The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-15
OGDEN OFFICIALS
HAVE HOT SESSION
Weekly Conference of City
COuncilmen Rather Sensa-
tiOn8I Affair.
TELEPHONE MATTERS
DISCUSSED AT LENGTH
Much Opposition Evinced to
Buying Right of Way for
New Sewer.
Special to The Tribune.


OGDEN. May 13-The weekly session
of the City Council tonight was lively In
spots and decidedly listless and unprofita
BILE in other spots After the reading OF
the minutes of the preceding meeting.
Councilman Thomas called the attention
Of the members TO the fact that the city
had two attorneys. but neither Of them
was present. In strong language he de-
nounced the conduct of these sa1aried
officers and said that the city was not
paying money for fun, but expected serv-
Ice, He moved that tho Recorder be
asked to notify these officers. or one OF
them. TO be present at all meetings, One
member suggested that tho sergeant-at-
arms be sent after one or both OF the
sending the Chief OF Police after them
and dragging them Into the Council
chamber. and while he was talking on
this subject the assistant city attorney
came In and assumed the desk OF the
CITY Attorney.
Mr Thomas did not qualify his re-
marks about City Attorney Bagley, and
when a written report was received from
that officer later in the session, In which
he recommended that the offer OF one
KisseD to sell a right of way for the
sewer through Thirtieth street for so
be granted, there was storm in the
Council room, There is no more fragrant
instance on record than the fact that
half OF Thlrtieth street, between Wash
ington and Adams avenues, is occupied
by fenced lot four rods from the street
line, to near the center Of tho street and
three rods wide on the frontage Of these
streets, This ground has never been
dedicated to the city, and through all the
years no effort has been made TO acquire
IT. for street purposes. In his report to-
that 1t be condemned. but asked that the
city pay S25 for n right of way for a
sewer.
Intelligent members OF the Council
arose and advocated that the whole area
be condemned for street purposes. After
much useless talk the matter was re-
ferred TO the Committee on Public Build
ings and Grounds, but the chances are
that II the present Council remains In
office ten years from now the unsiGhtly
break in the street which would other
still exist.
The matter of a new patrol wagon with
two horses, for the police force. was re-
ported by the Police committee. The
Wagon and Machine company would fur
nish wagon filling all Of the specifica-
tions OF the Police committee for $40.
Some firms have bids as high as $500
Councilman Browning wanted To stay
with the old single-horse patrol wagon
because Of the finances OF the city. but
Councilman Thomas showed him that the
present system OF a leeeed rig and driver
was costing the city sl70 per month. a
total OF 5000 per year: and moved the
adoption OF the committees report as a
money-saver for the city. 1t was carried
by unanimous vote, Weatherby being alb
sent.
A resolution was adopted. submitted
by the Public Buildings and Grounds
committee, to remove the old. unsightly
and useless pavilion In Lester park and
the Recorder was instructed to advertise
for bids.
A really amusing incident came up
when the bill of the Independent Tele-
phone company for telephone rentals at
fire station No. was submitted. A mo-
paid, but when the list OF the regular
subscribers In the city was read Thomas
noticed that the poll-tax collector had a
phone at his residence. This accounted
for. the other twenty-five for city Of
hoers being gratuitous and all In the
Offices OF the incumbents. Thomas
moved that the phones in the residence
OF the polltax collector be discontinued
and that the one at fire station No. 2 be
retained, this bringing the number down
a consideration for IT'S franchise.
The revised ordinances on which much
money "a and IN three years, G 81 time have been
and bound. were tonight found to he
worthless. Inefficient and Illegal and a
motion motion to to table table the ordinances was
The recommendation for the city to share
with the county the expense OF widening
the Bench canal over Thirty fourth
street was carried, the city and the
county 10 spend S1I5 each. There was
considerable discussion over this The
overflow OF this canal has Injured Thirty
fourth street and Washington avenue.
and Mr.. Thomas said he did not think
that 1t was proper for the city to pay
the county for the damages that the
neglect Of the county had caused to the
city. 1t was carried over his opposition.
Among the matters that had been call
Ing for immediate attention, on which
no action was taken at tonight's meeting.
was that OF spending a few dollars on
repairs OF the north road leading to the
mouth Of Ogden canyon, week ago
The Tribune called attention TO the con-
dltion OF the bridges and cuverts OF this
road and TO the fact that 1t is strewn
with cobbles. which very little labor
would remove, but the Council took alb
solutely no action on that question to-
night, The road is the only one by which
the canyon can now be reached. BY its
inaction the city OF Ogden has appar-
entity abandoned tho old dugway road,
which was built at an expense OF $40, 600
by Weber county, and there is now no
good roai 10 Ogden canyon for the traf-
ilc In and out of Ogden valley