Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-08
Hugh Mulholland as deputies. Appoint


cording to the plans, has to be bull
ninety feet higher. He thought that i
would be too high and that it should b.
cut off. The matter was referred to th,
Building Committee to report upon.
The Superintendent of Streets was in
structed to relieve Mr.. Cosby's property
on Brooklyn street from pool of water
Mr.. Threlkeld moved that the actor
of the Council in resembling the street
sweeping contract be re-considered
Carried.
Mr.. Burlingame said that he had new
brooms on the way which he though
would do the work we'll. He asked fol
three weeks further time.
Mr.. McNally moved that Mr.. Burlin
game be given twenty days more time
Carried.
Mr.. Wilson moved that the City Sur
veyor establish the grade of Bellevue
avenue and San Fernando street, ant
that he furnish the Council with q survey
of the Arroyo Seco. Carried.
The Police Commission asked that the
police force be increased by ten men.
DR.. Bryant said that he would rather
spend SIC, 900 for light than for police.
Mr.. Ford thought that the force was toe
small.
Mr.. Threlkeld thought that the forct
should be increased. San Francisco die
not cover 80 much ground as Los Angeles
and it had 405 policemen.
Capt. Barrett thought that the ligh'
should be increased as we'll as the police
force.
Mr.. Cohn thought the Council sbould
ole IN, of fhc
city.
Mr.. Shafer said that he would offer 6
reward OF about 800 for the scalp of any
policeman found in his ward.
The increase was allowed by vote .
IL to 8.
The recommendations of the Fire Com
missioner as reported in the HERALI
were adopted.
The Gas Committee recommended
that the contract with the. Los Angeles
Electric Company be adopted. Contrac
referred to the City Attorney.
The Park Committee recommended thu
reappointment of T. Legrand and R. H
Berry gardeners of the city parks
Adopted.
THE OUTFALL SEWER.
The majority of the Sewer Committee
consisting of Messrs. Wilson, Barrett anc
Shafer, reported that it had carefully
considered all the sewer propositions
and believed that made by the Pacific
Sewerage Company, as amended to be
the best. Therefore, recommended thai
the Council authorize said Committee
with the City Surveyor and City Attor-
ney to draft contract with said Sewer.
age Company and submit the same al
the next meeting of this Council, pro
vided contract can be agreed upon.
The minority report signed by Mr.
Tbrelkeld and DR.. Bryant was as follows
The undersigned, members Of the
Special Committee appointed to act in
connection with the regular Sewer Com
mittee, in the consideration of the sew
erage question. begs leave to submit q
minority report. In dissenting from the
the adoption of the West system, the un.
dersigned after fully and thoroughly in.
vestigating the vital problem OF disposine
of the sewerage of this city, believes that
it would be unwise to engage in any ex.
pertinent whereby the monied and
hygienic interests Of the people would, to
say the least, be left out upon the sea of
uncertainty, if not absolutely endangered
or lost in positive failure. The fact that
Atlantic City, place of 5000 or 20, 900
population, situated at an elevation of
about eighteen inches above sea level
and upon or near the Atlantic coast,
where rains are copious and fre quent,
has adopted and is now using the West
system of sewerage, does not prove to
me that this system is necessary or suit.
able in Los Angeles when we
are situated at an elevation oi
not less than 175 feet above
sea level, in country of peculiar and
uncommon characteristics in the matter
of rainfall, where long seasons of drouth
and sunshine are unbroken and the semi
tropic rays are more apt to engender dis
ease in epidemic forms than in northern
cities, satisfies me that any system oi
deodorization or disposition of the sewage
should be regarded with doubts as to it's
efficiency. The discharge from this city
is at least 100000 gallons of sewage
every twenty-four hours, said discharge
weighing about 8 ZOO, 900 pounds, at least
eight per cent. of which is solid or sludge
matter (the rest liquid), which solid mat
tor WOAo WCish aV CHIo CoIAuo'o oUou'
GAO, 900 pounds, or 320 tons, to be dis
posed of daily. That this excreta can be
cared tor and disposed of by the West
system or any other system of filtration
is to me problem shrouded in the dark
est doubt and uncertainty. 1t is urged
by the parties claiming ownership of the
West system and a patent therefor, that
their plan is cheaper than an outfall
sewer to the ocean. This may be sc
primarily, but how about the
future? Suppose the enterprise o,
experiment land it is purely
experimental 30 far as this city and its
climatic peculiarites are concerned
should prove disastrous failure-that
their filter beds should prove to be hot
beds, wherein disease, such as diptheria,
typhoid and yellow fevers are generated,
what then? Would not one blightine
visitation of this kind prove more expen.
sive in the end in financial loss and
heartrending distress to the unfortunate
households that might fall victims of thii
experiment? 1t is claimed and was sc
maintained in the session OF the commit.
tees, that an outfall sewer to the ocean
would cost 100000, $50O,OO0, or even
$500, 900, and that the saving to the peo
pie by investing in the West system ex
pertinent would justify this Council in
giving this experiment trial. Let ui
look a. the question from this stand
point. Suppose that we try the Wes
system at an outlay of $50, 600, with ar
annual expense OF SIC, 900, and the thine
should prove failure, ,as believe it will
would it not be better and cheaper t.
build an outfall sewer, even a