Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-19
C...,con sense of sac Matter.

whether the HERALD will advocate the
sewer bonds when the subject is put to
the popular vote. Notwithstanding the
question is premature and impertinent,
we shall answer it. Our attitude on the
sewer question cannot be misunderstood.
We are in favor of q comprehensive and
complete system. The HERALD has
always advocated all kinds OF public
improvements thet were designed to
benefit the city. If when the
time comes, we find that the
Council has entered upon this sewer
scheme without regard to the proper and
advantageous disposition Of the sewage,
and is determined to carry it through a
district that does not need it, and to
points where no right of way has or can
be secured, and to discharge it in local
ity where resistance will be made to it,
we shall mcst assuredly oppose the issue
of the bonds with all our might. We
shall not stand idly by and see the
money of the taxpayers wasted in a
scheme which possesses neither the
merit of common sense in the manner Of
it's formulation nor the element of prac-
tical success in its outcome.
The Ballona route is the very worst
one that could be selected for the outfall
sewer. We have repeatedly shown that
it passes through q country where the
sewage, instead of being needed, will
constitute nuisance to the people on its
route. Who supposes for a moment that
the owners of the Ballona lakes will
quietly permit this city to discharge its
sewage into them? There will be litiga.
ton on the subject till We cannot see the
end of it. Who believes that the people
of Santa Monica ere not in earnest in
their protest? Perhaps the discharge Of
our sewage at Ballona would not actually
pollute the waters in front of Santa
Monica; but the mere suspicion of it
will do irremedisble damage to that fine
watering place. Why is it necessary to
fix the route of the sewer in the ordin-
ance, and thus bind the people to a
route which is bristling with objec.
tions? We have consulted with the
most eminent attorneys in this city, who
have carefully examined the law of the
case, and they are positively OF the
opinion that there is no need to commit
the city to any particular route with its
cutfall sewer. We have much respect
for the legal acumen of the City At
torney, but in matter of constitutional
exposition and construction, We would
prefer to take the opinions of such men
as We have consulted with. The bull
headed persistency with which the
Council sticks to the Ballona route is
not calculated to allsy our doubts as to
the wisdom of that part of the scheme.
1t requires only very slight knowl-
edge of the subject OF sanitation to know
that an outfall sewer should not be car
ried to the windward Of a city if it could
possibly be avoided. The talk about
straining the sewage SO as to sweeten it
for the Ballons lakes, means that the
trade winds shall carry the extracted
odors to our own doors, and whatever
poisons they may contain will serve to
bring disease to our city.
On the other hand, if the outfall is
carried in the direction of the Los Ange-
les river, as it can be, and as it is now
carried, there are thousands of acres of
sandy and poor lands in that locality
that can be enriched by the sewage.
The sewage is wanted in that direction.
It possesses a value that is simply incal-
culable, not only to the lands themselves
that would be benefited, but to the busi-
ness of this city, which would be en-
HANGED by the custom of the prosperous
farms and homes which this fertilization
would build up where now there exists
only barren waste. If any one wishes to
see the good results of fertilization from
Eewage let him look at the splendid
country near and beyond Vernon. That
tells the story.
If the Council persists in making a SER
ious mistake in this sewer matter, the
HERALD will undoubtedly oppose the is.
sue of the bonds, and it will be joined in
the opposition by very large percentage
of the men Of common sense who pay
taxes in this city.
-
The Police Commissioners do not pre-.
tQu6 IN offar auv raooop for tbair aot;o,,