The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-12
are some people on Brigham street who
have been clipping lambs all spring
THE IMPROVEMENT HoLD.UP.

When a disputaut is in close place
on any given question it is a favorite
dodge to begin talking about some
thing else than the point at issue, and
TO raise r clamor concerning something
that no one has passed any particular
criticism upon. This, as was to be ex-
pected, is the position of the opponents
of the Federal Bunch" which at
tempted, during the late legislative
session, to cripple or paralyzc Salt
Lake. The one thing which this
''bunch - succeeded in doing was to
surreptitiously insert at the end of a
bill amending certain statutes relating
to public improvements in cities, a
clause which required separate adver-
tislng, and separate bids and separate
contracts, on every piece Of property
embraced within any given area or dis
trlct to be covered by the improve,
ment contemplated Thus, under the
old law il was competent for the city
officials TO advertise for a whole dis
trict III one notice and to include in
one contract the laying of sidewalk,
for instance, or sewers, or the paving
of streets abutting on large number
Of pieces Of property. The one adver-
tIsement, the one notice, the one con-
tract would cover all the pieces of prop
erty included within the given district.
Under the sneak and foul knock k-out
proviso which was inserted at the end
nf fhn hill on,opdipr Tho o-a t,to oil
this is changed; there has to be n sepa-
rate advertisement for every piece of
property, separate bid called for up"
on each, and separate contract en-
tered into for every piece of property
to be improved within given district
That is, that was the intent of the
sneak enemies of this city in prepar-
ing that amendment which was not
in the printed bill and the responsible
ty for the insertion of which is lodged
by everyone who had to do with the
matter.
Now, IT is no defense against this at
tempted outrage upon the people of
this city, this attempt to paralyze the
advance of public improvement here,
to say that the property owners ought
not to pay for Improvements until the
Improvement has been begun or has been
made. That has nothing whatever to do
with the question; that was fully COW
cred in the bill as printed; nobody OBJ
jected to it, There is no controversy
upon that point. nor has anyone raised
any question about it, nor criticised
anyone for urging that method Of pay
ment. 1t is generally conceded by the
public that it is an improvement and
in the interest of the property owners
To have the payments made as work
progresses and after the contract is
demanded in advance of the bids, and
on the engineer s estimates.
But that has nothing whatever to do
with the proposition. The question is.
as first stated, on the separation of ey-
cry piece of property in any given dis
trict or area and requiring separate
treatment Throughout for each separate
bit Of property. That is what makes
the cost, the trouble and adds immeas-
urably to the labor to be performed
and TO the cost TO the property owner,
as well as to the delay in doing the
work While one advertisement, one
bid, and one contract would cover a
hundred pieces of property or more, the
new law seems to require that there |
shall be a hundred or more advertise
nd in, nrInr no
begin and carry on the work. This is
the paralyzing blow to progress in this
city. if the courts carry out the law as
the conspirators against the welfare of
Salt Lake evidently intended to shape !
things up.
But we have hopes that the skill of
these enemies to the city will not be
equal to their malignant enmity to pro-
gress. We have decided hopes that |
when this section of the law is con- !
strued in connection with other statutes I
bearing upon this subject, that it may
still be possible TO 20 on with public
without the added cost |
to the taxpayers and 10 the city, that |
On the surface this sneak proviso seems |
10 require. But if that is found pos
sible, it will be no excuse for the vile |
plotters against the clty's welfare; |
their intent was malignant and paraly- |
zing. If, however, it should be found |
that the blow aimed at the city Is eff
fectual in this matter, then the whole |
weight of the odium for stopping i'm. 1
in this city for the next |
two years must necessarily fall upon
thesc conspirators, who are thc main
yogs IN the Smoot political machine.