Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-20
Divi.ion Of the county.

which dovetails into the other so as to
carve three new counties out of Los An
geles by cutting off slice from San Ber-
nardino county. Senator McComas pro-
poses to erect the county Of Pomona out
of the territory north of Coyote creek
and east of line drawn north and south
through the Puente and taking in part OF
San Bernardino county west of line
drawn through Cucamonga. Assembly
man Edwards proposes to erect the
county Of Orange out of all that portion
of Los Angeles county south of Coyote
creek up to and including Anaheim,
Orange, Santa Ana, etc. 1t is evident
that these two legislators-elect have had
an understanding, for the lines of one Of
the proposed new counties stop where
those of the other begin.
If anyone will take map and trace
the lines of the proposed new counties,
it will be seen that they have been run
with the view of making the town Of
Pomona the county seat of one and Santa
Ana the county seat of the other. In
the former case portion of San Bernar-
dino is added for the purpose Of placing
Pomona within the constitutional five
miles OF its eastern boundary line,
Santa Ana is easily within that distance
of all the lines.
The county division question is an old
one. 1t has been agitated periodically
for the past twenty years. The people OF
the southern portion OF the county have
regularly at every general election made
soundness on this question the test OF
their favor to candidates for the Legisla-
ture. Whilst we admit that their
reasons for division have force
in the fact that the county seat
is remotely located for those who
live at the extreme end of the
county, yet our most distant sections are
made so readily accessible by our rail-
way facilities that there is no great
amount of hardship now in reaching the
county seat. One of the most serious
objections to county division at this
time is the fact that we are building a
splendid Court House that will cost a
great deal Of money and which
is designed on scale large
enough to do all the business OF the
county as it is. Another objection,
which ought to weigh with the people
living in the proposed new counties is in
the fact that they will be encumbered
with heavy debt to start with, for the
constitution provides that "every county
which shall be created
from territory taken from any other
county or counties shall be liable for a
just proportion Of the existing debts
and liabilities of the county OF
counties from which such territory
shall be taken" The Indebtedness O
this county is between six and sever
hundred thousand dollars, and as the
bonds to build the new Court House have
been issued, and form part of the debt
it is difficult to see how the new counties
could avoid. under the above constitu
tional provision, the assumption of thei
proportion of that debt. So, it will b.
seen, there is really strong dollars-and
cents aspect of the question to be con
sidered by the seceders.
However, if the sentiment in favor o
division is powerful enough to carry tn,
measures to be proposed by Senate
McComas and Assemblyman Edwards
the people at this end of the county viii
insist on revision OF the boundary line
in those measures. The HERALD has il
the past taken the ground that wheneve
the county is divided it will be 81
divided that the portion that re
mains with this city shall be in such
shape that we can make a compact ant
convenient city and c,unty under on,
government out of it, Take the line O
the San Gabriel river and the Sierr.
Madre mountains as the boundaries, anc
we would have very convenient an,
symmetrical city and county. We be
lieve that the people OF this part of Lol
Angeles county will insist upon pro
gramme of the character outlined
there is to be carving up of this county