Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-14
The Right way ana the Wrong way

The adV0cat66 OF tne 6oWer JULIUS are
trying to confuse the question. They
denounce all who are opposed to the
expensive and wasteful Ballona route, as
opposed to sewers, when the fact is that
everybody is in favor of sewer system.
But the people want not only the best
but the cheapest. The Ballona route is
the very worst in every respect. 1t is
the most costly and the least desirable
for the proper utilization Of the sewage.
The agreements made for right of way
by that route are traps to cinch the city.
Accidents that may occur to the South
ern Pacific trains through defects in the
sewer an6 to be paid for by the city. 1t
is no answer to this to say that the city
would be liable for damages caused
by the sewer whether the city had bound
itself to that feet or not. The true OBJ
lection is in the construction Of the sewer
along a route where damages in stupen-
dous amounts may accrue against the
city. No such risk would be run if the
o utfall sewer were carried by the river
route, where the sewage would be val
uable and sought for as fertilizer.
There are thousands of acres of poor
and unproductive land on that route
that would be rendered rich and pro-
ductive by the sewage of the city. Every
acre of land thus reclaimed would be
q source of increased custom to the
business people of this city. By the
Ballona route there is little or no land
that would be benefited by the sewage.
1t is all or nearly all alluvial or wet soil.
Perhaps Mr.. Roses place could use the
fifty inches which the city agrees to fur
nish him for right of way. But that is
an ipjudicious concession. If hereafter
the city should awaken to its folly, and
determine to carry the sewage to the
porous lands of the river, and could not
comply with its contract with Mr.. Rose,
that gentleman would have recourse
sgainst us in swinging damages.
We should look at this great work not
from the pressure of reasons extraneous
to it's principal objects, but with view
to it's permanent character and its most
benefcent results. Everybody is in favor
of the thorough and complete drainage
of this city, and if the proper route were
selected there would not be vote against
the sewer bonds. But as it is, the ques-
ton comes up in such shape, with sur
roundiBgs carrying with them the favor
of suspicious and doubts as to the true
underlying principles of the chief pro-
moters of the Ballona route, that large
part of the community cannot reconcile
the scheme with honesty of purpose
for the public good.
The parties who are clamoring for the
bonds are resorting to clap-trap declama-
ton about the immediate employment
q vote in favor of the scheme will give
to large number of men. Whilst this
would be fair and proper argument if
the proper 70 ute had been selected, it is
altogether besi de the question under the
circumstances. The people of Santa
Monica are determined to enjoin the
work if the sewage is to be carried to
Ballona. They believe that to make
the bay a. that point the dumping place
of the sewage of this city will seriously
prejudice their town as bathing resort,
and they will exhaust their rights in the
courts rather than permit the injurious
work to proceed. Who can honestly say,
in the face Of the attitude Of the people
of Santa Monica, that the employment
held out by the advocates of the Balona
route to workipgmen will be realized at
an early day, or even remotely? The
laws delay" will cut the gor-
dian knot of that promise to
the ear" We venture the assertion
that if the Ballona route is voted down,
that new proposition by the river route
will be at once carried, and work will be
furnished for the unemployed in much
less time than it can be had if the pres
ent proposition should prevail at the
polls.
There is right way and a wrong way
in this sewer question. The Council, for
reasons that no man can fathom, has
chosen the wrong way, and it is not likely
that the people, who, after all, will be
the sufferers if mistake is made, will
follow that body in their headlong and
action