Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-02-16

tuted himself the champion OF the alb
surd clamor which calls for change In
the site of the new Court House, we beg
to call his attention to the following
facts:
After great deal OF preliminary dis.
cussion, of which the public had ample
notice in the press, the Board Of Super
visors on July 9th, 1883, caused notice
to be published in one Of the Los An
geles daily newspapers that proposals
for Court House and Jail sites would be
considered OF their meeting on August
9Th, 1888. This notice was published
for over three weeks. On the day set,
VIZ. August 9th, in order to give ample
time, the Board postponed the matter
until September 9th. On that day they
again postponed II until September 18th,
on which day the Stevens lot was &C.
lscted and three weeks notice thereof
was given by publication in the Los An
geles DAILY HERALD, that the Board
wsuld meet to consummnte and purchase
on October 10th, 1883. On the day last
named the purchase was consummated,
no objection having been made, and on
October llth, 1883, Mr.. J. T.. Jackson
was instructed by the Board to prepare
. plat showing the levels Of the Stevens
property. This he did, and his plat was
fled on. Afterwards, at the December
meeting, the Board advertised for plans
and specifications to be fled on Februa.
ry 9th. Not till after tho plans and
specifications had been advertised for
did Mr.. Jackson intimate that there was
anything Objectionable about the new
site. The Board Of Supervisors were
not bound to consult Mr.. Jackson. He
Is not the County Engineer. The coun.
" hasno such officer. The duties of
the County Surveyor are simply to make
surveys when SO ordered by proper au.
thority. to keep the records thereof, to
assist the Surveyor-General when re-
quired and to make private surveys
when paid for 30 doing. See Political
Code, Sections 426, 4275.
If Mr.. jackson Is in duty bound TO
advise the Board why did he not speak
sArliers
Does he claim that he must be ;nrited
to do his dutyG
As to the purchase Of the school prop
erty, this much should be said;
Subdivision s, Of Section 25 OF the new
County Government bill, provides
that no purchase Of property
can be made by the county until
public notice has been given by three
weeks publication in some newspaper Of
general circulation in the county; aud,
among other things which must be stat
ed in the notice, is the amount Of money
to be paid by the county for the prop
erty thus to be purchased. The county
cannot give cent more than the amount
named in the offer. The High School
property, If sold at all, win and must be
sold to the highest bidder. This is the
law. When the county announces, three
weeks in advance, the amount of its bid,
rival purchasers will have no difficulty in
SECURING the prize. There is oombina-
tion in this city which is prepared to bid
$4,000 for the High School property.
They have that amount in hand, and are
ready to put it up or increase it. Should
the county propose to pay $50, for
the hill, all this clique would have to do
would be to offer eighty thousand and
one dollars to succeed.
The ill.timed and really absurd
agitation about the Stevens site, we
beg to assure Mr.. jackson, will amount
to nothing. Ii the people will not vote
for the issuance of bonds to erect Court
House and Jail on the Stevens lot, it will
be because they are determined to vote
down any proposition whatever looking
to providing this county with modern
facilities. There will always be, the
HERALD has all along seen and declared,
set of marplots in Los Angeles who
will vote against any site whatever il it
is not on their property or on that of
their friends. This is difficulty the
people who desire suitable public build.
ings in Lo, Angeles have to meet and
overcome.
The objections urged against the Stew
ems site on the ground Of inhumanity to
the prisoners have been obviated by the
purchase of an adjoining lot, which will
admit OF the erection of the Jail above
ground. We will add, for the informa.
tion of Mr.. jackson, that half dozen
county prisoners are rarely in the Jail at
one time, three being the average num-
Der, and that with yigilant and able
District Attorney, like the present, it is
seldom necessary for any prisoner to re.
main in the county Jail more than few
days or weeks--certainly not a'period
protracted enough to seriously impair
his health
THERE seems to be some difference oi