The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-05-24
THE GRAB GAME FAILURE.

l.O1ItE-lne
THE GRAB GAME FAILURE.
The Utah Light * Railway company
ought to feel good over the refusal of
the Mutual Life Insurance company TO
take the bonds Of the city voted to pay
for the Big Cottonwood water-supply
s, heme. But for the light company's
attempt TO grab everything I'm sight for
lis franchise. the city's plan for en-
Judgement Of its water supply would
have been consUmmdted by this time
and the construction work would be
under way As it is. the company has
attempted TO take advantage of the
,jty's supposed necessities and has pro-
jected cold hoId-up game to compel
Concessions before il would agree to the
water supply plans.
If the company had made plain its
purpose in advance, if the terms on
which it finally proposed TO let the city
complete its water system had been ex-
Ilaiued fully and honestly before the
vote. the bond issue would have been
defeated at the polls Instead, the peo-
pie were given To- understand that the
,ompauy's water rights. cIouded as they
are. and its land. which il undoubtedly
owns. would be transferred to the city
ON equitable terms Instead. the pub
lie was allowed 10 believe that the
transfer had practically been arranged
on a reasonable basis, the bonds were
voted. and then the company showed
it's hand. y water right which had
been figured at less than $4,000 in
value suddenly became worth double
that sum or more. and the combined
land and water rights were estimated
10y the company To- he a fair equivalent
for new franchise uuquestionably
worth millions.
Such d procedure may be good bust
hess" Tor the company, but it is a fraud
on the public which voted the bonds in
good faith. and it deserves the failure
which il has met
At Monday nights meeting. Fern
stTom. the compauy-s agent. pretended
surprise that the franchise he had
drawn and Struggled into the recorders
office week ago, should provide for
an increase in the maximum rate on
gas. He even had the nerve to depIore
the existence of such a provision, as
though it had not been put there de
liberateIy with Ferustrom's knowledge
and for the express purpose of giving
the light company AN additional privi-
lege which 1t had no right to ask. Fern
strom may be EUileIess enough TO think
ne can mislead somebody by such tao
tics. but he ought 10 give others credit
for some knowledge of his character; he
knows. as every one else knows, that
if he had had votes enough to pass his
ordinance in behalf of the light COM
pany. his qualms about the price of gas
would not have prevented his voting
for the ordinance no matter what great
privileges it donated to the corpora
tiou.
As a matter Of fact. Fernstrom
thought his smuggled ordinance would
pass the council a week ago when he
sueak ed it into the recorders office. he
thought he had votes enough to pass it
Monday night. and his failure TO deliver
the goods was his only reason for
agreeing TO a postponement-
The options on the Big cottonwood
water expire on July 1. Unless the city
can arrange To take out the water high
enough i'm Big cottonwood creek to
give II the proper head, the water
rights will be obviously without value.
only two ways lie open by which this
right can be secured; one is by grant
from the light company, the other by
condemnation proceedings. The light
company has so far blocked the pro-
sramme by demanding unreasonable,
extortionate terms. If the city is to
complete its water system, cOndemna-
ton IS the only method of securing on
fair terms the right of way it needs.
The people are tired of the compauy's
tactics. tired OF delays which can have
TO object except the possible corrup-
ton or treachery of the one council
man needed TO give the corporation
what it seeks. It would seem, there
fore. that the city ought 10 abandon all
negotiations on the franchise. lay the
subject on the table and proceed TO
bring condemnation proceedings at the
earliest possible moment. Further de-
lay is only an aggravation. a continu-
ance of obstruction and a prolongation
OF the temptation constantly held before
one or TWO councilmen 20 betrav their
constituents and the city which they
represent