The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-30
STATEMENT ISSUED
BY GOVERNOR SPRY
He Urges the People to Vote for
State Capitol Building
on June 3.
CRITICISES EFFORT TO
TAKE III ELSEWHERE
Site Is Permanently Fixed by
the Enabling Act Land
Grant of 1894.

Governor Spry issued statchich'
Saturday urging the entire state TO
support the proposition TO add one MN
10 the tax lew for fifteen successive
wears TO erect Il state capltol Dullu'
ing. which is to be voted on June o.
The statement, after alludlng TO inc
Ogden clamor for the erection OF the
CAPITOL building there points out thaC
The site is permanently hNed nero "I
der the enabling act land grant OF July
IG. 1894. to the state. To change the
site now might jeopardizc TINS grant,
il is pointed out. The statement, when
is rs follows. also sets out Salt Lake
county's unquestioned right TO the TO-
cation Of the state capital here;
son June s there VIII be submitted
10 the people of the state ques-
tion which / regard ms ono of most
vital business Importance. shall Inc
state proceed 10 erect capitol bI'lId'
?EThc question is one into which par
1iSanship does not enter, III Whlch poi-
iiics is not 4 factor. and INTO NhlGn
faciionalsm should not he INJECTED, III
is strictly and solely business prop
osition. submitted to the state 5 stock"
hoIlors-thc property owners-luNolN-
ing o question us TO whether thcy dc
sire 10 continue TO transact the AT
fairs OF state as tenantsln-common
with tho local governments OF Sait
Lake City and county, and numerous
owners Of Salt Lake business blocks,
nj enormous yearly rcntals-wIth mca'
ger and absolutely inadequate accom-
nlodations; or whether in keeping with
the practice of the other states Of the
union, they wall provide quarters for
tho various branches ut state gov
crnmeut, for lhc dignitcd aud .cNpcd!-
tious transaction cf the state busi-
ness.
Unfair Agitation
s'The agitation in = ccrtgin quarter
for the removal Of the state capitol
at this time is irrcvclaDt, UNJUST and
unfair The location of the capitol ot
Utah is definitely aud finally settled
'sSection Z OF the enabling act OF
July I6. 1894, provides; That upon
ihe admission Of the said state (utah)
TO The union. in accordance wlth the
provisions Of this act, one hundred
sections OF the unapproprlatcd lands
within the said state, to be selected
and located in subdivisions as provided
in section Il of this act shall be- ana
are hereby. granted 10 SAID state for
the purpose of erecting public buildings
ut the capital of said state. when per
lnanently located. for legislative, exec
utiyo and judicial purposes.
Tho question of the location OF the
state capitol was eHhaustlvcly dis
cI,ssed i'm tho constitutional convention
and was definitely and finally settled
under the provisions of section ; OF
article 10 Of the constitution, which
permanently locates the seat of gov
crumeut ut Salt Lake City.
Section J OF article 22 Of the CON
stitu,ion further provides: 'All lands
of the state that have been, or may
hereafter be, granted 10 the state by
congress. and all lands acquired by gift,
nrant or devise, from any person or
corporation, or that may bc otherwise
acquitted. are hereby accepted. and de-
ciaIeG ~ bc the public lands Of the
state, and shall be held IN trust for the
People, 10 bc disposed of rs may be
provided hy law. for the respective
purposes for which they have been or
may he granted, donated, devised or
otherwise acquired The constitutions
;l convention fixed the capitol site per-
mancntly at salt Lake City. Dong this,
they complied with the condition of the
land grant of the enabling act, and, al
ready the state has selected of the
G. 600 acres granted by congress 62,736
acres.
Without Foundation.
"'The argument that Salt Lake coun-
ty exhibits a voTacious disposition IN
hands of the legislature is without foun-
da5ion Of truth. As a matter of infor
luatioB. ! may state that, eliminating
the assessed valuation OF railroads, tel
agrapj, telephone, express aud ear
companies and net proceeds of mincs,
the total assessed valuation of the
state, outside Of Salt Lake county, was,
IN round figures, So 1852; while Salt
Lake county was assessed OF its rcaI
IN
property, exclusive OF railroad prop
crty, etc, approximately $57 ,495 ,023, OF
about 63 per ceut as much as the en-.
tire state, outside of Salt Lake county.
CON like comparative statement,
the next largest county III point Of as
sessment paid on n basis of about 10
per cent on the entire assessed valua-
;iou of the state, and Notwithstanding
this fact this same county received APP
proHimatcly IS per cent of the total
appropriations by tho legislature for
state institutions.
"The fact is that legislature. com
posed Of men representing every sec
lion of the state, familiar with the con-
ditions under which the state conducts
its business, posted thoroughly on the
financial condition of the state and her
people, deemed the time opportune for
q definite move toward the erection of
q capitol building. \ careful invcsti-
cation of the provisions of the law, the
necessities Of the situation. and the
condition of the states finances. result
sd in the enactment OF four measures,
under the provisions of which the
state may, with great expedition, pro-
ceed 10 the accomplishment of the end
desired. Under the plan formulated
the scheme could not be carried out
without each Of the several measures
becoming law; and the burden 10 the
people was lightly distributed over
period of fifteen years. Certainly the
legislature was fully convinced of the
urgent necessity for the erection Of a
capitol building
''Thc United States government is
rapidly making provision for the hous-
ing Of the postofiices and it's admins
trative officers in the various states in
modern, convenient and imposing build
ings. This is significant. The modern
tendency is toward Capitalization in
he management of all lines Of business.
The administration of the affairs Of the
state OF Utah involves the handling OF
business along exactly the same lines
that are employed in the successful di-