The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-08
THE GRAFTERs' VAIL.

The grafters in control of the affairs
of this county. seeing the immlnence
of their defeat aud the escape OF Salt
Lake county from their thlevish grasp,
arc emitting loud and bitter lamenta'
tions, They are pretending great serv-
lee to the county, and are putting up
the impudcnt claim of large county
improvements They are boastiDg about
the roads and bridges, when in fact
these have been almost wholly neglect
ed. And they are shouting praises OF
their own good service with respect
to the county iufrmary, when that in
Urinary is rocking with graft and Job
berry.
Every one knows that there have
been no improvements in the county,
none even thought Of, for many years,
until the present year when the county
commissioners concluded to build
county Jail, There was reason why
they should do this, because the old
jail is not secure, and neither Is 1T
commodious enough for the county pnr-
poses. There is the usual graft, how
ever, in this, inasmuch as the Sheriff is
paid great deal more per meal for the
feeding of the prisoners than is ex-
pended by the city in feeding the city
prisoners. Every day the county cost
per capita for feeding its prisoners
amounts to some % per cent more than
the city pays, per capita, daily for
feeding its prisoners. So that the Jail,
looked at from the grating commission
ers' standpoint, is largely "plant"
for the perpctration of yet farther
grating.
The county commissioners have also
decided to put through their job of
erecting a county hospital which will
cost upwards of 100000 to no good pur
pose. but mainly for iobbery and graft.
There are comparatively few county
patients for treatment in the county
hospital, All that are subject to such
treatment can be taken care of far bet"
ter in the hospitals of this city than
in the county hospital. and at much
less cost. but in sending county pa
tients TO the hospitals in this city there
is small chance for graft, and so it is
decided to put up a grating hospital
for the use of grafters SO that the
grating can be yet more free.
The organ of the grafters says that
all this is going to be done without
either the issuing Of bonds or any in,
crease in taxation. The conclusion is
inevitable, then, that the county tax.
alton is far heavier than there is any
need Of imposing. If it is true that
the county can build a county Jail and
a county hospital this year at a cost for
the two of from $300,000 to $3.50, 900,
then that amount Of money is surplus
in ordinary years. 1t is demonstrated
by the organ of the grafters, therefore.
that the average amount Of grating
done by the officials of this county
amounts to about that sum.
in view Of the splendid and magnifi-
cent improvements made in this city
year by year by the American municipal
administration, it is source of Joy
to quote what the organ Of grafters
says in comparing the city and county,
namely, "There is as much difference
between the Republican county admin
istrution and The Tribune city admin
istration as there is between day and
night. Amending that by substitu-
tiou american for ifTribune
everyone would recognize the fitness of
the simile. There is indeed as much
difference between the grating admin,
istratiop of county affairs and the clean,
business-hke administration of the city
affairs as there is between night and
day. This is recognized by the taxpay,
ers of intelligence, and that is why the
grafters are going TO be routed today.