Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-15
The Water Report Ignores
That Person.
Proceedings Yesterday of the
City Council.
Two Communication Presented from
the Water Committee.
The Substance OF the DOcuments-A Veto
from tho Mayor = Reports of
City Ofacers-Motions
Made.

nA
The co-ss-,il transacted great deal of
business yesterday morning of an inn
sportant character. The reports of the
special committee on water, together
with minority report from Major
Bonsall, were submitted. All members
were present.
The mayors veto on the street COM
mission matter, heretofore published in
these columns, came up again. This
brought Mr.. Rees to his feet. He said :
"It is very evident to me that the mayor
avails himself of every opportunity Of
showing his ability as a juggler OF his
jaw. He is constantly seeking to bam-
boozle the people, and the only way for
this council to get even with him is to
send him counter message every
week."
Mr.. McGarry-The mayor ought to
know t he law under which street com.
missioners work-and knowing it, he
should not misrepresent the action of
the council or any member thereof.
After the commissioners file their re-
port on the opening of any street with
the city clerk, he gives notice to prop
erty owners interested that said report
is ready, and any one can, during ten
days, protest If he feels wronged. The
amount of salary claimed by commits
sioners is part of said report and the
council can correct the same if they
think too much has been charged.
The member .from the Seventh never
said that commissioners receive a
monthly salary, but he did say 1896 for
thirteen months would not much ex-
ceed an average of $50 per month, but
never intimated in any way that they
or he should receive an unlimited or
permanent salary, but in no case does
the expense Of opening one street be
carried over to another. The council
can surely fix the amount to be paid
when they see what work has been
done, better than they could guess at it
beforehand, just as an abstract searcher
can do when he knows what records he
searched.
Mr.. Bootley made a statement to the
council on behalf of the merchandise
brokers asking that the mercantile
license be reduced. He was directed to
present a petition to the council to that
effect. On motion City Clerk Teed was
directed to readvertise for bids for the
sidewalking of Twenty-second street
The report of the street superintend-
ent, previously published, was then
presented and adopted. Z
Mayor Hazard sent in veto of the
contract with P. F. Donegan for remov-
ing roof from Macy street bridge, on
the grounds that it would jeopardize
the bridge. The ordinance was passed
over the veto.
The special water committee made an
extensive report. After giving history
of the acquisition of water rights by the
CITY, the contracts with different parties
and corporations who have supplied the
city with water under franchises are
given. Then follows recital of the
facts that the city has provided reser-
voir of sufficient capacity for twenty
days supply for 200. 900 people, and that
q system of water works has been
designed which will furnish the whole
city with water on the population basis
named. The disadvantages of being
supplied by private companies are next
exploited, often there not being two days.
water supply on hand.
The contracts with the water COM
panies have the effect of handicapping
the city to certain extent, in handling
the water question. The companies
naturally claim large rights and privi-
leges. 1t is aleo claimed on the other
hand that the companies have departed
from and failed to comply with the
terms of the contract, and have in many
ways forfeited their rights under the
contracts.
This latter view ia set forth in no un-
certain terms by the city attorney in his
report to the council August rs, 1890.
To allow the matter to rest until the
expiration OF the contract with the City
Water company in 1898 is unwise, and
for many reasons impracticable. The
city should not during the intervening
time be unprovided with water, and if it
must at that time acquire the plant of
this company, it should at once proceed
to place itself in position to utilize
this plan as part of comprehensive
system.
10 do this it must adopt some general
plan for such system, and proceed as
early az possible to build the head
works and the reservoirs and mains 60
that it can make the best use possible
OF the water company's plant. The
water company could certainly not OBJ
ject to this proceeding.
If, as is claimed, it is not bound to
take this plant under the contract at
the expiration of the term, then it be-
comes doubly necessary to provide a
water system. This may be accom-
plished in several ways. One is to build
an entire new system, and the other,
and what would seem the most desira-
BILE, is to acquire the City Water COM
pany's plant by purchase if it can be
had at q reasonable price. But the first
thing to be done is to adopt a plan OF
the works destined to be finally used,
and to build the preliminary parts OF
that plan at once; the question of what
to do with the City Water company's
plant can be considered after that.
The net result Of a study of the water
situation seems to show:
A. That the city owns an ample
supply.
B. That it owns proper rights OF way
and reservoir sites.
@. That it has leased certain por.
tions of the water to private companies.
ID. That in the course OF lew years
these leases will terminate.
E. That the present supply is made.
quate and insufficient in pressure, and
that many parts of the city can not be
we'll supplied by the existing works.
F. That for reasonable cost this car
all be remidied and all parts of the city
~ ~,~o~,s1o1 NTH ohrrIov,oo ~ evCod