Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1884-07-18
FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
GROVER CLEVELAND,
Of New York.
ron yIcK PRESIDENT oP the UNITED STATES,
THOS. A. HENDRICKS,
Of Indiana.
About water.

The water question ia growing in inter
est every day, and the issue will have to
be met at once in some Ineligible and
energetic shape. The fact Is nadonbted
that Los Angeles Is destined to bea very
considerable city in the immediate
future. We cannot afford to hagele
with that prime necessity OF our prosper
ity, water. Nature has provided an
abundant supply Of 1t for all purposes
and oil we have to do Is to utilize her
stores. Probably the best solution OF
the whole matter would be for the city
to buy the Water Company out and then
erect the proper works. 1t would be
costly enterprise, undoubtedly. but 1t
would pay handsomely on the invest
ment, always providing that too large
sum Is not paid for the Water Compa-
ny's interest. Inside of ten years we
will In all likelihood have sevenly.fve
thousand consumers Of water In Los An
geles. At half the rates charged by the
Water Company such n population
would yield a tremendous income-one
which would pay satisfactory interest
on many millions Of dollars. That the
present controllers of the city water are
overweighted admits Of no doubt. The
fact that, Ia midsummer, the supply Tor
domestic and other purposes has been
curtailed almost to the point of water
famine is proof Of this. Occurring at
this season Of the year not only the pub
lie comfort but the public health AZ well
are menaced by such state of things.
We cannot put oil longer discussion OF
matter which must receive a sagacious
and immediate attention.
We are glad to see that the City Coun-
Gil have at last awakened to their duty
as respects the water supply Of Los Am
geles, and their present activity shows
their laches in the past. They are right
In ms sting that the Water Company
shall comply with their contract and
supply Angelenos with plenty of fresh
and wholesome water. They are right,
also, in buying the water right Of the
Feliz rancho, thus establishing forever
the City's power to supply itself with
water for all purposes. 1t is now pro
posed to pay Mr.. Griffith, the owner of
the Los Feliz rancho, $50, 900 for this
water right. Ten years ago the City
Fathers were offered this same right for
$1,000, There was in the Council at
that time 50 much farseeing wisdom
that this offer was declined, with tho
result that We shall now have to pay
more than seven fold that sum. The
amount ask cd by Mr.. Griffith seems ex-
cessive as compared with what precisely
the same thing could have been bought
for ten years ago, but that sum is proba-
bly, ridiculously small contrasted with
what its owner would ask for it ten
years from now. As to Mr.. Griffith
himself it is impossible to avoid the con-
clusion that he is very lucky man.
He paid only $50, 900 for both ranch and
water. and if the purchase is consum'
mated by the city he will have the ranch
and $4,000 clear gain, and will have
been put to very little trouble. 1t is
somewhat curious that so good specu-
lation should have been allowed by both
the city anil our local capitalists to be
gobbled up by a Wide.awako stranger.
The history of Los Angeles, however, is
full of such surprises, perhaps the most
notable being the possession OF the San
Fernando and Sespe oil measures by en-,
terprising San Francisco capitalists.