The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-03

That the people of the great city Of
Salt Lake are sitting idly by and permit
ting. without protest. the enactment OF
as evil apiece of legislation as was ever
perpetrated upon municipality, yin SEN
ate bill No. %. is the unqualified state
ment OF John 5. Bransford. mayor OF Salt
Lake City. The bill is that which pro-
hibits cities OF the first class from dump"
ing their sewage into any stream or with
in 500 yards OF any running stream
This bill was introduced in the senate
and the senate passed it without opposi-
ton. II was reported faNorably by The
house committee on municipalities. but
was Withdrawn in order that further
hearing might be given. y meeting OF
the committee will be held at 3 o'clock
today. when the people OF Salt Lake VIII
have an opportunity 20 voice their pro-
test against its passage.
Yesterday. .is aimed directly at
Salt Lake City and is being foisted
upon the people without their knowledge
the bnly alternative that is left if the bill
passes-the building OF a sewer 10 the
Great salt lake.
Salt Company Will Fight.
"The only point at which this sewer
could enter the lake would he near the
property OF the Inland Crystal Salt COM
pany. President Clayton OF that COM
pany informs me that his company will
fight to the last ditch any attempt TO
run a sewer near his compauys works.
would destroy his property, so he tells
me.
Furthermore, the passage of this bill
and the enforcement OF its provisions
would mean the destruction OF Saltair
beach as q bathing resort-its absolute
destruction. The ruin OF Saltair would
necessarily follow. for people would never
bathe In the water near a point where
a sewer empties into the lake.
1.-The bill was instigated by the duck
hunters of this community. and its mo.
tivcs are entirely selfish 1t is alleged
which killed off n large number of ducks
last summer was due TO the sewage that
was dumped into the Jordan river
contend that the malady which killed the
ducks is no, due entirely 10 the sewage
but TO the flooding by the gun clubs of
thousands OF acres OF land for the pur-
pose of propagatinG ducks This water.
spreading an Inch or two In depth over
20. 900 or 0.000 acres, under the broiling
sun OF summer, is bound to breed dis
ease.
Duck Malady Due to Swamp.
"one of the gun clubs built a dam
across tho Jordan river This would not
club cut innumerable canals and little
bitches over its enormous holdings for
the purpose Of providing breeding
grounds for ducks. BY means of these
an immense swamp upon which stagnant
water stands to the depth of q few
inches Anybody can readily see that
this putrid slime and ooZe is bound to
breed disease. and | am firmly convinced
that the duck malady we hear 50 much
about is brought about largely by the
conditions that were created by the gun
clubs themselves.
II have made an investigation of the
sewage as II comes from the mouth OF
the sewer and I venture TO say that the
flow is not responsible for the duck
malady, statement was made before
the committee that n large quantity OF
solid matter was taken from bucketfui
OF the flow at "A point one and one half
miles below where the sewer empties into
the river. Now l want TO say that such
n statement is unQualifledy false and ]
members OF the committee TO go with me
in the best automobiles in town and II
they found even tablespoonful of solids
in a buckteful of water l promised them
the finest oyster supper that could be
had and a new hat besides. But they
wouldn't go,
You viii remember that in the famous
case of st. Louis against the city of
Chicago. wherein ST. Louis claimed that
the Mississippi was contaminated by wa
ter coming out of the Chicago drainage
now purifies itself within seven miles.
Now, our sewer Is at least seven miles
long and then there are FIVE or six miles
before the flow of tho river reaches the
duck grounds. | don't think there can be
any question that the water has purified
itself to a large extent by that time.
There is fall OF fifteen feet from the
point whore the sewage enters the river
and the lake so there must be plenty
OF current.
Involves Enormous Sums.
eve are disposed TO do everything with |
In our power to meet the wishes OF the |
duck hunters. and with that end in view
an expert came out here from the east !
a little while ago and looked over the
with tho aim OF putting in n |
septic tank, He estimated that 1t would |
n tank 1000 by 100 feet and that |
such a tank would cost from Si50,000 10 |
5000. 900. IL would have to be big enough |
TO settle IL .000, 900 gallons of sewage flow |
every day, and that is the figure at which |
he placed the cost
''lf we had TO build sewer clear ont |
to the lake, II would cost us sopething ]