Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-23
AN ADDRESS.
Why the Sewer Should Be
Defeated.
1T is AN EXTRAvAGANT SYSTEM.
1t is Denounced by the Citizens
Committee of Thirty-Six
Many Reasons.
AN ADDRESS.
It is AN EXTRAvAGANT. SYSTEM.

THE following is the first section of ar
address prepared by the Committee o.
Thirty-six to the voters of Los Angeles
and adopted at their session Wednesday
evening, August 21st. Other sections
are to follow, canvassing the question
more specifically from a legal, a finan.
cial, an engineering, sanitary and o
laboring standpoint
To the Voters Of the City Of Los angeles.
On the 30th of this month you will vote on a
proposition submitted by the City Council to
issue bonds to the amount of 81, ,2S0, 900 for
the purpose of constructing portions of a sewer
system and storm drains within the city, and
an outfall sewer to the ocean. This is by far
the largest single expenditure that the people
OF Los Angeles have ever been called upon to
make, and II behooves them to consider care
fully the step before them.
of citizens at Turnyerein Hall, Saturday even
ing, August 17th, desire to submit to you this
address, embodying the substantial reasons why
you should vote against placing this heavY
burden of debt upon yourselves and your sue
cessors for the next twenty years.
And in thus appealing in your own interest,
we wish to represent that we are all concerned
in the welfare and prosperity of this city; that
we are not disposed to take any step bsckw ard
or to impede the march of progress; that we
sewerage for Los Angeles, and we will hail the
day when 1t shall be provided with this most
important public work. But we are unalterably
opposed to the system as now presented and
we denounce it as illy.devised, extravagant,
and in some essentials worse than useless.
We are opposed to the issuance of 81, ,28O, 900
in bonds for this purpose for the following
reasons:
Because there Is insufficient consideration of
economy In the matter OF interest If the bonds
are voted, instead of being sold In small blocks
and the aDDliad aptS
made. the city thereby paying interest on the
money only as required, they are to be sold as
locked up until the completion of the works,
this matter Of interest alone would probably
amount to $75, ,000
We hold that the question has been improp.
erly submitted to the people, inasmuch as 1t
must be voted on as whole, and thus as O
whole accepted or rejected. Itwould have been
feasible to divide the proposition into three
distinct issues-one comprehending the inter-
cepting system, one the storm drainage system,
and one the outfall system--either one of which
might have been accepted or rel .cted sepa--
rately, and the remainder left for subsequent
We are opposed to the issuance of 81 $50 900
In bonds. because we believe that the city could
be provided with good and sufficient system
of intercepting and outfall sewerage for less
than one-half OF that sum.
We oppose the cOnstruc ion of the outfall
sewer to Ballona because it involves an ex-
penditure OF $440. 900 which is unnecessary;
Because it conveys the sewage through a sec.
tion of country that is in parts heavy soil, and
| in parts naturally swampy, where It would be
| of no avail for irrigation
Because expensive viaducts would have tc
be made q carry the sewer over swampy places
| and over the Ballona creek;
Because, If there should ever be break or
leak in the conduit at these places, there would
| be little absorption and slight chance for
drainage, and great nuisance would surely
result;
Because said outfall sewer would align the
track of the Los Angeles and Santa Monica
railroad for long distance, and scientific and
practical men have expressed an opinion that
the vibration of the eait tn under heavy passing
trains would be certain to crack q brittle and
ing assures in it through which the sewage
would percolate, and in time weaken the struc.
ture so that it would go to pieces;
Because, in the case of such break there
would be created not only foul nuisance, but
the track OF the railroad might be undermined,
causing g'serjous accidents.
Because, by the terms OF the contract for
right of way proposed by the Southern Pacific
Railway Company, the city oblisa es Itself to
become responsible for all such damages, not
only to the railway company, but to its shippers
and passengers.
Because there is grave doubt whether the
Southern Pacific Railway Company has any
power under its franchise to grant an indefeas-
ible right of way to the city;
Because the discharge of sewage into the
ocean, even though the coarser solids were
screened out, would create a nuisance along
the coast, and, under the influence Of ocean
currents known to prevail might destroy the
| beach at Santa Monica or other coast resorts;
| Because the very idea of depositing the sew
age of Los Angeles in the ocean in the vicinity
| of Santa Monica would work an incalculable
injury to the people of that delightful watering
place;
Because if the beach at Santa Monica should
be contaminated by the lOdgment of foul mat
ter upon it, the very ocean breeZes which pre-
vail daily and which constitute one of the de
lIghtful features of our climate would become
impregnated with noiIome odors, and in >tead
of bringing health and vigor to our city, would
come laden with disease and death
We are opposed to incurring SO heavy an ex-
pense for an outfall sewer to the ocean because
we believe that, instead OF wasting this valu-
able irrigating, and fertllizing stream or dis
chargi it where it is sure to become nui-
san e, 1t may all be utilized on the sandy and
poor Is nds which tIetch for miles south Of the
city along the line of the Los Angeles river,
thus enhancing their value and productiveness
and creating an additional source OF wealth. Aud
in this connection we wish to call your attention
10 the fact that public propositions have been
made by the owners OF over 5000 acres in this
sandy aud dry section, offering to take the sew
age and dispose of it without creating nui'
| sance, for terms ranging from ten to twenty
years, providing it is piped to their properties
That the cost of piping the entire oufall to this
locality would be from $50 600 to $3.50 600. ac-
cordlng to the character OF the conoult con-
structed thus making a direct saving over the
Ballona route OF from 5000 600 to $500. .0U0,
That there Is no question OF the ability OF the
land owners who make these propositions to
city, or thst shall flow for the next ten or
twenty years, by the adoption OF proper meth
ods of sewer farming, so that no nuisance shall
be created, either in their section or in the
city.
Thai should any difficulty ever arise as to the
disposal OF the city's sewage. filtration works
may be constructed, so that the deodOrized and
innncuous water shall flow away aud be made
available for irrigation, while the solids are
converted into fertilizers.
We wish to submit further that portion of
th sewage of this city, to wit, $50 inches, is
now held under contract by the South Side
Irrigation Company, which contract has some
fourteen years yet to run; that said company
poses tn hold it; that it has applied he sewage
to their lands greatly to their benefit; that 1t is
now engaged in extending system of pipes to
still ether localities, and tells irrigsting
privilege 70 individual property-ownors
that the farmers who are now using this sew
age for irrigation aud fertilization consider 1t
a valuable adjunct. aud give testimony that
their lands have been increased fve-fold in
prOductiveness and value BY its use; that it is
. veil demonstrated fact that winter irrigation
A. of equal value with summer irrigation, If
not superior, and that. with the feriilizing
propei ties OF sewage added thsre is no reason
why 1t may not be applied TO sandy snd
porous soil the year round to its great 40
vantage.
We are opposed to the expenditure OF S50s
900 for the construction OF a system OF storm
drains within the city, because we believe that
it is not necessarily part OF The sewerage sys
tenn because, in the present depressed
times, we believe II is too heavy b
burden of expense to incur for something
which Is not an absolute necessity; because e