The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-19
TREAT THE COUNCIL GENTLY.

: THE SALT LAKE CITY council,
jointly and severaly, seems to be
suffering from pandiculation of the
sconce in a decidedly aggravated form.
We refer more especially 20 those mem
oers who have reared up and bucked
over the proposition 10 take the control
Of the waterworlks system Of Salt Lake
out Of their hands. THE Herald appTe-
eiates the fact that practically all Of
the brains. the business judgment and
the sound integrity in the city are con-
tanned in the anatomy of the council
men.
They are preternaturslly wise men,
chosen from among US to be our rulers
in all things. 1t is extremely repre-
hensible for anybody 10 treat council
men with disrespect or to insinuate, in
even the most delicate manner. that
their prerogatives should be clipped.
This is the burden and the song Of the
talks made before the legislative COM
mittee having in charge the bill pro-
viding for a water commission for Salt
Lake City.
Not a single sound argument was adj
measure. Mr.. Fernstrom. for instance,
gentleman for whom The Herald has
the greatest respect, denounced the bill
as a thoroughly impracticable Com
mercial club proposition. We recog-
nize in Mr.. Fernstrom one of the ma
tions ablest water experts Compared
with Fernstrom, Elwood Mead is a
novice and other students are but ig-
noramuses. Fernstrom objects to the
bill because. and we quote:
1T is in reality slap at the coun-
Gil. for it does not require the con-
firmatiOn by the council of the mayors
appointments on the provisional water
commission that is to be named pend
ing the election of the board. This bill
is the child of the Commercial club,
and the Commercial club doesn't under
stand the question and knows nothing
about it, It's methods are superficial
and ill-advised."
Great head. Fernstrom, And later
there rose before fhe committee a YER
fable giant ksE q. water line. one Al
|. beEL S--ReiseT. city~ssaisOr. Mr.. Reiser
has shown himself incompetent to at
tend to his own businesst but he seems
TO think mat qualities him for attend
ing to the business of others. neiser's
strong argument was that the Com
mercial club is composed of merchants.
laundry proprietors, men 3f means In
other words. business meh, and Reiser
was never accused Of belonging to the
latter class.
The city council is close to the peo-
pie" he continued 1T is always try
ing to please the voters, and it keeps
down water rates for the small con-
sumers with that purpose in view.
Should this bill pass the large consum-
ers would be benefited and that,is why
the members of the Commercial club
are so keenly interested in it. 1t means
profit to them. the reduction Of their
water bills and the piling up of expense
on the common, ordinary home owner, s.
Reiser is apparently not aware of the
fact that nine-tenths of all the prop
erty owned in Salt Lake is represented
in the Commercial club. Neither is he
aware Of the fact that all. the members
of the council, with Reiser thrown in
for good measure, probably do not rep
resent -hundredth part of the
taxable wealth Of Salt Lake: If he had
known this ne wouldn't have made such
2 silly ass Of himself although ReiseI
is capable of almost any achievement in
that line.
How It Is possible for nine-tenths OF
1 the wealth to throw all the burdens OF
taxation on the other one-tenth, only a
figure mechanic such as Reiser would
attempt TO explain. The notion IS toe
absurd for serious contemplation. The
real truth is that the council and its
friends fear that if the bill passes tha-
BODY will be shorn of some of its pow.
ers And In all conscience the council
should be stripped Of any opportunity
81 may have to mess the water question
up any more.
The council has shown its absoIut,
and utter Incompetence to deal with tn,
matter 1t has frittered away money
in the most reckless and foolish man,
ner and the people have learned thai
il cannot be trusted The so-caIlet
Commercial club bill Is not perfect. by
any means. but its enactment would
place the city in far better shape thar
al present.