The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-08
BEAUTIFYING THE CITY.

The efforts of the public-spirited gen
tlemen who wish TO beautify the city
by street embellishments, by parking
systems, and by the cultivation of beau
tiful lawns, shrubs, flowers, and trees,
| should receive all practicable support
| from the citizenship of Salt Lake,
| Nothing impresses visitor to city
| kept, an abundance of pleasant parks.
and the utilization of all sources of
beauty and attractiveness that are at
hand But a city which neglects these
| things has a rundown appearance, and
| is non-inviting to those who are seeking
for new homes and new places to estab
iish business.
One Of the most frequent failures in
| identifying cities is in and about the
depots, where tourists and travellers are
pretty sure to get their first impress
sions as TO the taste and quality of
city. SO far as the railroads here are
concerned, they have certainly done
their full share TO bring Salt Lake City
| into the first rank OF cities that would
favorably impress the travelling public.
The depots are fine; the parkings
around them are attractive, and in
every way the railroads have sought,
with a success that is admirable, TO
show to the travelling public that Salt
Lake City is place that is inviting
and desirable. But in this city, as in
| other cities, some Of the most forbid
| ding scenes in the way of dilapidated
and run down buildings are within OBJ
trusive view of the travelling public
| from the railroad stations and from the
cars. This is something that, perhaps,
cannot be entirely eliminated, but a
public pressure should be brought to
bear in the interest of improving so
| far as possible the unattractive fea-
lures as presented. Trellis work with
vines covering unsightly places, would
help, and perhaps other means could be
suggested by those who are expert in
the way of adornipg and of relieving
defects. In all practical means TO make
Salt Lake City attractive. we believe
that those engaged in this work will
receive the hearty and unanimous sup
port of the people of this city.
There is one proposition however, in
this direction that the people here can
not afford to suffer; it is proposition
that was before the last session of the
Legislature, and is liable to come be
| fore the session that begins tomorrow
We refer to proposal to allow The
| board of park commissioners to impose
taxes upon the property owners without
| the consent of those owners, and with
out the petitions and proper formalties
that in other lines govern the imposition
of taxes for local improvements The
property of real estate owners should
not be held at the pleasure OF caprice
of any board whatever, to do as they
please and of their own motion to i'm
pose taxes Of any kind upon it. There
should be the consent Of the property
owners in such cases, precisely as in
the case Of other public improvements.
Doubtless i'll most cases this consent
can be easily obtained on explana tion
by the board Of what is desired, aud
what it proposes TO do, and the cost
that it estimates will be necessary to
do the work. To explain all these to
the taxpayers is no more than
reasonable and right. And even so,
the matter should be approved and or
dered by the City Council, on the rec
ommendation Of the board, just as is
done in other matters on The report and
approval of the lead Of the board Of
public works.
We all wish to see the city beautifed
adorned, and made attractive to visi.
tors as well as Joy to its inhabitants
Nothing reasonable and available will
be withheld to this end by the people
or the property owners. The Tribune
wishes all practical success TO those
having this work in charge, and nero
ly throws out as n caution the sugges-
tion made above, that they should not
seek powers above and beyond those
held by other municipal bodies, and es
, peeIally above those held by tho Cit,
| Council, which comprises the direct rep.