Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-23
THE CITY COUNCIL.
1T STRUGGLES WITH THE QUESTION
OF THE CITY PRINTING.
The Mayor Only Writes Two Mesa ges.
A Number of Reports Received-Con-
siderable Routine Business Transacted.

The city council met yesterday morn
ing.
The report of the committee upon the
revision OF the city charter was filed for
future reference.
G. M. Wells asked leave to address
the council on the subject, and read a
communication, copy of which he
stated had been fled week ago with
the city clerk,
Mr.. Wells proceeded to read the man
uscript. He said: "We have now the
anomaly OF a council which is both an
executive and legislative body, makes
laws and executes them, votes that
money be expended and controls the ex-
penditure of the money. This is wrong
in principle and bad in practice"
He then revealed plan to have a
standing board of public works on sal
ary. The members would be appointed
for three years by two-thirds of the
council. one member going out every
year. He also proposed the mayor and
city council serving without salary.
The communication was filed.
The report of the city engineer was
read as follows:
return herewith the demand Of the
Southern California Coal and Clay com
pany for 1922. "a; properly certified to as
to quality and number OF feet of pipe.
This was notestimated by measuring the
pipe distributed loosely along the line OF
trench, as the mayor supposed. Re-
ferred to the sewer committee.
On demand of the Pacific Clay Manu-
featuring company, for $2.6S for pipe at
manhole connections, recommend that
this be not paid by the city. Adopted.
The majority report of the bridge COM
mittee, recommending the acceptance OF
the bid of the Eddy Steel Wire Bridge
company, and the minority report of the
same committee, recommending the ac-
ceptance of the bid of Mr.. Ledbetter,
having been referred to me for investi-
CATION and report, l have to report as
follows: 1 have examined the plans
and specifications of the Eddy company,
and consider them entirely too loosely
drawn upon which to base contract.
The plans, to which the specifications
constantly refer, have not a single
dimension of any of the parts shown,
except the size of the piles in the cylin-
der. The scale of the drawings is not
even given. 1t is unnecessary for ME to
go into this matter in detail as cannot
recommend the adoption OF plans and
specifications where so much is left to
imagination. | recommend that the
bid of the said company be not consid-
cred for the reasons above stated, and
that the bid of Mr.. Ledbetter be accept
ed as the lowest and best bid.
This led to lengthy debate on the
much-mooted bridge question, and the
result was that Mr.. Fox's plans were
referred to the city engineer to report
at O'Clock pm.
The reading of the report was then
proceeded with as follows:
As we are about to lay cement walks
on Pearl street, between Ninth and
Twelfth streets, and as the grade at the
intersections are established fiat, l pre-
sent herewith an ordinance of intention
to change and establish the grade, max
ing fall across all intersections.
Present plans and specifications for
the piping of 1900 feet of the main sup
ply ditch with 36-inch cement pipe, as
per order of your honorable body.
Adopted.
Return petition of the board of super
visors referring to the removal of storm
water, as the matter will be treated in
my annual report.
Return petition of A. F. Pomeroy ct
al, as the matter contained therein had
been attended to. Adopted.
Return herewith petition of East Los
Angeles chamber of commerce referring
to water power in the Los Angeles river,
and that of William Lacy ct al, asking
that the official bed of the Arroyo Seco
be defined. and recommend the same be
referred to the incoming council.
Adopted.
AS per order present herewith ordi-
nance of intention to sidewalk Union
avenue from First street south. The
ordinance was adopted.
The report of the finance committee,
as published in Saturdays HERALD, was
adopted as read, with the exception Of
the clause referring to the city printing,
a matter which led to a lengthy discus
sion.
A letter was read from the Express,
acknowledging the receipt of commu-