The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-15
In Hotel Corridors

w. II. GROOM of Memphis Tenn,
accompanied by his wife. has spent few
days In Salt Lake. guests OF the Wilson.
Mr., Groom is the representative Of a large
cotton establishment. This As his frst
visit to Salt Lake and his observations
here have led him to speak In warmest
terms OF promise of the city. Notwith-
standing the great improvements that are
being made and the vast amount OF build
ing oelng done and projected. this is the
only city he knows OF that is not up with
ned that the future growth Of Salt Lake
VIII be far greater and more rapid than
II has ever been in the past. All condi-
tions, so far as he has been able to OBJ
serve. point that way
The South" Mr.. Groom said. rs en-
Joying great prosperity. Crops are good
PRICES Memphis is improving rapidly,
and has become a great business center
The sanitary conditions there are up to
date, and Memphis is a desirable place
In which TO live. a great deal of wealth
centers there"
In response TO questions relative 10 the
city government OF Memphis, Mr.. Groom
said; Last February the State Legisia-
tnre passed an act embodying practically
the Galveston plan for the city govern
ment OF Memphis In April following the
officials and abolished their offices. The
commission went to work. and / am in
ciined cline to believe the plan, would have
the Mayor contested the constitutional
right Of tho Legislature to deprive him
OF his office. The constitutionality of
the act was sustained in the lower court
The. Supreme court. however, about two
weeks ago declared the act unconstitu-
tional. so that we are back again to the
Old form of municipal government under
the charter OF 1895. The commission plan
was not in operation long enough TO de-
termine whether or not It Is an improve
ment on the present city government
The consensus OF opinion is that the plan
would have worked we'll The city is
governed by an upper and lower house.
The lower house consists of fifteen mem
Mayor is without power, not having
veto, and is in reality merely a figure
head, so that shrewd politician In the
upper house can really control the leGis-
that matters Will shape themselves
In the future as TO give the city an op-
portunity of a fair trial Of the Galveston
plan or something analogous to it,
From here we are going to tour the
Northwest. We are just beginning TO re
alize what a tremendous country this
j. II. TURNER. a prominent mine ope-
rator and owner In Yerington. New. and
other camps in the West, returned Satur-
day TO his apartments at the DAILY In this
city from months tour OF the North
west on pleasure and business bent, In
the course OF his travels he visited San
Francisco. Portland and the sound cities,
Speaking OF San Francisco, he said:
"The city has accomplished wonders in
the way of rebuilding, and would have
been much further advanced but for the
labor troubles. The labor unions OF San
Francisco are the MOST unreasonable
body OF men that ever organized for any
purpose In this country. and the most
inconsiderate OF the rights OF all but
themselves. This is the way they ope-
rate. A contractor figures on a building.
His estimates are based on prevailing
wages OF stone ,masons. bricl5layers. car
penters and plumbers He signs the
contract TO erect the building. expecting
TO pay stone nasons. say, SIS per day.
When the work is ready To begin ths J
stone masons demand SIS per day The
other workmen are equally unreasonable I
building does not go up That kind of
work would break up all the contractors !
In the city In very short time. These
unions urge as an excuse that these |
enormous wage scales are necessary to !
meet the high price of living. There is
any such reason. The fact Is that thou
sands OF these laborers occupy refugee
quarters free of rent and living is little
IL any, higher In San Francisco than other !
cities In the country.
1T is not as high II is right here in
going to lose out, Their demands are
and unjust and will continue
TO be repudiated as they have been ali
along the line, The street car union
lost out, and IL will he the fate OF the
others Ms opinion Is that the Anal re-
emerge from her present labor troubles
n non-union city
THE Northwestern country never gave
promise Of SO rich a harvest as this years
yield promises. Times are good every