Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-25
ANOTHER ARGUMENT.
Hon. s. NJ. White Gives Sew.
eral Excellent Reasons.
ADDITIONAL ANNUAL BURDEN,
Why the Sewer Bonds Should Be
Defeated-What the Sewer
Should Cost.

Those who have the best interests OF
the city at heart do not wish to see the
municipality unressonably encountered.
The proposed Indebtedness for alleged
sewerage will amount to nearly $1,300,-
600. The present indebtedness is about
$500, 900. 1t has taken third of CEN
tury to accumulate this debt, and now it
is proposed to add to it the enormous
sum above mentioned. We know that
taxes are already heavy. The City
Board of Equalization $50 called) found
it necessary to arbitrarily raise the val
uation Of property on three of our princi-
pal streets in order to get enough money,
under the dollar-limit rule, to run the
city for the current year; and even now
it is proba BILE that there will be short
age in several of the funds which are be.
ing pr divided for the current year. How
much money then will it be necessary to
raise per annum in order to meet the
obligations which will be imposed upon
us if these bonds are voted?
THE ADDITIONAL ANNUAL BURDEN.
The sewer bond issue and the school
bond issue in the aggregate will amount
to nearly $l,500,000. The constitution
requires that provision be made before
any bonded indebtedness is incurred for
the collection Of an annual tax sufficient
to pay the interest accommodating on the
bonds, and to provide for sinking fund
for their ultimate liquidation. The inter
est on the proposed bond issue would
amount annually to about $4,000. The
sinking fund tax would reach the same
sum. This would mean $150,00O ad-
ditional outgo. At l per cent. this
represents Sl5, ,000,0 worth Of property.
How would the taxpayers of this city like
it if the City Board of Equalization had
this year added $15, ,000,0 900 to the roll !?
And while the value of property in
this city may increase, yet the annual
expenses will also increase. There are
few instances where city has gone
greatly in debt and yet has been able to
successfully extricate itself without loss
or reputation Of credit. The advocates
OF the present plan declare that it will
injure Los Angeles if it is known that she
will not unreasonably mortgage herself.
This argument is certainly very weak.
Prudent and reliable people-and we
want such in this city-will prefer to buy
property where taxation is reasonable,
and where it is not thought wise to Dor.
row in order to have good times. 1t is
said that the bonds will be issued in
three blocks, but if the sewers are to be
built hwith-and such is the promise
the blocks will be very close together.
THE STORM SEWER MATTER.
G,noa Tho ~ 1f ;kr
has been directed to the fact that $685.
600 is intended to be spent for storm
sewers, the advocates of the proposed
Doodle system have declared that it is
intended to use these drains for sewerage
purposes also. This is delusion; an
| other attempt to deceive. Let the in
227, and read the provisions of that doc
Ninth.street storm sewer. The sewer
commences at the intersection Of
Beaudry and Second streets, runs
to Pearl, on Pearl to Third, from Third
to Flower, from Flower to Ninth,
and thence along Ninth easterly to
the Los Angeles river, thence parallel
with the river to the city patent
boundary. 1t is said that sewage will
not run to the river in summer time, but
will be permitted to flow into the outfall
sewer system. II this is possible, which
is doubtful, what use ig there for an inn
mense conduit which is to run to the Los
Angeles river, and through which, in
summer time, not one drop of water will
flow? 1t will be large enough to furnish
a refuge for all the tramps in the State
ahd in summer it is not to be devoted to
any other use. Nor will it be of any use in
winter as far as sewage is concerned, for
the reason that if the outfall sewer is big
enough to carry away the refuse in sum-
mer it could perform the same work in
winter.
Moreover, the Flower and Ninth
street storm sewer is at its commence
ment oval feet by feet; it then in
creases to 4 feet 10 inches by 7 feet 8
inches; it is then increased to feet by
feet inches then it becomes circular
Z feet 6 inches, and increases to 8 feet
circular at Alameda street, and then 8
feet circular to the Los Angeles river.
Now the wonderful outfall sewer is to be
of less capacity; that is, it is to be oval,
and 4 by 6 feet. The southern intercept
ing sewer will, of course, be
smaller yet. The central intercept
ing sewer is also much smaller.
And we have, therefore, the
alleged storm-water sewer of Flower and
Ninth streets made of such enormous
dimensions that any intelligent man can
see at once that the object is to take
away the storm water, which is an injury
to few property. owners, and which will
also be some what disagreeable to the
cable-road company, and to conduct the
water to the river at public expense. 1t is to
be 30 large that it would take half the
water OF the Los Angeles river to keep it
clear.
There are two great jobs in this pro-
posed plan-one the outfall sewer. the
other the storm-water scheme.
WHAT A LEGITIMATE SEWER SYSTEM WOULD
COST.
The present plan involves an expendi-
ture within the city limits of 1882, 600.
which can be called legitimate sewerage.
Add to that another 100000, and we
will still be $6S, 200 short OF half a
million. We will then have all our sew
age at the city boundary, and there it
will be taken by the owners of the
Nadeau ranch, by the proprietor of the
Tweedy ranch, by the South Side Irriga-
tion Company and others, who are pre-.
pared to covenant and agree that thew
will take care of it for ten or
20 years, or for even a longer period of
time 7 at II ha adpoiftad tlo - IL -