The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-08
Salt Lake City, Utah,
G.,.,,in~ grI l0l |

| following letter by his permiSsloh'
Salt Lake City Utah,
September Srd. 1911.
Editor Tribune:-Supposing that you are
like other people. and like the approNa,
of your feliows I write 10 state ,hat AZ,
am very much pleased with your two col
lorials in this morning 3 paper 'nI I1,oh oi.
concerning the "Cr3ss aso Uenu,I.t,, shnrtare The
latter which subject Is OF the uItnost
Importance, especially at the present SCI,
time, and its probable effect on the iu.
| Iure OF This city For. say what they
NAV the campaign that was inaugurated
| by the Commercial club some years ago:
and resulted finally in the seGurlns ~
he abundant water supply tor thls cils'
has been the main cause Tor tnc PM
nomenal growth of the place. al other
contributing causes are secondary 10
| that and the natural conditions here pre-
yailng; for great hi e.,X IS n o""na eton 10 IT. #
but It's growth can be checked ana re-
tarded. by just not doing what we ought
or not doing IL when we ought.
| The future OF the. city is bound up
in this water question and the ruic
should be 10 "Buy water Exchange
for water" do anything TO get more
water, for on that now depends Ine het G,a{
another active campaign was begun to
that end. What was done before was
perfectly right, and filled the bill at the
| time. but IL we are to have one OF the
| great cities OF the country here In this
Iintcrmountain region. we must nave the
water and plenty of it
| The more than phenomenal growth or
/ Los Angeles dates from the time that an
abundant water supply was assured. and
! so in our case does il depend more and
| more upon this question.
1t was abundantly proven on the for
| mer occasion that at times-or at least
| once--that the Big Cottonwood had
failed TO furnish more than ten millions
| OF water per day. IL the city had all
| of it, and which is only about one third
OF the present city requirements and
what has happened once may happen
| again; indeed 1t is likely TO. and from
| former calculations It was found that
these wet and dry periods run in cycles.
and NE are now due for a dry period,
which seems in fact at hand, and In con
| sequence something should he done now.
| while the Importance of the matter Is
| so strongly In evidence.
| The very best investment that Salt
| Lake City could make today would be to
double If necessary the presen, indebt-
| edness 10 permanently settle this quss
tion and secure the greatly needed water
| supply. However there is little hopes
that this Will he done until we have an
enormous fire and people awake to this
| The original plans OF the Commercial
| club were TO include a reservoir In Par
| ley's canyon. and which was estimated
sixty days, which would tide over the
period OF shortest water. both in sum-
mer and that part of winter which is
our greatest danger after all.
There are other known sources capable
| of development, as is we'll known. Res
ervoirs in City creek, development OF the
underground flow in Emigration canyon
utilizing the Liberty park system, the
sinking OF artesian wells elsewhere, etc.
but all these and the use OF the meter
| system should be kept in reserve until
such time when We can buy no more
water or to exchange the Utah lake wa Ter
a,Nj
all these sources must eventually be re-
sorted to for the great city of the future
II we are to have such, and we surely
are
Yours truly. etc.
p. F. HOLMES
Col. Holmes was chairman of the
big committee of fifty appointed up
wards of twelve years ago. TO consider
the general water question for this
city. The committee WAS divided into
groups of ten: one group to investi-
gate the City Creek supply, another the
Parley's Canyon supply. another the
Big Cottonwood, another the artesian
well proposition, and so on. These
groups made valuable reports, all of
which are on file in the records of tbe
Commercial Club. Col Holmes rs
chairman of the general committee,
made summary of the reports, and
an Independent report of his own.
covering the whole question His view
was that which was carried out later,
ia the diversion of the Big Cotton
wood water for the service of this
city. So that his words are the words
of an expert and of good citizen
who has taken the liveliest interest in
Salt Lake City, and particularly in its
water supply. Col Holiness letter
will he read with pleasure and profit
by the inhabitants here. both those
who were here at the time he reported
ON the whole question, and those
who have come in since II is a good
letter. and we commend II to favora.
BILE public and official consideration.