The herald., 1896-10-01
|l|IN A(I)F Is SHOWN
~ Water Comoany's Ef-
fort Uncovered
6alPIER Of MUNICIPAL HISTORY
Aliempt to Tie Up the city's
Sewer Improvement
FEARED THE BOND ISSUE
8 lke Cooperation sosght to Eudanger
Public Health
~ Attorney 0eueraI Of the State Was In.
vsIved h the Matter
An Instance Showing How Far the
water Company VIII Go to Accom-
plish Its Purpose-Will Stop
ct Nothing
FEARED THE BOND ISSUE
so lhe Cooperation Sosght to Eudanger
Public Health
~ Attorney 0eseraI Of the State Was In.
vslved h the Matter

The Los Angeles City Water Com
uany In politics does not always work
II the open. In fact the methods of
1hiS cQrperation in handling primary
o1action8sponventions and elections at
the polls are generally conducted by
o1illed manipulators and the people are
ooxnetimes fooled.
They have been fooled in the past
quite often. but they do not propose to
bo fooled at the municipal election
which b to Occur In December and for
which prirn&ries and conventions are
% be held next week.
{ Every candidate for office must make
: full. fair and unequivocal declaration
On the question of municipal ownership
IS The city water plant. and his past
public record must conform with his
latter-day pledges.
The people of Los Angeles have had
experience in dealing with the City
ss Pss tuSkS ussa to sns suS
plioh the ends and aims of the corpora
tion form some of the BLACKLIST pages in
the municipal history
IN October of 1892 the city council was
about to enact an ordinance providing
- Messrs. Blair & Co. Of New York
On October nth of that year w. H.
II. Hart, then attorney general of the
state of California, caused to be pre-
gented to the council letter signed by
himself as attorney general, In which
he informed that body that the issue
OF 1886. 900 bonds for sewer purposes was
Illegal He went further. He stated
that II the council persisted in selling
the bonds that body would probably be
restrained by injunction proceedings.
At the time this interference of the
attorney general was considered un-
warranted, uncalled for and impudent
Nobody, SO far as known, had asked
Alm to pass on the legality of the bonds
and for q time the cloven hoof was not
unearthed. Later it was Then the Los
Angeles City Water Company was
found to be behind it ALL
However, the city council paid no at
tention to the communication. 1t was
referred to the mayor-Henry 7. Haz-
ard-and to the city attorney
The mayor Immediately instituted an
investigation to ascertain why the at
torney general of the state should be
so desirous of tying the hands of the
city and preventing the sale of the
bonds to improve the sewer system.
The city at that time had 1914, 900
locked up in the construction of an
internal sewer system, which could not
be used for want of an outfall to the
Sea The sewers then being used were
full to overfowing.
To tell the truth, the city was in a
critical condition, and with Mayor Haz-
ard It became a very pertinent ques-
ton, Who could be at the bottom of
TINS attempt to tie up the city in the
matter Of sewer construction and
what could the purpose be?"
The early completion of the outfall
fol fv,.v e. IL
sanitary well-being of a large and rap
idly growing city. With a very de-
xective sewerage system and the pos
slbility of visit from the Asiatic
cholera In the early spring, there could
pc no doubt that every day of delay
IN the completion of this work was a
day wasted. And hence the best wish
ers Or our City, were anxious to see the
sewer completed as early as possible:
and therefore the city officials could on.
and unwarrantable.
The result was that a conference
was held in which Mayor Hazard, the
city attorney and the attorney general
OF the state, w. H. Fl. Hart, partici-
A report of that conference annear.
IN The Herald Of August 20, 1892. This
conference clearly demonstrated that
tne interference came from the Los An
sgeles CITY Water company, that through
Colonel ". III. Woodard (Jayhawker).
then Of the Los Angeles Times, and the
trusted friend and confidential adviser
Of Colonel Harrison Gray Otis. the at
torney general of the state had attempt-
ca to prevent the completion of a public
Improvement of vital necessity. simplv
because the water company believed
tne Auanoc of bonds would materially
issuance of water bonds.
Yne report of the conferanca refarra,7
to Is as follows:
Il am somewhat astonished. general"
began Mayor Hazard, "that YOU shonid
1ave MADE a matter of this Importance
tne subject OF gratuitous attack. whici1
you have done unadvisedly, as YOU ad-
mit. What was the motive for such !.
course on your part?''
me attorney general cleared his
elLoat OF an overnight cobweb or two
Ao tnen replied that he had written
tne letter upon information received
from leading citizen of this place
viii you kindly favor me with his
u4me! asked the rnayor
NO. sir; 1t Is not the custom of NV
gmce 70 divulge the informants's name
Anqs py the way, where was the neces-
My OF your giving publicity to my letter
concerning the illegality of tbese
bonds? was Mr. Hart's reply.
M simply because it does not nav us to
c0nceai anything" replied the mayor
The same secrecy which hedges about
( - portable attorney generals Office
which you are carrying in your breeches
POCKET from one end Of the state to the
other, IN refusing to give us the name ofs
FMS outraged citizen, does not apply to
4 tne administration of affairs in Los Ar
qe1es What would have been said of
RQr council and myself IT, with such q
erAs yours lying In my desk. we had
42ne to work and contracted debt Of
Nd of 3 sudden the attorney gneral be-
G4n 70 realize that he was getting very
~ In the face.
IS; The mayor continued: Men would
Qaxe asked, where is this letter thar 7
z149 not show? NY word for it, sir. your
then would have accomplished
~ ypxy purpose for which it was writ
md the fear on our part of disclos-
= would have resulted in the injury
- o<1t credit abroad
s. ~ there i some motive. general