Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1888-01-16
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1888.

r. NJ.
MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1888.
The Great Aldermanfc Dicker.
The more we reflect opon the swap
ping city hall scheme that will come
before the Council to-day, the more
are we convinced that it is one that
should not be favorably entertained.
One of the arguments Of its promot-
ers is the mistake the city made in
selecting the Fort street site. Whilst
we admit that more eligible lot ought
to have been secured than one in the
middle OF crowded block, yet that
is no reason that error should
be followed by error. The Fort
street site has at least the
advantage of convenience to the
citizens generally, and that cannot be
said Of the proposed Sixth street loca-
ton. If we come to mistakes on this
subject, everyone will recognize the
fact that mistakes have been the rule
from the beginning. Had the sensi-
BILE thing been done six years ago, the
old lot, at the corner of Spring and
Franklin, would never have gone out
of the hands of the city. The coun-
ty's interest in that lot could have
been secured, and then we would
have had site for city hall, in the
very heart Of the city, with three
street frontages. The next mistake
was in not holding the full lot,
12Ox16O, at the corner Of Spring
and Second, for city hall. That was
followed by the ill-conceived edifice,
on 6O-foot front lot, now used as the
municipal building. Then came the
mistake of buying lot. the worst
feature of which is that it is in
the center of a crowded block.
Now, let us have done with mis-
takes, and not use them as an
argument for making more. And
what greater mistake could the city
make than to spend $450, 900 (or its
equivalent) to purchase block as
low down as Sixth street, when the
municipality owns a plaza just as near
the business center upon which city
hall may be built when the time arrives
to erect another? The proposition is
simply for the city to spend $450,0O0
for property it does not need. Mr..
Humphreys says the st. Vincent
block will increase in value so as to
be worth hundreds of thousands of
dollars of profit to the city in a few
years. But no one wants the city to
60 into real estate speculations. 1t is
no part of the business of munich
pality to do SO; and what else would
it be than speculation for the city to
buy block which it does not need,
when it has an equally eligible block
of it's own which it can use if it should
need one?
We have already adverted to the
modus operondi Of the promoters Of
this scheme to carry it out legally.
They seem to think that all that is
acquired is for majority of the Coun-
Gil to order sale of its present prop
critics and hold the auction at once.
The law requires that such sales
shall be advertised for sixty
days, and it would take at least
three months, even if all were smooth
sailing, to carry out their scheme.
In the meantime the contractor Of the
new city hall on Fort street will 60 on
with his work, and before the other
plan could be carried out perhaps one
half of the new structure, which is to
cost $2OS, 900, will be finished. Where
is the city to recoup itself for the
amount that will be then due upon
the new building? We very much
doubt whether the intricate scheme
could be carried out without leaving
the city with batch of expensive
lawsuits on its hands, and in the end
this silly step would probably cost the
people another $45O,00O before they
we're well clear Of it.
Now, we have this to say, and we
say it emphatically, that the City
Council has no right to embark upon
: scheme of this enormous character
without the consent of the people.
II the municipality is prohibited from
mourning debt or borrowing money
without first submitting the PROPOSE
hon to vote of the people, then,
by analogy, it is prohibited from en-
Eering upon scheme Of this charac-
ter--in which actual money must be
missed, and in which great deal more
han the actual money needed will be
involved-without first OBJ
aiming the consent of the people.
We warn Councilmen that they are
on dangerous ground. Off
ials who lightly trife with their
rusts in this matter, and who
lield to the Establishments Of inter