Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-09
TUESDAY, DECEMBER .. 1890.
A VERY SERIOUS CHARGE.

The superintendent of streets in his
annual report makes the following very
grave charge. Referring to the new
bonded sewers, he says: 1.-THE joints
[of the sewer pipes] are poorly made, and
even now for considerable distance on
Second street and Flower street, the
joints are open and the pipe is cracked
and broken.' If this is true of the
places mentioned, it may be true of
many other places, and the people of
this city are therefore confronted with
very serious development. 1t would be
a most alarming commentary upon the
integrity of official work, if, after the
city has mortgaged herself for nearly
half million dollars to construct sys-
tenn of general sewerage, it should turn
out that the work had been so ineffi-
ciently performed and the material used
had been so defective that we should
find ourselves at the end of the great
undertaking with series of worthless
sewers.
There has been great deal of running
street talk about the character of the
work upon our new sewers, But this is
the first direct information we have had
from an official source that the city was
being dishonesty dealt with in the car
rying out of this very important work.
1t was said two months ago, when the
brick sewer was being built through
Grand avenue, that there was crooked
work going on in it; that the bricks
were soft, unfit, and not according to
specifications that the inside plaster
did not contain the proportion of cement
required by the contract, and that the
mortar used in the brick-work was def
cient in lime or cement. 1t was further
charged that the work was covered up
so quickly as it progressed as to excite
the suspicion that the contractors were
unwilling to expose it to public inspec-
ton.
Now if these reports are true, even to
limited extent, the people will be JUS
titled in feeling that they have been
grossly victimized. We are bound to
accept the official report of the street
superintendent as true unless it can be
successfully refuted in it's specific
charges. 1t is not pleasant to think that
we have been wronged and cheated in
this sewer business, after having voted
so much money to give our city perfect
and complete system of sewerage.
The people would like to hear from
the officials who are responsible for the
manner in which these sewers have
been constructed how it comes that in a
few weeks after some portions Of them
have been laid and accepted, the super
intendent of streets could make the
damaging disclosures he has in his re-
port? And if he could do so truthfully,
are they not warranted in believing
that much of the work that was 80 hur-
riedly covered up has been of the fake
order which public rumor ascribed to it
as it was being done?
During the recent municipal canvass
Mr.. Hutchinson, the street superintend-
ent elect, who was the chief inspector
for the city engineer on the Grand
avenue sewer, was specifically charged
with having passed sections of the sewer
in which the inside plaster and the
mortar did not come up to the require
ments of the specifications. That
charge might have been sighted at
election time as q mere electioneering
roorback, but with the later develop
ment it assumes more serious aspect
and is worthy of present attention. II
we have been swindled in our sewers by
official dereliction or connivance there
will be a fearful reckoning exacted by
the people.
soIrAPRrE over the nronOsitiOn To re-