Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-05-02

Through general publication Of the
resolution providing for the issuance
''And sale Of city bonds to be known 'as
'the City Hall bonds Of the City Of Los
"Angeles, our people have been made
thoroughly acquainted with the scope Of
that measure. After careful consider.
ation Of oil the facts, the HERALD has
reached the conclusion that II Is highly
expsdicnt that proper facilities should
be provided for the transaction Of the
public business and that suitable jail
ought TO be built. The city Is now pros
porous enough to do the proper thing In
the premises, and the plan proposed by
the City Council appe ars to us to be en-
tirely the most feasible. We can see no
evidence that any job is contemplated; /;
and, II we are to have the new buildings
at all, they may as well be built now as
at later dats.
Our contemporary, the Times, whilo
admitting the necessity for new City
Hall and Jail, does not approve of the
plan to obtain them proposed by the
City Council. 1t objects to the issuance
of twenty-year bonds, for one thing. and
II suggests that the sum needed should
be raised by lump assessment Of one
and one.twelfth per cent. on the present
city valuation.
This last proposition Is not feasible for
the reason that section third, Of tho Re.
vised Charter of Los Angeles, provides
that the city authorities shall not
levy municipal tax in any one year OF
more than one dollar and fifty cents
on the hundred dollars Of city valuation.
As the usual expenses Of the city during
the past year were seventy-six cents on
the one hundred dollars Of valuation.
this sum, added to upwards Of dollar
for the city buildings. would consider.
ably exceed the legal limit to taxation
set by the charter.
We fail to see any special advantage,
even were it legal, in raising this large
sum in lump. What the Times regards
Is an objection to the bonds, viz, the
long time they have to run, will to many
seem decided recommendation.
Besides, the right Of the city to redeem
them in five years is reserved, and it is
very easy to establish sinking fund
ample for that purpose, should IT be
thought desirable.
As was remarked by us in previ GUS
article on this matter, our people now
have chance to show whether or no
they desire to see Los Angeles stand in
line with other prosperous communities.
1t Is conceded that we are worse provid-
ed with municipal facilities than any
other city of the Coast. In oil respects
our public buildings are in lamentable
contrast with the private splendor that
abounds on every hand. 1t is scandal
and ON anomaly, to say nothing of the
humane aspects Of the matter, that we
should have insufficient Jail accommo.
dations. We have no right to pen pris-
oners. who are made only too numerous
by our very onerous municipal laws, in
filthy and unfit quarters.
1t is quite apparent that there is no
organized movement to carry the author
ization of the 100000 worth of bonds
before the people tomorrow. There
seems to be quite noticeable apathy in
the masses. This is all wrong. Every
citizen ought to take an intelligent in
terest in the question. If he cannot con.
scientiously vote for the wherewithal to
provide suitable public buildings, he
should vote and work against the issu.
snce Of the bonds. II he is for their is.
suance, he ought to work with zeal.
Our own impression is that if they are
not validated by the popular vote to.
morrow we may as we'll whistle for any
amelioratisn of acknowledged evils for
years to come. There will be found
plentiful objections to every plan pro.
posed.