Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-01-01


dry's Annual Message which was read
before the Council at its session Dec.
II, 1875. 1t is replete with satisfacto-
ry statistics concerning our city gov
ernment and the progress which we
have made during the last year and
has many valuable suggestions which
we are sure will meet the approval of
the entire tax-paying community.
THE MEssAGE-CONGRATU
To the Honorable the Members of the
Common Council Of Los Angeles.
city. #
GENTLEMEN:-In reviewing the
events of the past year, we have reaa;
son to thank an All-wise Providence
for the singular immunity from disas'
ter which has been vouchsafed to US.
While other portions of the country
have been frequently visited by devas-
tating storms and fires we have enjoy
ed an uninterrupted season of peace
and prosperity. The tide of immigra-
tion has been immense and steady in
its flow, and has brought to our midst
a class of citizens who are intelligent
and industrious, and who will aid us
very materially in advancing the best
interests of our favored city. 1t is
true the financial troubles of the COM
mercial metropolis of this coast, sup
plemented by the effect of the Virgin
ia City fire, have touched us to some
extent, but we have lost nothing and
our whole damage is confined to the
inconvenience of slightly stringent
money market. That we are not Sc
siously affected is amply shown by
the real estate transfers. Prices have
kept firm, and sales are nearly as rap
id as is usual at this season of the
year. Building operations have been
carried on with uneXampled activity,
and the number of houses erected is O
great increase over that of any pre-
viOus year. In the past twelve months
no less than five thousand people have
been added to the population of this
city and that of the surrounding coun-
ty has increased at as great a ratio.
FINANCIAL.
The financial condition of the city
is as follows:
INDEBTEDNESS.
X. H. IS Is coo
bonaS ol 5oo-,,,;.; SOO
Funded loan or 1852 lS62.....,................ p 900
% % lS70...-......,,.....- 81 G5o
School bond fund ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 20 90
Total, S237 $50
This is the same as last year, no new
Indebtedness having been created.
The money collected for licenses and
for fines has paid the salaries of the
city officials of every grade, and there
is a balance Oh hand of $l,769.4O. The
receipts from the sale of water for ir-
rigation have been sufficient to pay
the salary of Zaniero and his deputies,
beside all the expense of cleaning and
repairing the zanjas. Also leaving a
balance in the Treasury of 50, 434. 90.
The revenue derived from all sources
has met the current expenses of the
City government and leaves bal
ance of $40, 1884. 3S in the Treasury. The
assessed valuation for last year was
$4,5S9, 746, this year the valuation has
increased to S5,935,2l9. The rate OF
taxation being 1903 Oh the 100 dollars
of valuation, gives total income from
that source Of SCI, ,l33 which will nec-
essarily be expended in improvements
during the coming year.
STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
A large amount of work has been
done on the streets. In 1874 there
+ were no graded streets in the city:
since then, ten streets have been inn
proved to a greater or less extent, ag-
gregating 81 miles of grading actually
done. Experience has shown that ouI
method of street grading does not pro.
duce the best results. The provisions
OF the charter on this subject are
crude, and can, think, be materially
changed for the better The recon-
mendatiOns embodied in the cOmmu-
nication of the City Engineer on this
subject commend themselves very
strongly, and L would suggest that
this matter be Investigated and the
necessary measures adopted to remove
the present lack of system. A great
deal has been said in regard to the red
gravel of Fort Hill which has been
used quite extensively as surfacing
material. Upon suburban streets, with
proper wetting and rolling, this will
undoubtedly meet all requirements.
For the streets in the business portion
of the city where the travel is inces-
SAINT material which will be at once
economical and lasting is required.
A careful examination of the compar-
ative merits of the different materials
that are available for street construc-
tion should be made, and that one
adopted which Is the most economical
and durable. =
SEWERAGE.
The matter of sewage is one which
merits your closest attention, and i'm
mediate action. We cannot violate
the elementary rules of health by al
lowing deposits of filth and garbage
to accumulate in our midst, and fill
the air with poisonous gases, unless
we undergo the penalty which out
ragged nature is certain sooner or later
to infiict. Disease is the inevitable
result; even our climate will not pro-
tect us from the effect of so reckless a
disregard of sanitary drainage. We
should adopt some general plan of
sewage-one which will be compre-
hensive enough to meet the wants of
the city when it attains for greater