Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-01
Mew shc New City Charter is Adj
vocated.
Poins s-lwithinl Frsncisl !


Prince-What's O'Clock, Francis?
Frdncis-Anon, anon, sir!
Prince-That ever this fellow should have
fewer words than parrot, and yet the
son of awoman! Henry w.
The franchise of the Los Angeles
Water Company expires in 1897. 1t has
nearly ten years to run. The terms,
Of the franchise are that at its expira-
ton appraisers shall be selected by
the company and the city, and they
shall appraise the value Of the pipes
and other material connected with
the system. The city will
become possessed of the same on the
payment of the appraisement, and
thenceforth the city, instead of COM
pany, will supply water to the inha5i-
tants of Los Angeles. The evening
paper that is advocating the adoption
of the abortive charter now before the
people, has the temerity to assert
that the miscarriage of that instru-
ment will imperil the city's power to
pure haee the company's works when
their franchise expires. 1t makes no
di ference how clearly the absurdity
-of that position is shown to be, it per-
sists in its reiteration day after day
that the rights OF the city in the water
works will be lost unless we adopt
charter that is fundamentally objec-
ito nable. It is not to be supposed that
one can convince a parrot Of the error
Of it's utterances. But the people will
judge of the value of this kind of
periaage. They know that there
Is ample time to submit to
the voters for their ratification
two other charters before the Legisla-
ture will be ready to pass upon any
instrument from this city; and they
also know that no draft of charter
can be submitted to the voters that
will not provide the ways and means
by which the city can become pos
Bessed of the distributing water
system Of the municipality at
the time the company's franchise ex-
pires. The waters of the river Of Los
Angeles belong to the Pueblo de los
Angeles in perpetuity. The right is
sanctioned by grant from the crown
Of Spain and by the prescription of
undisputed ownership for over one
hundred years. This right has been
affirmed successfully by the Mexican
and the American judicatures. 1t
cannet be annuaaed or set aside |
by any power known to the
law. 1t vests in this people, and is |
an independent and inalienable title. |
There is no moro danger that the
eity's title to the waters of the river
may be alienated than that her right
10 exist as political entity OF the
Commonwealth may be ques-
toned. Why, then, this per-
nistent effort to alarm and mis-
lead the people? Why does
~ evening paper that champions
the new charter hold out q false light |
- danger signal? We say that the |
Instrument now submitted to the
PEOPLE for their consideration central
lnos too much power in the Mayor, and |
~ Diminishing the legislative body |
q one-third it, present number opens |
1lne door to the easy formation Of dam
G1rous and corrupt rings. We are |
engwered: "Vote for the charter
- you resign the water sys-
- in perpetuity to pri-
zp6z corporation ~ We show |
~ the proposed charter is SO bun
lnGly CONSTRUCTED that there can be |
- lnWful Board Of Health under it. |
S axe answered: "If we d, not |
orf this charter We will lose our |
1tpF system and not be able to build |
ers." And 70 on, to the end Of |
~ chapter. The newspaper that
g6 : public question with such |
ngd atility nust have : very low |