Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-06-28


wife to inevitable divorce. The Santa
Monicans have undoubtedly the right to
preserve the waters of their breakers not
only pure, but above suspicion. Other
wise the main virtue of their place is
lost, And let it be here suggested, from
Legal standpoint, that the court, in de-
termining upon this injunction suit, will
also consider whether or not there exists
an absolute necessity for the people OF
Los Angeles to thus damage their neigh
bors of the seashore whether or not it
is necessary for plethoric Los Angeles to
use it's $40 900 surplus for the willful
and wasteful purpose of emptying their
valuable sewage into the sea, when, for
tenth of that expenditure, the same
sewage could be diverted to, and dis
posed of on, thousands of acres of ada
cent porous, thirsty lands, whore it
would be worth many millions OF dollars
to the community, and be no detriment
to any one.
Hence the ardent outfall sewer man
must wait long and indefinite time for
the doubtful removal of the inevitable
injunction before he can even approach
the sea with his prospective outfall.
Thirdly-The construction of the out
fall sewer cannot be properly commenced
until the difficulties above referred to
shall have been overcome-and after
that doubtful feat shall have been accom-
plished-it would still require probably
two years of work of construction before
one drop of sewage could be put into it.
In the meantime, Mr.. Outfall, what is to
become of the pent up sewerage of the
city? Is the city system of sewage
collections to be suspended, or if not
suspended, to remain useless until the
delays and difficulties above referred to
shall be overcome so as to afford an
emptying place for this collection?
Mr.. Outfall's reply to this query is
thus: mo" In the meantime we
must do as we are now doing let the
sewage be conducted down on the
lands lying south and southeast of the
city, where the same is now being used
for irrigating and fertilzipg some of
those lands, thereby raising the rentals
of said lands from two dollars per acre,
its former rental, to twenty-five dollars
per acre per annum, now paid for it on
account OF the privilege OF using said
sewage thereon. Yes! (the answer
will continued we will in the meantime
have to let the great bulk of our sewage
run down in that direction and be SO
utilized on other thousands of porous.
arid lands that lie below and have not
been able to get the benefit of this sew
age before. Yes! In the meantime
We will have to submit to the necessity
of allowing the waters of our river-mixed
with our sewage to run down on and ir-
rigate and fertilize those alluvial lands
as designed by God and nature, and al
low bread and meat and vegetables to be
produced out of the soil, to be furnished
fresh and cheap to the people of the city.
No, We can't stop that economical, I'M
expensive and profitable Utilization of our
sewage until we get our outfall sewer to
the sea completed. Then we will rake
the City Treasury for $4,000 and enjoy
the privilege and satisfaction of draining
this spring of profit and prosperity into
the sea. Then we can make those green
fields and luxurious gardens pale and
bleach into bowling deserts. Yes sir,
until this sheme is carried out we can
have no room, no hunting grounds for
the Digger Indians or the Apaches in
this neighborhood. And, it must be ad-
tribes we are urging this outfall sewer to
the sea.
The above hypothetical conversation
suggests some of the difficulties in the
way of making the said outfall sewer, as
we'll as some OF its injurious consequences
if it were made and used; and the next
thing to consider is, can we help our
selves? and if so. how?
The answer is in The affirmative, con-
ditionaUy. If We can prevail on the city
legislators to reconsider their present i'll
advised ordinance on the subject, and in
lieu thereof pass another, of more gen.
eral and latitudinous character, giving
themselves scope and discretion to build
the proper sewer or sewers for the "dis-
position of the sewage" as upon fuller
and further investigation OF all the cir
cumstances and conditions connected
with the subject shall seem most to the
advantage and benefit OF the people Of
the city.
The law does not at this stage Of the
proceedings require the Council to tie
itself to any particular sewer or to any
particular route for drainage sewer. 1t
was unwise and premature to do 30.
That mistake has been made, and pos
sibly the more fatal mistake of condi-
tioning the validity of the bonds upon
the construction of main sewer which
it may be found impossible to construct.
To halt and correct this mistake at
once would cause a short delay of per-
haps about ten days. Whereas, to per-
sist in the erroneous course on which We
have now started, will cause delays and
uncertainties of unknown duration and
consequence.
OUNCE OF PREVENTION.