fiands

II All the justices and cCuSE2bleS
should demand all the fees they would
otherwise have earned, but have dis
counted, as some have done, and after
wards sued for fees On all cases fled,
whether judgments have realized any
thing or not, the amount OF tax col
lected by them would not be sufficient
10 cover the costs of procuring the 1900
worthless judgments. In support Of
this contention the report refers to the
district court decision in the SOmmer
case, and TO the claim Of Constable
HaddOck, now pending before the cOun-
ell, the constable, 1t is alleged, having
refused to abide by an agreement that
ne would charge fees only in cases
where judgments were realized upon.
Several attempts have been made to
effect a better enforcement Of the law,
even by appointment of deputy con-
stables on salary, but the results have
been scarcely less unsatisfactory. An
effort to place the service Of process in
poll tax suits in the police department
was defeated in the late legislature
through the efforts Of the conetables.
the report states.
In view Of the stated conditions, Su-
pervisOr Seldom regards the enforce
ment of the poll tax law under the pres
ent system failure and rank injus-
tice to honest citizens. Property own
ing residents liable for poll tax are COM
PEELED to bear the weight of this tax, in
addition to other tax burdens. while
the transient element and nOn-pTOp-
erty-Ownens shirk the payment Of poll
tax, and succeed in defying the city TO
enforce payment by court procedure.
Urges Abolition of Poll Tax.
This discrimination practiced upon a
large portion Of the community from
year TO year has caused the poll tax
question to become a very obnoxious
one to every one Of the 1900 able-bOdied
male citizens between the ages Of 81 and
so who pays the tax or hires it worked
out The supervisor has come to the
conclusion that the best interests of the
public would be subserYed by repeating
the Loll tax law in Salt Lake City, or
cities of the first class.
AS a remedy Mr.. Seldom proposes
that the expense Of maintaining the
streets be met by using the full pro-
portion Of taxes levied for only street
purposes. This plan, he reasons, would
accomplish more than the same amount
Of poll tax labor. and give greater sat
isfaction generally.
The expense of maintaining the COM
bined street and irrigation depart
ment In 1899 was $59.3116S. The saving
10 the city as a result OF the consOlida-
ton two years ago is SIS, 127. Grading
was done or fOrty-nine streets.
Water Rights and Sprinkling.
The report states the condition Of the
city canal and the big drain and irri-
cation bitches controlled by the city,
as also the more important bridges and
fumes. Relative to the preservation OF
the city'S water rights in Jordan mar
rows, the supervisor endorses the rec
concentrations Of the city engineer gen
orally, but on the question Of maintain
ing the Pleasant View ditch the retired
official submits many reasons why it
should not be abandoned and the irri-
eating water from Parley's canyon
brought through the conduit.
The street sprinkling service last year
cost 1878, exclusive Of the twenty
six new carts bought for $S,657.50 The
saving over the preceding year was
S4,96G.93, ard the number Of blocks
sprinkled vas $50, or $50 more than in
1898, under the contract system
Thu supervisor recommends that the
main Travelled thOroughfares to the de-
pots be macadamized; that the city
canal be made twenty feet wide at the
bottom. as originally intended; that the
surplus canal be extended. to the shores
Of the lake. for better drainage, and
that the City creek fUme be rebuilt.