The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-21
FARMERS WILL
FIGHT SHELTERS
Decide at Mass Meeting to Take
This Action.
REJECT PROPOSITION MADE
DECLARE THAT THEY WILL AP-
PEAL TO THE COURTS.
REJECT PROPOSITION MADE

decided 10 institute Injunction nrocaed
ihgs against the smelter companies +,
compel them 10 stop the emission ot
POISONOUS vapors from the smoke
stacks OF their plants. The keynote
was sounded by George Gardner a one
legged farmer. who said:
If we do not fight the smeIters tbev
VIII impoverish us and kill us off. This
valley viii be desolated if the smelter
smoke is not stopped [ believe we
should go into court and fight them Ia
the last ditch"
RMS statement was loudly cheered
ana several others declared that Iiti-
Sation was the only line Of action left
10 those whose crops were being ruined
and whose livestock were being NOS
oned by the deadly fumes from the
smelters.
me meeting was presided over by
John I. Mackey, chairman of the far
lners committee appointed at a pre-
vlous meeting. The first order of bust
ness was the reading of the proposi-
uioh made by the smelling companies
! on oct. 10 to the committee This
J document. after reciting the obstacles
the smelling companies regard as being
IN the way of a compliance with the
/ demand for doing away with the smoke
nuisance, said:
We propose that a body of experts
! De appointed for the purpose of ex-
/ aiming into conditions at the various
smelling plants, and into the known
/ ana proposed methods of controlling
tunes, for the purpose of recommend
J ing 60 the shelters, either collectively
or seVerally, some feasible plan to be
! adopted by the smelters- jointly or sew
orally for the control of such fumes
and If any plan recommended by the
Dody OF experts be commercially feas-
lble, then we vii respectively adopt
the same. Your committee shall have
the right to name one of the number
composing the body of experts, if your
committee shall so desire"
The smelling companies asked the
| committee to indicate the acceptance
OF the proposition and designate the
person, if it was decided to name one.
who is to represent the committee on
the committee Of experts. as soon as
possible. 1t was stated that the COM
panies would, if desired by the com
mittee. pay the entire expenses of the
investigation
After a brief discussion of the propo-
sitiOn, in which Chairman Mackey,
Bishop o. p. Miller and others gave it
as their opinion that the smelling COM
panies were simply playing for time,
and that they did not intend to take
measures TO either lessen or do away
with the smoke from their plants, Bish- I
op Daniel McRae moved to reject the
proposition of the companies
This motion was adopted. but not |
until il was discussed for more than |
an hour. Bishop O. p. Miller was op-
posed TO the appointment of an ex- 1
pert by the meeting to work in har- |
money with experts to be selected by |
the companies. He said it was up to |
the companies to take definite action /
They had their own chemists and ex-
perts and it was not reasonable to /
suppose that they did not know how
10 control the smoke
Chairman Maekey said prominent |
lawyers had informed him that if those |
who were being ruined by the vapors /
from the smelters did not begin ac- /
tons soon against the smelling COM /
panies they would be estOpDed. The |
smelling companies knew that and |
were endeay0ring to hold the sufferers
OF as long as possible, so that when
suits were filed they could set up the
plea that the cOmplainants had slum-
bered on their rights and were no
longer entitled to damages.
Heber BenniOn opposed TIE motion.
He thought more time should be given
the companies. They had made a
proposition which seemed reasonable
and he was in favor Of appointing eX-
perts and of being guided by their re-
port But if anyone had another plan I,
to offer he was willing TO listen to it.
II was at this point that George
Gardner arose and threw down . the
gauge of battle to the smelter COM
panies Besides declaring that he was
in favor of fighting Ito the last ditch"
ne said he wanted the trouble 10 begin
right away.
Chairman Mackey contended that if
the proposition of the companies was
adopted and experts appointed, they
might pc two years in making the pro-
poseFexDeriments.
Bishop L. G. Miller, after the rejec-
ton Of the companies proposition, Of
Tered the following resolutions, which
were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, Great damage 70 vegetation.
10 animal life and to the health OF, the
people is being done every dav by tho
Tunes from the stacks Of the several
smelters. and.
Whereas The smelter companies have
not submitted any proposition for relief
and abatement Of said nuisance. there
fore be IL
Resolved That We citizens ana resi-
dents of Salt Lake county, IN maSs-nleet-
ing assembled, pledge and bind ourselves
10 unite IN an action in the courts for an
injunction against the smelter mpanfes
until such works arc erected that will
dbatc said nuisance; and DC il further
Resolved, That we agree TO pay the eX-
pcnseS incurred I'm any action for relief
and abatement of said nuisance on %he
basis of acreage owned by each indi-
vidGal. the proposition to be fixed on the I
total acreage of those who will subscribe
10 this agreement.
When the resolutions were adopted.
Chairman Mackey read an agreement
providing for the raising OF funds with
which TO BEGIN and carry on injunc-
ion proceedings against the companies
The agreement was adopted after Il
had been explained and discussed thor
oughly. 1t provides for the feeling Of
attorneys the paying of court costs,
the paying of the expense of procur-
ng expert testimony. and doing other
Kings that may be necessary to MAIN
tain the position taken by the farm
RS. An assessment of 10 cents per
acre is TO be levied uDon all persons
'wning farms who sign the agreement
The amounts that those owning prop
,rty other than farms in the burnt
ip belt are to pay is to be determined
alter.
MahOnri Spencer. secretary and treas
Irer OF the committee, VIII have charge
II tie money raised. and the finance
committee is composed OF Henry f.
Burton, James r. Carlyle and A L.
ZEE.
All except a few of the $50 persons
resent at the meeting signed the
greemeDt