The herald., 1895-10-22
COrlPTON'S EXPENSIVE TASTES

freslOenG leeu yesterday puDllCly gave
his opinion in open council that while
City Engineer Compton is very capable
and Ell. cient official, his generally ex-
pensive taste, so far as municipal expend
iture is concerned, proves that he is not
always equal to the occasion. This COM
ment was brought to the surface because
of the following section in the engineer s
weekly report:
In regard to your order Of the 14th
inst, instructing me hereafter to make
assessment maps during the progress OF
the WORK, and the opinion of the city at
torney that the request is reasonable
one, | would state that while the law is
instructive on this point, it IS not man
datory; if it were it would excat phys
ical Impossibiiity of this department with
its present TO rec.
There is more WORK being required of
the en- cheering force at he present time
in the way of street i'm provements, OPEN
ing and widening of streets and sewer
work than ever before. The records of
this de partment, as l have reported before,
have never been properly systematized,
owing, undoubtedly, to the same condl-
ton existing with previous administra.
tons that does with this, VIZ: lack of
funds.
The council could not make an invest
menG that would give more economical
results than to spend the necessary
amount in aiding this department to re-
cover lost time on new work. The invest
ment would pay for itself in less than two
years time.
All proceedings passing through this de-
partment require an unnecessary amount
OF time owing to this condition of affairs,
and even then errors unavoidably creep
in. The amount of time saved would in
a very short time pay for the original in
- To mt inn hn
of all proceedings, which alone in a very
few cases would make su.Mi CT snt saving to
the property owners to warrant the ex-
penditure.
The county, through the recommends
ton of Z. L. Wright. county surveyor,
has made an appropriation of SIS, 900 to
place the records of that department.
for assessment and other purposes in
proper condition; and they have acted
wisely, for with their records in the cond-
it.on they have been they would have
expended that amount and more in a
very short time for temporary expedi-
ent. with nothing permanent to show
for it.
ID | ask the council to give me relief in
this condition. | know your financial
necessities and appreciate what you
have to contend with, but mine are be-
coming equally great.
The above was referred to the finance
com mittee.
Theoen sineer also yesterday submitted
the following: An ordinance of inten-
tion to construct a cement walk six feet
wide on the east side of Hill street, from
Pico to Seventeenth streets. Referred to
the board of public works.
An ordinance of intention to construct
a cemenG walk five feet wide on the west
side OF Cornell street, from Brooklyn ave-
nue. to Sheridan street. D.fsrred for one
week.
An ordinance of intention to construct
q cement walk six feet wide on the east
side of Grand avenue, from Pico to Fiji
teenth streets. Referred to the board of
public works.
An ordinance of intention to grade,
gravel and curb with cement Elmore ave-
nue. from Seventh to Eighth streets.
Adopted.
An ordinance of intention to construct
cement wall six feet wide on the south
side Sixteenth street from Grand ave-
nue. to Main street. Adopted.
An ordinance of intertion to construct
cement walk six feet wide on the mort
| side of Fifteenth street from Ii ill TIC Main
streets. Referred to the board of public
works.
| An ordinance of intention to grade,
| gravel gutter and curb with redwood
Mott sreet from First street to Brooklyn
avenue. Adopted.
Final ordinance esta blishing the grade
| OF Kingsley street from Thirtieth street
to the west city boundary. Adopted.
Final ordinance establishing the grade
of Hoover street from Temple street TO
! Old Temple road. Adopted.
| Final ordinance changing and estab-
| fishing the grade of Hoover street from
Temple street to Old Temple road
Adopted.
FINAL ordinance changing and establish
ing the grade of Fourth street from Mott
street to Fresno street; Euclid street
from Fourth street to Eagle street, and
DAWN street from Fourth street to Sec
ond street. Adopted.
An ordinance of intention 20 esta blish
the grade of kipp street from Seventh
street to the angle in Kipp street. be-
tween Seventh and Orange streets.
Adopted.
In regard to the condition of the street
at the Intersection of Olive street and
First street. l beg leave to report that the
difficulty in regard to the storm water is
owing to a change in grade, leaving the
old improvements on Olive street, south
OF First street. higher than the recent
Improvements north of First street.
causing the water to collect at this point
Putting the street car tracks, sidewalks
and cutters to grade would perfectly rem
edy the diff guilty, but a TEN porary eXpe
dent would be to place culvert across
First street on the west side of Olive
street, or across Olive street on the mort h
side of First street. The former would
probably pc better inasmuch as the latter
expedlent would run the water into tho