Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-04-28

A New city Hall and jail.
Thursday next, May Sd, the people Of
Los Angeles will be called upon, in a
formal election, to say whether or no
they desire public buildings in conso-
nance with tho advanced status Of the
place. The question will come up in
the shape of tho popular judgment on
the proposition to issue bonds to the
amount OF one hundred thousand dol
lars to purchase site for new City
Hall and Jail, and to place thereupon a
suitable edi6ce. The HERALD has al
ways been opposed to extravaganza in
our municipal expenditures. AT the
same time, in common with most of the
citizens with whom we have inter
changed views, we have had realizing
sense Of the utter laok which prevails Of
provision for the comfort and conven
ience of our city officials, and for the
proper housing OF the criminal classes.
1t is certainly not a seemly thing that
the most progressive place in Southern
California should be away behind
every other point on this Coast
in her public buildings. The long, low
adobe, in which some Of the city officials
are housed, and which serves for Jail,
would be disgrace to forty-third rate
Mexican town. As for the City Council,
it is obliged to hire accommodations
where 1t can, and half the time people
have not known whore to find the City
Assessor. But unsightliness has not
been the worst feature of the hideous
city building which has thus far sufficed
for the wants Of Los Angeles. Amongst
civilized people criminals are not pur
sued in spirit of vengeance, but they
are rather controlled with q view to
their reformation and well-boing. Sit
uated as we are, we have been the recip-
tents Of large numbers Of persons from
Arizona, New Mexico and other points,
who are in scarcely any sense criminals,
but who land in our Jail. They are
rather unfortunate than guilty;
but, under laws whose general
scope is good, they have been
penned up in crowded quarters, where
they have necessarily had to suffer
from the filth and vermin begotten of
the most degraded specimens Of the
human race. We know of at least one
instance in which man pleaded guilty
to an offence for which he was sent to
the penitentiary, and against the remon-
strances of his counsel, for the reason,
as he expressed it, that he would rather
spend ten years in the penitentiary at
San Quentin than ten days in the Los
Angeles Jail. He gave, in explanation,
reason which made his legal defenders
movc away from him instanter. All
this, in spite OF the fact that tho present
excellent City Jailor does all in his
power to mitigate the acknowledged
evils. As the case stands to-day we find
our facilities of every kind grossly mad
equate.
Waving this aspect of the question,
1t never hurts any community to put its
best foot forward. The general public
form good deal of their estimate of a
growing place from the appearance OF
the schools and other public edifices. II
Los Angeles were poor we might not,
perhaps, urge this view of the matter so
strongly, although we are sensible Of
the gross inconvenience and even outrage
worked by the paucity of our present
accommodations. But the truth is that
the city of Los Angeles has to-day the
lowest tax rate which exists in any city
of the State, distinction that is shared
by the county of Los Angeles, which leads
all her sister counties in low rate flax.
alton. The hundred thousand dollars
worth of bonds which ii is proposed to
validate by the vote OF the people next
Thursday will carry only six per cent.
interest. A prominent Los Angeles
banker has already signified his readi-
ness to take the whole amount at par,
and it is not improbable that they may
even command premium at this low
rate OF interest. Six thousand dollars
a year, in addition to their ordinary
taxes, will prove to be mere bagatelle
to the people of Los Angeles, and they
will more than recoup themselves in
the additional eclat which will accrue to
their city. The county has already
agreed to pay the city $4,000 for its
share of the present Jail property,
which will suffice for the furnishing OF
the new offices. A site for the new
City Hall and Jail would probably cost
$50 200, leaving $4,000 for the building
"a sum amply sufficient for all pur-
poses.
There is no job about this project,
and it has no paid claquers. Ii the
people of Los Angeles think we ought
to register departure from the old
adobe era they will vote for the bonds.
Ii they do not, they will vote contra.
The HERALD hopes that every voter will
carefully ponder the matter for himself
and vote as his best judgment shall
dictate. We venture the suggestion,
however, that he would do well to
subordinate a penny-wise economy to
enlightened views of the wants of both
the present and future.
----------------ss--
san Francisco should EoIlow Our
Example.
IN Apoalas renacta1 n tfraat deal of