Los Angeles daily herald., 1885-12-30
CITY COUNCIL.
Proceedings of the Body
Yesterday.
THE MAYORS ANNUALMEssAGE
DR.. J. 8. Baker Reelected Health
Otficer-Report Of the Board
of Public Works.


...aa
ihg were reau anu App'os' su,.,
The Mayor then READ Tue iono" '"e
ANNUAL MESSAGE;
MAyoR,s OFF1cE. Los Angeles, De
10 ,oos
ce"per 90 1901 r. A. ON, a.
TO the Hon, me eo""c'' y '"' 0''s y
Los Angeles,
o.,r, Another municipal veal
.,..aaa ,,,,on tho a;al y,
mas peen
time.
IL is meet and proper that upon this
o....;o, I sbould revert TO the past and
.'..s-. sa.. A. .na a. IN.
ASK "ha' mus oe" .o"' $50
same time in part furnish an answer.
The year just closed has been one oil
,ba most ;,terestino In the history Of
-.t;.
our c''y; ye' no'n"'s 'e'y e'
nothing very startling, nothing very
marked has occurred that would furnish
material for sensational writer oil city
history. But the evidences that ART
genuinely interesting abound on every
hand. We have city that Is prosper
ing legitimately beyond all precedent
new streets are being graded; waste
places are being reclaimed; happy homes
are erected and in many places resi-
dences bordering ON the paiatiai are vis',
Bile; electric lights remove the gloom o.
night; horse railroads zigzag IN all I'll
rections; steam cable road Is III sue
cessful operation, opening up and deVei
oping a position OF our GUY hither'e
deemed inaccessible and uninyiting;
other cable roads are in process oil con-
structiou; we have churches and schools
OF which any city might be proud; every
day is noticed the building OF aubstan'
tial business blocks; every day the city
growth is perceptible, and, best OF all
every day witnesses the advent from
other States OF wealthy, intelligent cur
tured and law-abiding citizens intending
to permanently abide Win us.
The sanitary condition OF the CITY mas
been and is good. The Health Oiheei
: has been quite active and eincient'
There are lew places On tne mus CON
tanning stagnant water that should nave
immediate attention. Especial care
should be taken when streets are grad,
ing and low places partly hiiea up
that culverts should be placed IN
such position that the waters OF the
rainy season might 1mmediateiy pass on
and not be allowed to accumulate and
ultimately stagnate. lnattentton 70
this point in the past has caused sick.
ness aud in some instances jeopardized
lives.
During the rainy season some discom
fort Is experienced on account Of muady
streets. 1t is an affection ~ such II
can be ealled) hard to get rid OF. liz II
impossible for rain to tall without some
thing getting wet. When we consiae'
the number OF wet days compared win
the number OF dry days In the year, the
proportion Ia such that tue number Of
dayswhen the streets are muddy Is very
small. Furthermore, our streets tha'
are sprinkled during the dry season
compare favorably with the streets Of
other cities. Still this TACT does not
satisfy our progressive ideas, and the
question arises, what shall be done with
our streetss
There are many notions and many
plans proposed. As ] have given the
matter serious thought, 1 venture to
make the following statement, but do
not wish TO De considereu As opstiha.eiy
welded to any particular plan. l be-
lieve that II our streets were paved with
large stone blocks they would be very
unpleasant by reason OF the noise and
their slippery condition. L believe they
would be more satisfactory II they were
composed OF broken stone tnone to ex,
coed three inches In diameter) placed
ten inches in depth and thoroughly
rolled with heavy roller. Then tins
ten-inch layer OF broken stone 70 be
covered with two-inch layer OF oui
river gravel, or, what would be more
preferable, thin coating OF sand and
asphalt OF proper consistence that would
stand the weather and the wear. we
have all the material within easy reach
to make first class streets. Some OF the
best county roads in Earope are made
OF broken limestone. and the best streets
OF the large cities are made oil concrete
foundation, a broken stone center and
top OF asphalt compound.
would suggest an ordinance making
it obligatory hereafter upon all truck
and dray owners TO have wide tire'
upon the wheels. Enormous loads Oh
trucks with narrow wheels VIII cut III
and destroy any street.
Our city parks during the past yeal
have not been cared Tor as they should
be; we hope Tor an improvement TINS
year. l would recommend that the place
designated as PARK upon the map o
the Brooklyn Heights tract Dc uedicatee
TO and accepted by the city as such.
would recommend Inc dedicauon io
park and lake OF lot BLOCK 20, Han
cooke survey, bounded by Seventh
Alvarado and Ward streets This 10
contains 30 acres. and with small out
lay tan be made delightful resort. Al
artificial lake can be made here upoI
what is known as the ''Salitras."
need not enlarge upon the import
ance of pablo parks, as they belong Il
all the people, and when well managed
are public blessing.
Our free public library is serving wei
the uses for which II is intended.
The police department. l believe, i
giving general satisfaction. Our city
considering its size and constant infu'
Of strangers from all parts. is as orderl,
as IL could well be; especially is this thu
case when we consider that it is on thu
highway between Bakersfield and Ari
zona.
We hope that the reconstruction o
the fire department will prove satisfac
tory when the machinery OF the pait
system is set in motion.
would recommend an ordinance pro
viding for sn electric fire alarm system
In former message ! alluded to tn
wires OF the electric companies--teie
graph. telephone. ETC., AS being pub
lie nuisance, aud would reiterate thu
statement. particularly regarding thu
telephone wires. They should be pu
under ground because they are so nu
merous. they cross our buildings, they
are placed in front OF the windows OF oul
houses, public and private, and in cas-
OF fire will prove a serious-probably
fatal--obstruction to the working anC
efficiency OF our fire department; and, il
this connection, would call your seriou
consideration to the question Of control
ling and fixing the local rates OF thi
company by the same rule OF authorit,
as the rates Of the water companies ans
street and cable roads are fixed.