Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-02

A representative OF the property own
ers below Alameda street appeared anc
protested against being included in the
ass sessment district. He said that if the
matter was let alone, those who have
not yet moved back will do 30 shortly
for their own benefit. 1t would be bu
Justice to leave that part OF the street ou'
which had already been widened.
Mojor Bonsall suggested that the ordi
nance be amended 30 as to widen be-
tween Los Angeles and Alameda streets
and to make the district of assessment
only between the two streets.
The ordinance was referred to the City
Engineer to change as suggested.
An ordinance of intention to improve 8
portion of Council street was read and
adopted.
An ordinance of intention to grade Blk
we'll street was read and adopted as also
were ordinances of intention to grade
Bellevue avenue and to change the grade
of Brooklyn avenue.
An ordir ance granting the Los Angeles
Railway Company a franchise to con-
struct double track railway on Arcadia,
Also, Pleasant avenue to First street
was read and adopted.
The matter of granting franchise tc
Captain Cross for the entrance Of his
railroad from Pasadena came up.
Mr.. Van Dusen, on behalf of the citi'
zens of East Los Angeles, objected to the
construction of the road along Pasadens
avenue for distance of 450 feet.
Captain Cross appeared and said that
he had already been delayed eight
weeks. He was anxious to build the
road, which when done would give
twelve trains a day to.Pasadena, and he
hoped there would be no further delay.
Mr.. Frsnkenfeld thought that the
crossing of Pasadena avenue would
make the road dangerous to the public
The ordinance was passed by vote Of
six to three-Messrs Van Dusen, Wirsch.
ing and Frankenfeld votin ! against.
eping of First street, between Los An.
geles and Alameda streets, was read and
adopted.
An ordinance providing for the open
ing of Sixth street, from Main street to
Wall street, was read and adopted.
Ordinance of intention 10 establish the
grades of Bridge street, Michigan ave-
nue., Echandia street, New Jersey street,
Lopez street, Schuyler street were read
and adopted.
An ordinance of intention to establish
the grade OF Bellevue avenue was laid on
the table.
Ordinances of intention,to to establish the
grade of Stanford avenue, Twelfth street
and Orange street, were read and adopted.
The matter of changing the grade of
Temple street came up on the report Il
the City Engineer, who stated that the
professors did not have sufficient num-
Der of feet to stop the work.
Mr.. Trantum appeared on behalf of the
protestors, and claimed that ne had not
been given fair hearing in the matter.
The report was filed.
Ordinances of intention to change the
grade of Bixeil street and Water street
we're read and adopted.
Ordinances of intention to grade Soto
street, Yale street, and to sewer CASTELAR,
street and Yale street, were read and
adopted.
THE LIBRARY.
The following report was handed in by
the Beard of Directors of the PdbliC
Library.
GENTLEMEN-Pursuant to section SO of the
Charter of the city of Los Angeles, which fe-
quires that leach officer or board OF the city
shall make out and file with the City Auditor,
on or before the 18th day of July in each year,
an estimate of the expenses OF his or its office
fir.t day of July preceding said report" the
Board of Dire etors of the Los Angeles Public
Library reports that. through its clerk, the re-
qured estimate has been filed, copy of which
is appended hereto.
Section 43 of the Charter, defining the duties
of tb, City Auditor, does not confer upon him
the power of altering the estimate presented,
1t requires that he shall present to your honor
in each year 81, ''the itemized amounts necei-
sary to be raised by taxation for each fund"
Section 46 OF the Charter provides thst the
Council shall forthwith fix the levy or, rate
per cent of taxes LEVIED for all municipal pur-
poses for the fiscal year. Section 80 of the
Charter provides that there shall be levied
and collected annually on all taxable property
in the city tax sufficient 10 maintain such
l. brary, not to exceed five cents on each one
hundred dollars Of the value of all real and per
sonal property OF said CITY, assessed for city
purposes, for the purpose OF establishing and
said library and purchasing or
leasing such real and pc sonal property, books,
papers, publications, as may be necessary
The Board of Directors has deemed it neces
sary to call the attention Of your honorable
body to the above section of the Charter, in
order that in making the tax levy there shall
be no reduction in the appended estimate by
,truct the City Auditor to include said esti-
mate, unchanged. in his report to the Council
An inspection of the library, as it at present
exists, will convince eve n the most skeptical
that al this time it is necessary that the full
limit allowed by the Charter be given. Section
81 of the Charter provides that the library
shall be free OF access to all citizens of said
city and the general public"
without books the intent of the Charter can
not be carried out in this respect. There are at
present, including government reports and re-
hN1k II a.. -. a ma
volumes IN the library OF these, not more
than 1000 are fit for circulation, and the total
number OF books of service to the public is not
more than 1000. The moment the doors of the
library are thrown open to the public and it is
announced that the chare es are not ST. per quar-
ter, the membership of the library will increase
to 0,000 History shows that free libraries in
10 900 people Nc plan has yet been suggested % ID
whereby 1000 books can be distributed among
10, 600 people at one time: Statistics
should have from 10000 to 80, 900 volumes in
the circulating department. with circulation
OF at least II 600 per month, and the Board of
Directors OF the Library deem 1t an urgent ne
books Immediately. An investigation of the
records of past years shows tn tthe library has
not kept apace with the her improvements
made in Los Angeles. 1t has been allowed to
stand still where 1t was ten years ago. Not
enough money has been expended during the
entire ten years to have supplied it with the
works necessary for library purposes issued in
)ne year by the publishers In consequence of
his neglect the library is now so far behind the
age in all of its departments that it will require
an extra amount of immediate expenditure
% be placed in proper condition for use. The
records show an expenditure for books as fol-
ows: 1873, $97; 1880. $3.50; 1881, $77; 1882,
1884; 1883, 1896; 1884, 1894; 1885 $41s;
1886. 1881; 1887, 81, ,256; 1888, 81 ,256; total
amount taken in each month for the past year
is an exhibit of the worthlessness of the library
follows: