The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-10-04

preston of the Democratic party by
and with the corrupt use of coin.
This is year when there is no middle
ground. Al man cannot be friend OF
the water Company and friend of the
people.k he must be fQf.one or the other.
The water company's manipulators
are not now making and probably will
not make an open fight They will con-
duct an Apache campaign. They will en-
deavor to stab the earnest, honest
friends of municipal ownership in the
back, sneaking, Indian style.
The thing to do is to send only the
men as delegates who can be absolutely
relied upon to stand for the popular de-
mand and voice the sentiment of the
party after they have taken their seats
in the convention and who will be above
and beyond any influence of the water
company.
In this connection 1t is well to ask the
question:
who defeated the proposition to buy
land for headworks for water system
in the year 1892"
twill be remembered that at the time
stated 1t had been decided that the
Hooker Pomeroy land of 435 acres was
good purchase for headworks for a
municipal water system.
The mayor, the city attorney and the
water committee of the city council had
consulted and there was a general opin-
ion that the Hooker-Pomeroy land
should be purchased for the purpose in
dictated. The city council approved the
proposition.
So the city secured an option on the
land for about $4,000. The land in ques-
ton controlled the water right on either
side of the river at location eminent
ly adapted for headworks
But here stepped in the Los Angeles
City Water company. This purchase of
headworks was the last step the corpo-
ration desired the city to take.
1t was too late, however, to defeat the
matter in the open. 1t required con-
nubiating and jobbing to do it.. 1t re-
quired some of those stealthy Indian
tactics which water company people are
experts at and it also required assist
ance from officials elected to office to
protect the interests of the people.
The traitorous officials were at hand.
The people were betrayed and the option
the city had upon the land designed for
headworks was permitted to lapse. This
was not the year for any of the parties
to this nefarious deal to come to the
front. The way that deal was consum-
mated was like this:
. The city had secured the option on the
Pomeroy- Hooker land. The transfer of
funds in the treasury had been made
whereby the money cOulu nave DeeH Sc
cured to make up the purchase price and
make good the option.
The city attorney advised the council
that all that was required to take the
money out of the treasury was resolu-
ton of that body.
The resolution was passed and it was
supposed the deal had been consummat-
ed and that the city had its land for
headworks for a water system.
But at the twelfth hour the city attor-
ney suddenly finds that it will require
an ordinance to take that money out of
the city treasury and that it cannot be
done by resolution.
In the meantime George d. Pessell,
the Democratic fusion nominee for SUI
pervisor in the Second district, who rep
resented the sixth ward in the council,
had gone east. Mr.. Pessell had been
staunch supporter of the headworks
proposition He had deferred his east
ern trip in order to be present to vote for
the resolution that authorized the with
drawal OF the money from the city treas
ury to pay the purchase price of the
Hooker Pomeroy land.
Surprising the battle to be won after
the resolution passed, Mr.. Pessell left
for the east.
Then at the twelfth hour in came the
city attorney, by his assistant, with an
opinion that 1T would require an ordi
nance to draw the money out.
There were but few hours left before