Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-06
BREAKERS AHEAD.
The city Government Rushing HIS
Into Bankruptcy.

inc Ctey government Rushing HIS
Into bankruptcy.
EDITORS HERALD-Was ever citv
cursed by such an incompetent and az
travagant governing body as our pres.
ent City Council? Instead of grasping
the situation at the start, as by accepting
their present responsible positions thew
protested their capacity to do, and keep
ing the city's outgoes within its income,
they went on from the very beginning in
the most reckless fashion, first bulldozing
the City Assessor into the notion that as
the rate was limited to 81 he must bring
the assessment up to $40 coo, 900
| or $50 ,000,0 900. notwithstanding the
terrible shrinksge of values from
| the boom; notwithstanding thousands
Of acres Of orange orchards and
vineyards were dying and were being
dug up; notwithstanding rents were fall
ing Is per cent, and in some cases TO
nal; and then, when batflsd in their wild
attempts to squeeze mote money out of
the bedeyiled taxpayers, raising the as
sessment themselves horizontally in the
center of the city 10 and 20 per cent,
till at last they find themselves confronted
by big deficit that may be $50 600 or it
may be 100000.
But not content with bankrupting the
city, they now seem determined to do
their best to bankrupt the citizens in
detail. Utterly obvious of the terribly
hard times, they are going on and open
ipg, grading and paving streets, and
, making improvements on ecale Of ak
, travagance that looks as though they
thought we were oil millionaires.
They seem to forget that the people OF
this city and county have, within very
short time, been compelled to pay mole
than million and half dollars taxes;
they forget that the people OF this city,
within the last two years, have proba-
bly, expended more money in proportion
3 to their mum bers in opening, grading and
D sidewslking and paving streets, and in
{ building sewers and bridges, ETC., than
I any other city in America, or in the
world.
And so the dance of extravaganza,
financial debauchery and imbecility
| goes on.
y There can only be one end to this,
unless the people arise in their might
and cali halt. The few spasmodic at
> tempts of the city government at re.
8 trenchment are but the merest child's
play. The members OF the Council, with
small brains and large preJudices, ap-
. : parently lack both the capacity to in
: augurate policy of vigorous, radical re-
! trenchment and the backbone to carry
out such policy.
Let them stop absolutely all street
= opening and grading, ETC., and cut down
- mercilessly the expenses OF the Engi-
: neer's and Street Superintendent's de-
u partments, and abolish the 5000 to 81 900
q month, which the "Street.opeGing
4 Commission" now costs the poor dis
traught property owners. Let them re-
, duce the police force one-half, or even to
i, twenty-five men. This step would not
! cause the world to come to an end, al
. 9 though weak minded and weak kneed
|, |, municipal statesmen might doubtless be
~ bamho zled into the fear that it would.
u Let every branch of the city govern.
o ment, including the school department,
. public library, etc., get down to what
~ sailors call sailing under bare poles, If
70 they do not want to encounter unpre.
pared very rough weather ahead.
;. Soma years ago the salaries Of public
50 school teachers in this city were from 80
/ TO rs per cent higher than they were i'll
Philadelphia. Tne only excuse then
, was that it cost more to live here
+ than it did there. Nov all this is
changed. The cost of living including
rent is less here than there. Why should
Los Angeles pay more than Philadelphia
e or other Eastern cities for the same class
of services? Here, because we lack the
q wise and careful forethought that quickly
takes cognizance of changed conditions,
y We not only give gratuitous normal
q training to teachers, but We pay young
h ladies $50, $50, $50, 800 and even $95 per
l. month of four weeks who could not earn
- in any other occupation here, or in teach
a ing in the East, over So to $40 per week.
h Without at all lesseniDg the efficiency OF
, our public schools We can, II we will, as
= simulate the wages Of our teachers to
= something like the rates prevailing in the
& East.
. 1t has been estimated that one-half
I" the tax payers of this city have had to
!. borrow money to pay their late city,
g county and Stale taxes. Many have
= been compelled to do this who at present
are without income. One vineyard
. owner Gays he had TO pay over 500 taxes
q and he did not get enc dollar income
= from his vineyard. AS a matter of fact
. he has dug up his vines by the roots on
, account of the new vine disease,
= which seems to battle all attempts
Il to find remedy. Nest OF the vineyards
y of this city have been, or are being, up
. rooted, leaving the owners without in
II come. Their obligations given for bor-
: rowed money to pay taxes will become
q due sometime. How can they meet
- them? The present city government
% seems to be oblivious TO al these things.
II The banks are now supposed to be full
i Of money from the million or more of
. local taxes lately gathered in. But it,,
u by and by, when the tax moneys are dis
"a bnraed and loans to tax payers cannot be
" collected, what is going to happen? Let
!, :; an incoh petent city government, which
q is doing it's best to bankrupt the city in
lump, and its property owners in detail,
answer! B.
Los Angeles, February 5.
How MY. White Ruled Ina the
Senate.