The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-18
COMBINATION AND CHURCH.

The report printed in The Tribune
yesterday OF the formation of the In
termountain Consolidated Railway
Company. indicates extensive opera
ton in contemplation In the near fu-
ture. The proposed interurban electric
road, to run from Levan through Nephi,
Mona, santaquin. Payson, Spanish
Fork. Springville. Provo, Pleasant
Grove, American Fork. Lehi string
of towns along the Jordan, including
Salt Lake, the chief settlements of
Davis county Ogden. the large towns
in Box Elder county, the main places
In Cache county, and on to Preston,
Idaho, and probably thence on to Poca-
tello or Soda Springs (perhaps both)
will be a great chain Of transportation.
If built as outlined. And branches to
the head Of Big Cottonwood, to Tooele
county, and other short spurs, are also
In the programme,
This company, 1t Is said, will take
over the street railway systems Of this
city and of Ogden. and enjoy the fran
chises so extensively granted both for
light and railways all along the line Of
the proposed interurban line. But sep
arate corporations are to control the
lighting systems of this city and Of
Ogden, as given out.
Whether this huge enterprise. capi-
TALKED at twenty-five million dollars,
will be OF the high service that 1t ought
to be to the people. will depend upon
the influences which control It A eor
did, church-ruled monopoly. such as
has oppressed and robbed the people Of
this city, Will be a continuation Of that
oppression. and further exhibition Of
the absolute control which the church
leaders have over the civic bodies
which are nominally in charge of our
public affairs, but which always bow
the knee to the King when his will Is
things.
We observe the claim that In (at
least nominally) relinquishing It's con-
troll of the street railways here, the
Mormon church will retire from busl-
ness, We judge this TO be a patent
ton would be q magnificent tribute to
the influence OF The Tribune, and a
vindicatlon OF its course in opposing
church commercialism such as is sell
dom seen anywhere in the affairs OF
mankind.
But It is not clear that this desirable
end has been reached. This new con-
s1lI laf 10 fob nd
will enjoy the church forced robbery OF
the people of this city In the fifty
years franchise grabbed by the Utah
Light and Railway company. And the
| church crowd retain interests that will
! enable them to assert In their own In
terest, their church power over city
councils. county commissioners, and
| State legislators.
It Is quite likely to be case of moro
money, more business: extensive inter
ests sold more extensive interests ac-
| qured. And while 1t is possible that
the new move may mark the retire
ment of the church from the immedi-
ate responsibility of controlling this
business 1t does not indicate Its retire.
ment from other business enterprises;
nor does 1t ensure It's retirement from
the service and real dominance just
as heretofore. Nor does It do away
with the presumption that ayaricious
business presidents and apostles, get
ting more power to delve deeper yet
into commercialism, will use that power
to yet further enrich themselves by a
yet greater expansion Of their CONNER
| cial enterprises.