The herald., 1896-11-18
THE WATER QUESTION.
How it is Dealt With in the Democratic
City Platform.

The following is the plank in the Demo-
cratic city platform upon which the bat
tie for municipal ownership is being
waged by the candidates of that party
in the contest now on:
Resolved, That the Democrats of Los
Angeles city, in convention assembled,
congratulate the citizens of Los An
geles that at last the opportunity has
approached that will put an end II
the frightful burden they have been
bearing for thirty years past in the mat.
ter of taxation for wafer supply. Foi
years the citizens of this great city have,
been at the mercyof corporation whicn
has compelled them to pay rate for
water for domestic. household and gen.
eral uses which has been out of all pro
portion to the expenses of distributing
the same. This corporation has abso
luteiy controlled municipal administra-
tions in the past. and every benefit that
could be gained thereby it has taken ad-
vantage of.
The Democratic party of the city Of
Los Angeles hereby declares unquali-
fiedly and unreservedly in favor of the
municipal ownership of a city water
system, and pledges itself to proceed To
the construction of an entirely new
plant, to be owned and operated by the
people, for the people, the rates to he
charged to be upon basis of actual
cost for distribution. with an amount
added sufficient to pay interest upon
the sum invested and to create sink
ing fund to pay the same when due, and
we favor the construction of such Il
system, to be owned in fee, operated and
controlled by the city itself. We favor
the construction of system that will
bring to this city pure supply of water
from mountain sources that we may be
relieved from the undesirable substance
III CT a1i n bp CT NV ho
geles City Water company, and we re-
quest the councilmen elected by the
party to at once make an earnest and
honest examination of the available
sources of supply of mountain water
and the cost of the same. and to at once
acquire the same. if the same be FEAST
BILE and reasonable. In the construction
of said system we also advocate that
the fall of the water needed to supply
pressure for fire purposes be utilized
to develop electric power for use for
electric lighting in this city. We favor
the absolute ownership and operation
of said lighting system by the city it.
self, to- the end that the poor as well as
the rich may be able to enjoy this priv
ilege. We also favor a system of suff-
cient pressure for fire purposes, thus
saving the city large portion of the
annual expense of $81. 900 per annum for
an extensive fire department and saw
ing to our citizens thousands upon
thousands of dollars every year in fire
insurance
We demand that the necessary pro-
ceedings tending to the acquisition of
such system be instituted Immediate
ly, and we pledge each and all our can
didates that. if elected, they will take
immediate steps upon taking office in
the honest and earnest investigation Ct
said matter, with a view to acquire and
construct said water system and that
all proceedings be pressed with all pos
sible dispatch to the end that said sys-
tenn, If found feasible and reasonable.
shall be constructed and in operation
before the expiration of the present
privilege of the City Water company.
We also pledge all our nominees that
no person shall be employed upon said
works except American citizens, who
have been residents of the city of L,s
Angeles for at least six months before
employment, and at wages at not less
than 81 per day of not over eight hours
each,