The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-17
STREET INTERSECTION PAVING.

We have mentioned heretofore the
bill which passed the recent session OF
the Legislature, the purpose OF which
was TO allow Salt Lake City to get
on with much needed street-paving.
There was some opposition to the bill
in the Legislature, on the ground that
poor people might be oppressed by it,
and an instance or two cited apparently
in proof of the claim of affliction that
il might cause in small mum
Der OF instances. But first OF all,
it is to be observed in respect to argu-
mcnts of that kind, general policy
Of city ought not 10 be thwartcd by
reason Of mere fractional part of the
property supposed Ito be involved. 1t
is to be noted with respect TO this bill
that nothing can be done under ii e1-
cept by the positive act Of more than
onehaif Of the property owners. The
opposition Of fiftyone per cent will
stop any proposed paving under this
bill, and this objection may fairly be
supposed TO be sufficient to care for
any special cases of hardship that
might be involved: for the neigh bors
of a poor man or of poor woman or
those who own property next to an cs
tate upon which hardship might he i'm
posed, are not hard hearted men, and
they viii be practically certain to con
slider any such case of hardship. 1t
may be assumed as an established fact
that wherever in any locality there is
hardship presented upon any property
that is defenseless, tho property owners
Of that Immediate region viii not press
the improvement We consider il safe
therefore, to rely upon the human ma
ture and fairness Of the property own
ers in any given locality to refrain
from imposing hardships upon any
neighbor that is unable to respond to
the improvement as suggested.
On the other hand, for the most part,
the property owners arc well able to
bear the cost Of any suggested paw
ing improvement. Wherever the i'm.
provement is proposed by the property
owners, it is practical certainty that
the property is tc be benefited in value
more than the cost of the paving that
is to be put in; and then, when we con-
slider that the payments on this paving
are distributed over a period Of ten
years, it is evident that the cost of the
work is made as light as it possibly
could be, and rs easy TO be met.
We assume therefore, that the enter
prising citizens of Salt Lake who are
so thoroughly in earnest about the
benefits of this bill, have considered
the project in all Of its phases, and are
confident that the city is to be inn
benefited by it, and in this we
agree. The cost to the property owners
will be reimbursed many times in the
value of their property, and the
city as municipal entity is sure to
share very largely in this ad-
through the beauty of its
streets, the enticing appearance that
it will present to all tourists and visit
DIS, and the impetus that these i'm
will give to the employ
ment Of labor and the inviting Of new
population to settle and new capital
for Investment here
The application of the law will I'M
ioubtedly be for the benefit OF the
,ity as a whole. as well as to the ad.
vantage of the property owners every
where. All the property that is to be
improved will be improved to the ad~
vantage of that property, and to the
increase in its salable value, as we'll
ls to the comfort, convenience, and
advantage of the residents themselves.
N cleanliness and in ease Of going to
md coming from their homes.