The herald., 1896-06-19

water company is compelled to furnish
water for the city hall and other public
institutions, including tire schools, free
of charge, as well as to erect fire plugs
and furnish water for fire purposes with
out cost to the city, but nothing is said
In regard to water for street sprinki1ng,
that matter not having come up until
after the contract was entered into. on
the other hand, 1t Is now claimed that
under decision of the supreme court
the city being the absolute owners ~
the waters of the Los Angeles river, or
at the very least, so much of the same
as is necessary for the use of the resi-
dents of the same, it's officers have the
right to take this water wherever they
find 1t, whether 1t comes through the
pipes of the water company or not, ana
1t Is on this contention that the claim
is made that the fire plugs can be used
for sprinkling purposes. The water
company, on the other hand, does not
dispute the right of the city to use water
for sprinkling purposes, provided tney
do 1t in the right way. They claim that
they have to erect and maintain at thelr
own expense these fire plugs, and that
the city has no right to take possession
of its property and use 1t to save them
selves expense and at the same time
compel them to keep these Migrants IN
repair. The city attorney and his assist
ant are of the opinion that the city has
tHe IlSnL 10 take WdueT lTOlii tiS Soiii-
pany's mains for sprinkling purposes,
provided they make the proper connec-
tions, but they do not think that the fire
hydrants can be used for this purpose.
Mayor RAIDER was in doubt as to what
the city's rights in the premises were
Mr.. Drain had reported that the use of
the fire hydrants to fill the sprinkling
carts was good thing, for the reason
that they would always be able to know
whether they were in proper repair
Mr.. RAIDER said that he certainly did
not favor the erection of any of the
gibbet-like sprinkling hydrants, which
were an eyesore and nuisance. He
thought that any further connections
made with the mains should be flush
with the sidewalks, as was the case in
other cities, and he would SO recommend
in the future.
MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENT
The street superintendent office is
doing all that it can to carry out the
Instructions Of the council in regard to
expediting the work in the Improvement
of Main street. Chief Deputy Hampton
Hutton yesterday made a personal in
spection of the work and ascertained
just what the contractors are doing. The
contract, Mr.. Hutton says, is one of the
largest ever let in the west, and he does
not see how much better speed can be
made at the present time than the con-
tractors are doing. They are now erect
ing an asphalt plant, which they hope to
have completed in forty-five days but
which he thinks will take nearly sixty,
at cost of some $4,000, and when this
is completed the contractors will have
capacity OF turning out about 10000
square feet of pavement a day Mr..
Hutton thinks that they will be able to
complete the work in the limit of $50
days fixed by the council.
WOOLEN MILL WATER RIGHT
The zanja committee of the city coun-
Gil held short session yesterday and in
formally considered the petition of Mr.
McCutcheon In the matter of the water
rlght or the old woolen mill on South
Pearl street When the wooden mill was
established by b. F. Coulter, some years
ago, perpetual right to the use of the
waters of the wooden mill ditch was
granted by the city council. The wooden
mill has been long abandoned and the
building is now used for an ice factory.
The question to be determined is wheth-
er the right to use the water exists after
the works for which 1t was intended
have been discontinued.
CITY HALL NOTES
An informal conference of several
members of the council was held with
Chairman Munson of the board of public
WORKS yesterday, to talk over matters
TO come up at the meeting today
Chief Moore and Assistant Ed Smith
OF the fire department are busy getting
the data in shape for the commissioners
on the matter of putting the department
on paid basis throughout, as asked for
at the last meeting.
The Denham cacti collection. recently
acquired by the city, is being removed
from East Twenty-first street to the
East Los Angeles park. This is very
valuable collection of plants and con-
talns 4VO or 800 species of cacti.