Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-08
THE GRAND JURY.
Street-Car Franchises not
Regarded.
LACK OF SEWERS AND WATER.
Most of the Books of City and
County Officers in Good Condition.
other Matters.

The Grand Jury made Its final report yester-
day morning at IL o'clock to Judge Williams
sitting in Department No. of the superior
Court The report was in effect as follows:
The Grand Jury by you convened March 26,
1888, has been in session twenty-f four days, has
examined ninety ysix Witnesses, has investi-
gated thirty-one cases. has found twenty-one
true bills OF indictment and from information
and careful study deem 1T due to the public to
offer few suggestions which is trusted will be
taken up at once by those who are in authority
TO investigate these grievances.
County Clerk: We find these books In first
class condition and the office conducted in a
satisfactory manner.
County Auditor. We hpd the books OF this
Office properly kept and the ONCE generally In
County Assessor: We apd this office con
Quoted in avery unbusinesslike manner, books
generally badly kept, full of mistakes and
erasures, and some hundreds of double assess
ments. We also find valuable property to have
County Treasurer: This office is in a good CON
dition, but would recommend that better sys'
TEN Of bookkeeping be adopted.
County Recorder: Books very satisfactory,
but we consider the office unnecessarily expen
CITY Health Office; Condition Of oAice good
and the affairs well managed.
County Superintendent OF schools; In our in
vestgation of th is office we find discrepancy
between the books of this Office and the County
Treasurer amounting to several thousand dol
lars and recommend that the Board of Super
vlsofs take immediate steps to investigate this
Office.
ton and salts actorily maneged.
Township Justice Taney: We find the general
management of the office bad. Records incom-
plete and gross careless ess and neglect shown
In the keeping of records. The mauy cases OF
suspended sent nee afford opportunities for
great frauds to be prRcticed on the county.
f1Hbip Constable Aduirrp- Find tho o.
counts OF this office in a very unsatisfactory
condition and management bad.
Township, Books and accounts very badly
kept, and the whole management Of the Office
shows great carelessness and neglect.
Constable Wedt: No books to he found com
Coroner we find the Office in very salts
factory condition; books well and systematical-
Board Of Supervisors; This Office in good con
dihon.
Public Administrator: Books badly kept.
City Board Of Education: Affairs Satisfactory.
Chief Of Police: Books systematically and
correctly kept.
city Clerk snd Auditor: Books and accounts
of this office correct. We find the system OF
keeping accounts not sufficient check on
Treasurer. : All warrants should be audited by
City Justice Austin: Find everything in his
Office in perfect order and consclentiousiy man
aged.
Constable E. r. Smith. System good and ac-
counts generally well kept.
city Assessor: Eyerything-c carefully and sys
done fer careful work in. this department. =
City Tax Collector: Books satisfactory and
Office well managed
business OF the Office well managed, aud the
Treasurer entitled TO great credit for the general
correctness OF his work.
We recommend the employment OF experts
by the County Supervisors and the town nfthor-
tiles to 50 compile the System OF bookkeeping
Rdsar Moore and r. i. Danforih This os Would ID
be a great saving to ihe city and county and in
valuable TO the progress of future Grand Juries
CORPORATIONS AND FRANCHISES
We find that nearly {, every cry street railroad fran
is liable to forfeiture, in that no one OF the cor
porations to which they belong has complied
with the terms and conditions upon which Vii said
car lines arc IN operation for which no fran
chise has been granted, possession Of the
operating them without permission Of any per.
