Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-22
SOME CITY AFFAIRS.
THE STREET SUPERINTENDENT
AND THE COUNCIL.
The Former Thinks the Latter Is Interfer-
ing--The City Money Muddle-The
Sewers-Report of the Finance Com
mittee.


about which the board of public works
seeks information. In the report Of the
board. which will come up before the
council Monday, information is asked
''as to by what authority" such drain
is being constructed. The intimation
is that the street superintendent is act
ing Independently Of instructions in the
matter, and the relations between the
two branches of the city government
threaten to become seriously strained
unless satisfactory explanations are
forthcoming.
The Office OF the street superintendent
is under the impression that it is being
unduly interfered with by the council.
A recent case is cited wherein the board
OF public works ordered certain hole
on Macy street filed, and specified that
not more tn an twenty-five loads of dirt
should be used. This amount of earth,
it is said, would not half fill the hole,
and the street superintendent wants to
know whether he is to be allowed any
discretion at all as to his own business,
and whether his bondsmen are to be
held responsible in case of possible acci-
dents. A row of interesting proportions
may be expected as the outcome.
THE CITY MONEY.
A petition mas been filed by the city
attorney in the supreme court for re-
hearing in the case of Yarnell against
the city. If rehearing is granted,
which is not at all improbable, the
question of the banks withholding the
interest in the city's deposits will be-
come very much complicated, and some
one will have to be responsible for that
money. 1t is claimed that the contract
with the bank was made directly by
the council and that the city
treasurer had no authority to
withdraw the money or the bank any
right to give. it up. If the contract is
held to be legal, then the interest must
be made good by some one, and it is an
interesting question as to who that
someone will be. The remittitur from
the supreme court will not arrive for
twenty days yet, the usual time con-
sumed in such proceeding.
TIE SEWERS.
Work on the sewers will be delayed
by the recurrence OF rain, but no dam
age is expected to result from the storm
to the completed portion of the work.
There are 900 feet OF the central inter-
ceptOr on Washington street yet to be
' built, and several hundred feet of
this is under way. This portion may be
wrecked by food, but the loss will fall
on the contractors and the city is not in
terested. The trench is already carry
ing water and the extent of the damage
cannot be known till the storm sub
sides and the water is drawn off.
FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT.
Following is the weekly report OF the
finance committee. which will be pre-
sented to the council Monday:
1--WE have examined the following re-
ports OF the city auditor, and recon-
mend That rney bc fficrar------------.--------
First: AS to the rcondition OF his
books for the month of January, 1891.
Second Statement of funds for the
week ending January 3lst, for the week
ending February 9TH and for the week
ending February 18th.
Recommend that the demands OF w.
G. Lockwood, for salary for the months
of August and September, 1890, be re-
ferred to the city attorney.
Recommend that action upon the
matter of the superintendent OF build
ings performing the duties of sealer Of
weights and measures. be indefinitely
postponed.
SIN the matter of the opinion of the
city attorney, that the claim OF w. 7.
Williams against the city be paid, we
recommend that the same be adopted,
and that the claimant be instructed to
present demand against the city
drawn upon the salary fund.
Recommend that the city attorney
L.. ~~,A. nkaI 30 u.
OF rehearing before the supreme court
Recommend, as the time is fast ap-
preaching when the city will need to
sell more sewer bonds, that the city en-
gineer be instructed to present to the
council an estimate of the amount of
money necessary to complete the con-
tracts now under way, and to build the
sewers that are not already contracted
for, as it is probable that it will not be
necessary to sell the entire amount of
1874, 600 worth OF bonds.
Recommend that the following petit
tions be filed: From j. B. Warner, to
have the boilers in the city hall engine
room insured; from Martin & Co., to
have the license for employment agen-
cies reduced; and from Thomas Sheri-
dan, claiming that the city owes him on
account of labors performed.
Recommend that the petition from
A. Mccartney and from the Farmers and
Merchants bank, asking for rebates on
account of errors in assessment, be re-
ferred to the city assessor.
In the matter of the petition from A.
II. Susskind, recommend that the same
be granted and the sum of $23. 80 be re-
turned to the petitioner upon the pre-
sentation of proper demand drawn
upon the tax fund of 1889-90 and that
the clerk be instructed to mark can
celed and redeemed of record tax-sale
certificate No. S85, tax sales of 18S9-9O,
for the reason that the same is double.
'In the matter of the petition from
the Los Angeles District Telegraph COM
pany, asking that they have returned to
them $50 on account of money paid as
license before their license was reduced,
be denied, as we can see no equity or
justice in the claim.
Gin the matter of the petition from
the Los Angeles Lighting company, we
find the statements in the petition to be
true; that the amount of award that
they received in the !. ef opening
Howard street was hat the
amount of assessmen IS levied
against their property in H. alne mat
ter was $274.26'; that the difference be-
<,uoot tho tuyo no ii +< III ,r,V, ,>o,,xv