The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-14

Utah s Congressman is large property
holder in this immediate vicinity, own
ing the corner on Main and First
North. and, Just across the street, the
ma ior part of the old Il. G, Nj, L..
building. 1t is known that Congress.
man Howell has beer. greatly interested !,
in securing the location of the Federal
building on the LOT on T,thlng, House
square, and that he has looked with
disfavor on other locations which have
been offered to the Government. 1T Is
known, also, that Mr.. Howell has
thrown his influence in favor of this
church lot; but it has never been sug
gested till now that the Congressman
had entered into an arrangement with
the head of the church for this consum-
nation. and nobody believed any
such thing until President Smith
changed his mind about the lot on the
corner of Tabernacle square, and pro-
posed the other in its place. Every
body recognized the prestige of the
Congressman in such matters, the
courtesy Of patronage making it even
but when property holders were mott
fed that sites might compete for
the building, it was assumed that
despite his property interests kepre-
sentative Howell would not interfere.
Gentiles Not Regarded.
The only GENTLE offering site for
the Federal building was Jacob West:
Mr. West S property, on the corner of
Center and First West, is very
valuable and desirable corner, and
aside from Tabernacle square, the most
feasible of all that have been sug-
gested. Lacking pull, however, 1t was
not believed that Mr.. West stood any
chance in the competition, though he
rendered his lot free of charge t6 the
Government,
The site which Joseph T. Smith has
selected on Tithing House square is not
nearly so desirable as the one offered
watcr-logged. it being at the north eX-
treme OF the business section, and the
| church is asking $4,000 for it, which
the Government must pay
Another element which is said to
have figured in inducing President
J Smith to refuse the Tabernacle corner
and tender the site on TithIng House
Square, is the fact that, located on the
| former site, the Federal building would
greatly enhance the Thatcher property.
| Diagonnllv across the street from Ia
| bernacle Square is the Thatcher bank,
| and back Of this other large holdings
belonging to the Thatcher family. 1t
is being suggested that the church
president has never really forgiven that
which led to the Thatcher episode. aud
| there he could not consent to even in
| directly enhance their holdings. More
! over. the Mormon president is directly
interested III the First National bank.
| himself a director, and the property
of this institution viii appreciate in
value by the location Of the Federal
, building on Tithing House Square.
Will Aid Church Interests.
! Thus, IL is seen that tins site. from
! many points of view, Will contribute
directly to the interests of the church,
those of high church officials, and
| those of Representative Howell; while
had the chief hierarch carried out the
other plan, the general public would
have been more largely the gamer, and
the Federal building located at point
where it would have beautiied the
city forever, and on ground furnishing
stable foundation, and it's basement
would have been free from all hazard
of inundation from water~soaked soil
There is strong sentiment here on
this subject Many citizens feel out
ragged by the turn things have taken
A strong petition is being signed, ask,
ing that the Treasury Department accept
| the west corner in preference to the
lot on Tithing House Square, as the site
for the Federal building There is lit.
tie hope, however, of the success Of this
effort, all classes recognizing that a
combination in which the chief HE
| rarch Of the church and the Congress
man are the principal figures. is prac
tically omnipotent in Washington at
the present time.