Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-28
"Amerlcan' Gang in Council
Handled Without Gloves and
Given Mo Quarter.
ELECTRICAL BILL DEFEATED
Martin Tried Hard to Land Big
Plum for the Engineering Depart
ront-Detective Slaps Prisoner.

n was minated tnat there would not
be much of Importance to come before
the city council last evening, but the
session proved that there was sufficient
70 keep that body in session until after
II o'clock. during the greater part of
which time the meeting was torrid
one. and this not alone from weather
conditions.
The feature of the evening was the
drubbing received by the majority of
the council from the minority in the
matter of the bond issue Councilman
Hall was chief spokesman for the men
who are opposing the bonds and the
way that he tied into a knot members
on the other side and exploded their
sophistries was indeed refreshing.
Stewart, especially. attempted TO meet
the arguments advanced by the minori-
" in resolutions presented by Them
but he was completely silenced before
Mr. Hall got through with him.
STEWART GROWS FEvERIsH.
The matter came before the council
when resolutions were called for Coun-
Gilman Fernstrom secured the floor and
submitted the document that had been
50 arbitrarily turned down week ago.
The clerk started to read it. but Stew
art ODJttltN. NIL TtLIlSllblIl as per-
fectly willing that II should be dis
cussed without reading, as he felt sure
that every member of the council. as
well as the public, had thoroughly read
1t.
Stewart took the floor and assailed,
or attempted to assail the figures CON
tanned in the resolutions He asked
the minority to answer where they
got this item and that item, but as soon
as an answer was forthcoming he
would complain to the chair that he
was being interrupted. Each time he
was reminded that the Interruptions
were the result of his own questions.
Mr. Fernstrom briefly stated that in
the forepart of 1905 the majority of the
council had endeavored to show that
the city was in much better condition
than It really was. and now they are
seeking to make out that the situation
is much worse than it really is.
FIGURES THAT STAND
When Mr.. Hall took the floor he an
swered in detail every question pro-
pounded by the other side, and the fig
ures he submitted were absolutely I'M
controvertible. The first figures at
tackled by the majority was the sum of
$3.50, 344.65 given as taxes assessed prior
to 1908. Mr. Hall pointed out that the
special auditors report gave the
at upwards of $199,000 This was done
to make good showing for the admin
1stration. The minority considered that
the figures were entirely too high and
Therefore cut out $4,000 leaving $780,
34465 as an actual revenue. OF this
sum there had been collected during the
first six months of this year more than
sl55.000. and the minority had the word
of the city treasurer that collections for
the balance of the year would more
than bring the amount up to the figures
submitted in the resolutions.
The next item objected to by the ma
jority was the fiat water rates assessed
prior to 1908, $40, 1895. The special au-
ditor's report had placed the sum at
least $50 900 higher. The minority
showed that already this year 3SS.000
of these rates had been collected, and
they were assured by the treasurer
that $1,000 would easily be collected
during the last six months of the year:
so that the matter of $40, 80 was am
ply accounted for.
OF the meter and miscellaneous wa
ter rates the minority found that for
the first six months of this year over
$4,000 had been collected and they
were justified in multiplying the sum
by two to get the results for the year,
or s52,S96.9i.
TOOK AUDITORS FIGURES.
For the departmental and miscel-
laneous revenues, the minority took
the figures of the auditor for the FIRST
five months of the year, S46.2Ol.SS. att
erwards adding the auditors hgures
for June, $S,73S55. and multiplied the
total by two, TO make the total or
Sl09, $3.50.
The most serious objection to the NIL
nority resolutions was in the matter OF
the amount of licenses for the year
S225,000, this sum being considered tar
too high by the majority of the council.
Stewart, chairman of the license COM
mittee, received severe fall at the
hands of Mr.. Hall and had to admit
that he was wrong entirely IN ms
premises. Mr.. Hall showed that the
liquor licenses for January mad sus-
talned loss by reason of the fact that
ter part of 1907 and overlapped INTO
1908. The resolutions had placed THIS
loss at Sl2,5O0 which was later found
TO be at least $1,000 too low For IN
stance. there was collected for the llrst
quarter of 1908. S22,3S7.4S, as against
S39, 63i, 80 for the second quarter, ana
500, 900 so far collected for the quarter
beginning July !. on July 30 the IL
censes of all kinds collected amounted
10 $l06, 1854, and Mr.. Hall eontended
that with two full quarters of liquor
licenses coming in for the second half
of the year. the fun 1928, 900 would be
made up, and opposition did not dare
dispute his assertion.
The resolutions gave the AMOUNT or
fiat water rates for 1905 at sl35,0JO
and these were the estimates OF the
committee on waterworks, after all
Attachments had been taken into con
slderation. These are collected very
closely
WAS BUTT or RIDlCULE.
Mr.. Stewart criticized Mr. Hall for
placing the assessed valuation OF Salt
Lake property at Si0,0OO000 which had
been estimated by the minority When
the assessors figures were Afterwards
made known, 1t WAS found that tho
amount was 100000 less than $40 O0O,-
900, or making Il difference of only
$500 IN taxes. Mr. Stewart was made
the butt OF ridicue even by members
OF the majority.
Again the mhnority's tlgures OF sl9l.-
l2a64 for the citys portion OF con.
tracts made prior to 1908 were crit.
cizod. Mr.. Hall showed that the NM
loritys figures were s20S,0 33 90, and in
them were included sl0.7bO for a creln-
hlury, the contract for which han
never been let, and also Sl,b60,02 on
lhe Jordan and Salt Lake canal, when
sum Is not to be paid until 1909. Win
.n,se amounts subiraeted, the mlnlli-
Nh hsures were unassallable.
THIS YEARS FIGURES
OF the contracts made in 1905 the
,,rpols of the engineer placed the