The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-17
WEATHER FOR SALT LAKE.
Fair
THE PROFITS OF REFORM.


When David C. Dunbar enrolled
himself among the purifiers Of the
American" party, those who knew
David of old began to wonder just
what there was in it for the canny
politician and franchise broker. Now
they know what he thought might be
a fitting testimonial to his services in
behalf of municipal reform, social
purity and the American" party.
At Tuesdays session of the street
committee of the city council, that
committee decided to recommend the
purchase by the city from David G.
Dunbar of 1893 fouT-way street signs
at the extremely modest figure Of $50
each, or a total of little over $1,000
So adroitly was the proposal intro
duced that the first public knowledge
of its consideration was the announce
ment that the committee was in favor
of it. There was no paltry public dis
cussion beforehand, no such foolishness
as competitive bids, no investigation
as TO the methods Of other cities or
the price they pay for signs. AS airily
as they would smoke a good cigar
some one else had bought, the COM
mittee said they had decided to give
Brother Dunbar $1,000 for some tin
signs, and that was all there was that
evening.
At the risk of being called hyper
critical, The Herald would suggest that
the city Of Salt Lake needs to exercise
common business judgment in it's af-
fairs and quite a little economy. OF
course a mere triffe like So, 900 is hardly
worth considering, and it would be a
great pleasure to see David enjoy the
money, but still the plan to pay SIX to
ten prices for a thing just because the
fellow who gets the money is a great
reformer and patriot is apt to be EN-
barrassing if it is carried to excess. P.
j. Moran has already worked that
game, and he has SKINNED the munich
pal milk pan so close that one more
turn at it is likely to leave the city
without any cream for its own use. It
would be cruel, very cruel Of the city
council to turn down David's PROPOSE
ton for a little donation party of his
own; but it certainly would do him
good to work for a living just once.
X * \
Quite on a par with the Dunbar tin
sign game is the slumbering scheme to
have the city invest s32, 600 a year more
in lighting the streets by gas. The
promoters of the scheme propose a
rate for street lights that ought to
leave good, safe margin for the lub-
rication of the ways if some members
Of the council need fabrication. Other
cities pay from $3.50 to s12 for a lamp
offered to Salt Lake at s32 a year. 1t
is true the cost of gas in the cities
mentioned is less than il is here. but
the coke by-product also brings bet
ter prices here. In other cities the
company has not made so liberal a
proposal for the installation Of poles
but granting all the points Of differ
ence the price named for Salt Lake
is entirely too high and savors ito
much of addition, division and silence
X X x
In any matter such as the street
signs and the gas lighting PROPOSAL
there is just one business-like wav to
transact the business. The citv au-
thorities should know first what other
cities pay for similar service; they
should determine how much they can
afford to spend, If anything, and they
should ask competing bids where COM
petition is possible.
AS the matter stands now the effort
to rush through a sign job and a gas
lighting job looks too much like the
ordinary shell game in which the civ
will pay the bills and the men inter-
ested divide the loot after they get IT