Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-24

The ANONYMOUS writers for the
water bond advocate would have
the taxpayers believe that the Los An
geles City Water company collect for
water $500, 600 per annum. The total
water rates for the three systems under
control by the Los Angeles City Water
company. for the last fiscal year, was
less than $240, 600. This was the gross
| receipts, out OF which all the expenses
of maintenance have to be paid. Could
this city operate the plant, as proposed
to be constructed by their engineer at
an estimated cost of SO ,996, 900. and pay
the cost of maintenance and interest,
from these receipts? And how could
they lower the rates, without making
up the deficiency by some indirect
means /? If required to pay
the interest and sinking fund from
the water receipts, it would be absolute
ly impossible to do go. These are seri-
GUS questions that taxpayers are called
upon to answer by their votes at the
coming election.
1t has not been the policy of the
water company to take notice of all the
foolish and vindictive charges made by
the advocates of the water bonds; but
the anonymous articles above referred
to have been SO widely distributed that
they feel called upon to reply to some OF
them at this time.
First-What has the water company
done for the laboring men of this city?
| They have distributed more money for
labor, and will continue to do so, than
any other corporation in the city, and
they pay for all unskilled white labor
| rot less than 50 per day, and have
| ~. xyar x,o% hsro1 Gbipop,on nnnn th OF r
works. No man has ever been dictated
to or interfered with as to his political
beliefs and opinions, and the company
has studiously abstained from mixing
with the politics of the city. The
etatement made in these dodgers to the
contrary is an unmitigated lie.
The stockholders are mostly residents
OF the city, interested in its welfare and
proud of it's achievements, and ready to
bear their share of its burdens. They
have at all times dealt literally with
the city, reducing their rates from time
to time as the growth of the city would
| justify; and are today selling water at
so per cent less than the rates specified
in their contract and lease. In their
recent suit with the park commissioners,
they have simply tried to protect the
consumers by preserving their reservoir
from any contamination, and still hope
to prevail upon the park commissioners
to permit them to keep a fence around
the reservoir.
The water right leased by the city, and
the water which is to be delivered to the
consumers, was from the river water;
which has become 30 turbid of late
years and so filthy as to be unfit
for domestic consumption. This
company has expended large sums of
money to develop spring water, unsur-
passed in quality and of sufficient guam
tity for the needs of the entire city,
which they are now delivering through
their mains. The declaration that they
have built their works out of the earn
ings of the property is absolutely false.
The original stock was assessed and
paid up in full. Additional stock was
afterwards issued and paid in full; be-
side, they have bonded debt of $780,
600 and floating debt of 500 900, all of
which has been expended in this city in
their plant. They have never paid over
per cent per annum in dividends, and
often passed dividends to make needed
improvements at times when the
threatened litigation by the city coun-
Gil has prevented them from issuing
bonds. And for four years and five
months of their lease no dividends have
| been declared.
There are 30 many statements in these
dodgers, in which they refer to the
water company, that are absolutely
false, that it would take more time and
space to refute them than can be given
in one article but of this the voters and
| water users may be assured, that while
this corporation owns and operates their
works, they will do 30 without meddling
with the politics of the city, and will
meet the wants of their consumers as
far as it is possible to do SO. The COM
pany has made arrangements to intro
duce their water upon the territory here
tofore supplied by the Citizens Water
company; and believe they can
supply not only good quality
| of water, but at as reasonable
prices as they are doing to the bal
ance of the city. Some of the news
papers of the city have recognized the
ent time, and their prudent warnings
have provoked scurrilous attacks from
the frenzied writer of the late anony-
nous articles, which are disgusting to
all fair minded men. Should the writer
VI thCbC ludllClOQ5 cCiCCob uNSiNOhooiy
bite himself, he would undoubtedly die
| OF the venom.
The cost of delivering water to the
people depends upon the cost of the
plant, as we'll as upon the current ex-
pense of maintaining it. Very few cities
have as large territory over which it is
necessary to carry the water as Los An
geles has, and it requires very
expensive plant to reach all parts of the
territory that we cover. The number of
families that we reach here, are in many
cities within half the area. We have
been obliged to put in small mains to
supply the sparsely settled districts, but
we replace them as the localities in
crease in population. This great extent
of our mains makes the delivery of
water proportionately more costly.
Many of these small mains have been
put in by o. W. Childs, and by the
Rogers system and by the East Side
water company, whose plants we have
bought and which mains are being re-
placed from time to time, as the demand
would justify.
Los ANGELES Cry WATER Co.
|
SO a Month! $40 Month!
| Gives lesson dav in short hand at the Asst
| bury Institute, the old and reliable school, es
| ia bliehed here The