Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-20
THE COUNCIL.
1t Holds Its Last Meeting in
the Old Quarters.
THE NEW HALL INSPECTED,
The Rate of the Tax Levy Fixed at
S1.10 for the Next Year
Other Business.

The City Council met yesterday morn
inc, President Frankenfield in the chair,
and Councilmen Van Dusen, Brown,
Hamilton, Bonsall, Summerland, Nc
Lain, Shsfer and Wirsching present
Mayor Hazard returned without his
approval an ordinance abandoning Los
Angeles street for the reason that it
abandoned part of Also street.
Assistant City Attorney Dunn said that
he had hunted up the ordinances de-
scribing the bounds of Also street, and
had found that the Mayor was mis-
taken.
The City Engineer said that the de-
scription was correct according to the
ordinances passed year ago.
The vote whereby the OR dinance was
adopted was reconsidered, and on mo.
tion OF Mr. Wirsching the ordinance was
passed over the veto of the Mayor.
Mayor Hazard sent in the following
message, vetoing the ordinance for grad
ing Temple street:
The ordinance relating to the regarding OF
Temple street. entitled An ordinance declar-
ing the e. pediency of and intention to regrade
the following streets" etc., adopted August 6,
1889, spreads the assessment therefor over
territory two and half miles distant frcm the
locality of Improvement, and half a mile north
of Temple street itself, and only about six
hundred feet south of Temple street. The in
Justice of this assessment will be made more
manifest when we consider that Bellevue ave-
nue. runs directly through this tract, and your
honorable body has just adopted an ordinance
from Alvarado street to. the city linn
its preparatory to grading the same,
when new assessment must be levied
for this work, and you have ordered said Belle
vue avenue graded from Beaudry avenue to
Lomtas street and the Job is now about to be
let; no provision is made in this ordinance for
the payment of any of the costs of the grading
by the property owners on Temple street. Why
the property owners on this remote and paral-
lei street should be called on to help. pay the
expenses of regarding Temple street, is not
plainly shown Bellevue avenue is an S2-foOt
street. has an easy grade into the city and is
not occupied as Temple street is with cable-car
tracks and only sixty foot street.
The property owners on Bellevue avenue will
now be called on to take care of tn cir own street
proceedings, having commenced TO compel
them to do so. / can realize the impossibiiity
of making any public improvement, the burden
of which will operate equally upon all, but
there are certain general rules Of fairness and
equity that adapt themselves to each case as II
arises, and am more than convinced that they
are violated in this instance.
If the travel on Bellevue emptied itself into
Temple street to get into the city, there might
be some excuse for spreading the assessment
on that street, but, as l understand. large
part of the heavy travel that now comes over
Temple street turns out of that street into Belle
vue avenue to get into the city 1t may be said
that all the street car travel from that district
passes over Tenn pie street, but in answer to that
1t can hardly be claimed that the lowering of
the grade will in any manner facilitate street
car travel, as the grade of the street is upim-
portant. there being double-track cable line
over the street.
In my Judgment, the ordinance should be
framed to limit the assessment as above. but
should also be in accordance with Section 175
of the Charter, which reads as follows; 1T may
fix a different rate per front foot for different
portions OF each street, accordingly as 1t may
deem the property to be assessed TO be more or
less benefited by the improveme Mt" Now, un-
der this provision the largest amount of the as
sessment should be levied on Temple street, be-
tween Crescent avenue and Edgeware road
then next bsyond that to Union avenue; and
thence graduated out to city limit and the
same rule should be observed in coming to-
wards the junction of Main and Spring sire ct
law that the portion OF the street most bene-
dted shall pay therefor in proportion to the
benefit derived. ANY other plan will work the
grossest inj stice.
This improvement to give "a traffic grade'
to Temple street has for its direct object the
extension of business out Temple street, which
is scommendable, and II the parties whose prop
erty is most likely to be converted into business
property thereby are willing to bear their pro-
portion of the burdens thus oecasioned let 1t
be done but to ask property owners having
mote, to pay the same amount per front foot,
does not seem fair between man and man, but
it is not even that fair, because for every acre
which he has in this outlying district ne is
charged with 200-foot frontage; and person
owning 35-scre tract will pay the same as
sessment as person having 1000 feet front
age on Temple street. The injustice of the as
sessment Is manifest, and therefore decline
to sign the ordinance
On motion of Mr.. Shafer the vote
whe reby the ordinance was adopted was
reconsidered.
Major Bonsall said that the Board OF
Public Works had gone over the matter
very carefully, and the Mayor was mis-
taken in thinking that Bellevue avenue
was to be assessed where it is itsslf
graded. The only portion of Bellevue
avenue to be assessed is that part west OF
the Sisters Hospital, which part cannot
be used by the people, who therefore use
Temple street. He thought that these
people should be assessed.
The ordinance was passed over the
veto of the Mayor by a vote of to l.,
Mr.. Hamilton voting no.
The Street Superintendent recon-
mended that no bids be hereafter re-
ceived from the Union Construction Com.
pany, which has not kept its contracts in
the past. Referred to the Board Of Pub
lie Works.
The Street Superintendent recon-
mended that amended specifications for
grading streets be adopted. Referred to
the Board of Public Works.
The report of the Board of Public
Works, as published in Saturdays HER
AID, was read and adopted.
Ex.Mayor Workman appeared and
asked that the matter OF widening and
paving First street be pushed ahead,
so that the rainy season would find the
street in good condition. 1t was stated
that the matter was being attended to.
The report of the Sewer Committee, as
published in Sundays HERALD, was read
and adopted.
The City Attorney recommended that
the petition of G. Grebe to have sewer
assessment returned be denied. Adopted
He also reported that he would soon
make report on the corner lot assess
ment for sewers.
The City Clerk was instructed to adver-
tise for bids for grading part OF Flower
street.
The City Attorney reported that the
suit of V. Dol against the city Had been
decided in favor of the city. Contractor
Dallas was instructed to proceed with the
grading of Adams street.
The City Attorney was instructed to
draw an ordinance relating to the regula-
tions for saleyards for COWS.
An ordinance ordering the work Of
l. - 70