! son Of authority having power or the right to
{ grant such permission; that parts OF many Of
the road.beos and all or some Of them are in an
: Cutraeeeusly bad condition making II both tin-
safe and uncomfortable to ride over them; th at
3 the horses aud mules are ciuelly and unneccs-
3 Barily overworked; that many OF the cars are
poorly built, uncomfortable dirty. and badly
out Of order; that the practice Of unnecessarily
g oyercrowdine cars is an every day occurrence:
that but little attention Is Rfven to the needs or
convenience OF the public as to the time, speed,
D or regularity OF running cars; that both the
sHn sssm dsn sa srses S car hsye pess
( and refused 10 either put or keep their tracks
q flush and on grade with the public streets
d stanly in repair and provided with good croSs-
tngs that the rights OF the public TO the free use
OF the public streets along which these roaos are
& built Is almost wholly ignored, and that the
& public is entitled to much better service than
is now or has been rendered. Wecan find no pos.
2 sibe or reasonable excuse for this condition OF
r.uItt s.r
their owners as to the percentage OF ct profit
upon the costand proper .inaintenan9 oi the
roads and equipments; We recoInmtnd that
such legal tUton be taken 10 will ooill ell the
different steam and street car companies 10
comply with the terms OF the State statutes
and Of their franchises. We. further recon-
Angeles nyd the County Supervisors be re-
quired to obey the statutes OF the State when
1 either of them. We 1nd that the City Council
Of the city Of Los Angeles hes in several In
stances without warrant Of law. granted fran
chises to electric aud steam street railroads In
said city, and that such roaus, as now con
structcd aud operated, are public nuisance
We feel compelled 10 say that said City Council
Is deserving of severe censu for ifs gross
neglect Of the public interests inal owing the
public streets occupied By the street and steam
car lines to remain in such bad condition; the
public streets to be so unnecessarily obstruc'ed
as they are. and fer its most shameful neglect
10 properly light the city.
bANlTAhf MATTKRs.
We find the drainage and sewerage of the
County Hospital very defective, so much 60 as
70 create vile and dlsgraceful nuisance and ii
does not appear that any effort has been made
by the proper officials to remedy this, nofwith-
,slstandirg the repeated recommendation OF pre-
vious Grand jules We also consider the water
supply defective ind insufficient. We end the
existing Aybtems of sewerage to be quite made.
quate to the wants Of the city. Boyle Heights
and fast Lon Angeles. with. population OF
'xExe 10000 people have absolutely no sewerage
ruifuQo "A nil. Tho sanitary qandffiop m
+. g public schools In these neighbordoods Is
ID and The enforced use OF cesspools and other
<<Ifivies must necessarily be injurious to the
General health We fnd the same condition In
4 6eish6orhood Of Seventh; Eishth % and Ninth
"A diate steps be taken by the city authorities to
provide eufilcient main sewers I'm these iocali-
ties for the present emergency. We have also
sewerage matter in the Immediate nelenbor-
ohood Of the southern boundary OF the city aud
eonsidcr the method adopted and now in use
Injurious to the health Of the people OF that
vicinity and of the oity generally We
arc Of the opinion that some difier-
ent plan should be adopted for the
growing city. We, thesefore, recommend that
seme immediate action be taken by the City
Council to have this nuisance abnted, either BY
extending the main sewer to the ocean or to
some locality where the sewage matter can be
We have visited that portion OF the city known
as Chinatown, and find 1t In a filth yand un.
healthy condition. Located in the heart Of the
city, it's constant menace to the health OF the
people. We, therefore, recommend the city
authorities to aoopt such measures Is may be
neccssarY TO have all nuisances In This neigh.
borho5d Immediately abated.
City Bridges: The Committee on City Bridges
recommeuded that the approaches to the Buena
Vista street bridge be made safe by the erection
OF guard rails and that board fence six feet
high be built 500 feet from each end; aleo,
that the sides of the bridge be built up six feet
high with corrugated iron to prevent horses
frjm being frightened by the cars underneath
Also recommended thnt the Downey Avenue
Bridge be replaced by modern structure and
that all bridges be remodeled 30 as to have not
more than three spans and that not more than
twenty animals be allowed to cross at any one
time.
County bridges: All bridges were found TO be
In good order except the bridge over the axnts