The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-01

! ne mayor dpptlGQ himself in bust
ness-like way TO all the tasks before him.
/ His training as a business man and his
experience in public life, especially as city
| treasurer. had equipped him to deal with
the situation. While Strengthening out
other tangles. he applied himself TO
] study of the water question. Thompson
! had paid NO official attention TO the Ie-
/ concentrations made by the Commercial
club committee.
Administration Begins Work.
Mayor Morris studied their report care
FULLY, as well as reports of previous city
engineers With the engineering depart
ment or the city and the board of public
works he famiiiarzed himself with every
detail OF the situation. The Doolyized
| board OF public works had been supplant-
ca Dy one composed of Chairman E. A.
Wall. Stephen Hays Albert Fisher. j. ID.
Wood and w. W Ritter Before the year
was half over plan of action was de-
eided on. This plan had as it's essential
the proposition advocated by city en-
glneers from the time of Doremus, con-
coded by the Thompson administration to
be the most important method of relief.
and the keystone of the Commercial clubs
! report. This WIS the securing of rights
IN Big Cottonwood canyon by the eX-
change of Utah lake water and building
of a conduit to bring this supply into
the city mains.
Quietly the mayor secured options on
Big Cottonwood water in exchange for
Utah lake water. The farmers, realizing
the Importance of the deal to the city.
drove hard bargain. but they were final
| ly brought into line, being promised $40
an acre bonus and IS per cent additional
water. This the city could easily afford
TO give in order to get the valuable rights
Bonds Are Asked For.
Having worked out the plan, the mayor
asked the council 10 submit to the tax
payers proposition for a 81, 100000 bond
issue 10 carry this into effect. Black and
10 HlR Nrr1ae Ia - \
supply, but their votes were the only ones
q. 1904
An address to the voters was issued
Dec. Il of that year, signed by Mayor
Morris, Councilmen T. J. Hewlett, f. y
Fernstrom, George ID. Dean and Rulon s.
Wells and by o, ]. Salisbury, John Clark
". Mont Ferry Nephi l. Morris and
George a. Whitaker. This address out
lined the purposes for which the bonds
were to be used SS50.0o0 to be devoted to
water aud $4,000 TO sewers.
The proposition was generally conceded
TO be good. and there was no public Oppo-
sitiOn until the hand Of Dooly Segan TO
appear. Thomas Homer. 4. A. Robertson
and others became active, and finally
Dooly himself came out into the open IN
an effort TO get the Real Estate associa-
ton and the Commercial club aTrayed
against IL. Scheme after scheme was at
tempted to defeat the issue and throw IL
over until after another city election 70
give somebody other than Mayor Norris,
with his reputation for honesty and BUSH
ness ability, chance to spend the money.
But the people voted the bonds Jan. 3,
1865
DooIyites Still Fight on.
Dooly and his allies did not stop their
fight. Efforts were made 10 brighten the
Mutual Life Insurance company OF New
York, which had purchased the issue.
May ~ 1905, a resolution WAS passed to
send the mayor and r.. 5. Richards spe-
cial counsel. To New York TO satisfy the
insurance company as to the legs.ty OF
Holiday NeuhauseR and Wood were ar.
rayed on the side of DoOly. but thelf
opposition was vain. By agreement with
the legality es the issue. The supreme
court decided the bonds valid, and the
company took the issue.
The DoolytteS then bent their energies
to another line of attack In their cam
paign of delay. The Utah Light e. Rail
way company owned valuable rights IN
Big Cottonwood canyon, without which
construction of the conduit I'm return
for the surrender Of these rights TO the
city the company demanded new fran
chise consolidating all its other grants,
extending them 50 they would cover. a
period Of 100 wears from date, and IN
sisting on other concessions which were
generally held 20 be exorbitant- The
mayor opposed these extreme demands,
as did The Herald. a deadlock ensued'
which lasted Tor weeks. Condemnation
proceedings for tho water rights we're
contemplated by the administration. But
the best of legal talent advised that these
might be strung out for = year or more,
thuS preventing the securing or the wa
ter, with a possibility that the city woula
be forced TO pay heavy price Tor the
rights IL 1t secured them at all.
Deadlock Finally Broken.
Finally the administration, with the
support of The Herald, broke the dead
10. ss,a 4r
highly favorable terms TO the city. Inc
company reduced its lighting rates from
10 cents a kilowatt hour to III cents and
its street ear fare to cents when tickets
are bought 1t ceded TO the city the de-
sired rights IN Big Cottonwood canyon,
gave additional free lighting TO the city
power practically at cost. and other con- 5
eessions. Ia return the city consolidated
existing franchises. some OF which nae
forty-three years TO run, and EXTENDED
all the franchises TO run fifty years from
the date o. the ordinance
The -DOolyites were thrown into fury,
This would remove tie last obstacle IN
the way OF immediate increase OF me
water supply The contracts would be let
al once and the money spent economical
~ and honestly under the mayor ana MS
board of public works. And Mayor MOT
ris would get the credit of solving the
water question.
More Efforts to Stay Progress.
Redoublee efforts we're made to block
this step and delay action until after the
election Charges Of dishonesty were
made against members of the council
laughable when the source was consiq-
cred and the fact that such men as Black,
A. ]. Davis and Martin were held up as
pure and undefled. Thomas Homer
brought injunction suits. but the courts
held against him The franchise was
passed. the board of public works prompt
~ began letting contracts, and Dooly was
defeated.
The work of improving and increasing
, the city-s water supply is now I'm progress;
If the Morris administration IS permitted
10 continue by the voters II viii nave
water from Big Cottonwood flowing INTO
the citys mains by next July, III time
10 prevent any recurrence Of q water
shortage The course or the Thompson
administration subsequent TO its pledges
has been traced In contrast is the course
of the Morris administration.
Estimated Cost OF Works.
/ The address to the voters, signed by
MAYOR Morris and tho others, announced
that works proposed, with their esti-