Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-11


perties which have had streets cu
through them.
1t is held by some authorities that ar
equitable assessment cannot be legally
collected under this plan, though it is tc
be hoped that such may not prove the
case. The adopted plan does not subdi.
vide the city into districts with view Of
apportioning the burden of taxation in
the manner Mr.. Cohn states The ac
under which the bonds will be issued
contains no provision authorizing such
action.
The topography of the area to be
drained makes it necessary to construct
lect and carry the sewage of the entire
CITY to the outfall sewer. The area trib
utary to each of these sewers is called an
tricts are subdivided into smaller ones
called main sewer districts, each one Of
which is to leave main sewer, ,emptying
into the intercepting sewer in the dis
trict of which it is part.
There are to be fifteen of these main
sewers, which together with the three
intercepting sewers will cost 1884 900.
The plans contemplate passing this
amount also, by the issuance Of twenty
year five per cent. bonds, leaving only
the branch sewers whenever required, to
be paid for by direct tax levied on the
abutting frontage. By Mr.. Cohn's
method of raising funds for constructing
the intercepting and mains, the follow
ing example will show that some proper
ties must be exempted from paying their
proportion of the cost for the building OF
this class OF sewers.
We have corner thirty-fve acre tract
that is subdivided, and the adjoining
inside thirty-five acre tract not subdi.
vided. In the subdivided tract there
would be ordinarily eight frontages 1885
feet each, making $3.50 feet at $3.50 per
foot or $l4, ,S20. About one-fourth of this
would be the proper proportion to charge
for intercepting and main sewers, which
would be $2,7O5 that the subdivided
thirty-fve acre tract would pay, while
the one not subdivided would only pay
the one-fourth of the 1885 feet or
$4,000. The owner of the latter can
subdivide his tract Immediately
after the assessment is declared
and get the same sewer right
possessed by his neighbor for SO ,342 less
money. Again, this method imposes an
unnecessary burden on large amount
of property which for many years will re-
ceive no direct benefit. s
The method proposed by the adopted
plans is one that most all cities choose
for carrying out work of this kind, and is
the one that will secure the best results
in execution, as the law requires that the
location, size and estimate of each sewer
shall be specified before hand, 80 there
is little chance for wrong appropriation
of funds, excepting it might be in de-
fective workmanship. Another feature
about Mr.. Cohn's plan that might be
well to mention, and that is the i'm
mense amount of capital re-
quired by contractor to carry
out the work; it will confne
competition for the work to very narrow
limits, which places the city at dis
advantage in getting work taken at fair
prices. 1t may be possible to construe
the Vrooman act 50 as to levy an indirect
benefit frontage tax for constructing
intercepting and water sewers without
building sewer fronting the property so
taxed, but am of the impressionit can
not be done; and if am correct, the
money will not be forthcoming, as it
means the immediate construction oi
sewers on all the streets of the city, many
of which will never need a sewer. The
act requires that the work be executed
before dollar is paid, and that the con-
tractor must make his own collections
from the individual properties. Under
these conditions can we find contractor
that will undertake the building OF the
intercepting sewers at reasonable fig
ure? This subject admits of discussion
at length, but I will not engage in ii
further for the present.
Mr.. Cohn has drawn literally upon his
imagination to supply knowledge in the
various points which he seemingly wants
brought before the public. He may
have occasion TO regret that he did not
give the official plans fair and impartial
consideration before advancing new and
visionary schemes upon which he does
not possess sufficient data to enable him
to arrive at any intelligent conclusion
as to the cost or efficiency of the same.
The proposition to go by way of the
Ballona is all we'll and good
provided the route possesses more
advantages to construct on than
that which has been proposed but the
data has not been obtained by which this
can be determined as yet, and the gen
tleman should not censure the Council
for refusing to pass an ordinance declar-
ing the necessity of raising $3.50, 900 for
the construction of sewer over route
selected from an observation survey
taken from distance. There are few
obstacles on this line which were not
overlooked by some of the members OF
the Council, such as mile or two Of
swamp to go through, few hostile set.
tiers to secure right of way from, a lot ol
duck-hunters who prefer the present
state of affairs at the lake, and some
beach-owners that have the seaside re-
sort fever. FRED EATON.
Government lands located. CHEAP
farming land for sale. Houses, lots, on
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