The herald., 1896-12-04
Candidate SSnnyde:r'ss Sly Address in
the Second Ward
THE WATER CO.'S CONTRACT
Its History and the Proposed Commission
of Appraisement
A Comparison of Rates With Other
Cities-A Business Mans Point OF
View-The Times Attack.

night with NJ p Snyders own neigh
bors of the Second ward, who were
eager to have the chance of listening to
their choice for mayor If MIR. Sny-
ders popularity with his own constitu-
eEts is any criterion of the manner In
which he has succeeded in working. dur
ing his last two years in the council, for
the best interests of the ward he has
represented. then Mr.. Snyder has proved
himself a faithful public servant, ana Is
entitled from that fact alone to the re-
spectful consideration of the enllre
community. Next Monday will DOUBT
less show that the esteem in which he Is
held is general.
The meeting was presided over by
Charming Severance, and the program
began with several songs by W. L.
Jory. who put every one present in good
spirits by his vocal humor. James X.
Armstrong followed with very logical
discussion of the question of munlclpal
ownership, which he supported with
illusions to the Democrat-Populist
platforms and the deadly parallels be-
tween it and the Republican platform
He also enumerated those large cities
of the east, like New York, Chicago, Bal
tmore, ST. Paul. Minneapolis and others
which own their water systems and the
rates of which are ridiculously low, com
pared with the exceeding high rates
paid by consumers in this city.
Mr.. Snyder was then introduced. To
his neighbors his ability to make n
clear. logical, business-like speech was
a matter of common knowledge, so they
were not surprised The filings of the
morning paper published in the inter
ests of the water company about Mr..
Snyder's photography have no effect
upon the men who know him and have
A....,r IA y, i'm a
his opponent demonstrated the ability
to speak half as well there would have
been much marvel thereat.
Prefacing with brief survey of the
benefits which have accrued to the Sec
ond ward since his election to the coun-
Gil in the way of park improvements,
the closed car service from Belmont
street to the city limits on the Temple
street cable system, the increase of
electric lights. and the regarding of
Bellevue avenue, etc, he stated his
position, of which the following is the
substance:
More than twenty eight years ago
when the city was but a village, our
forefathers contracted for water sup
ply Perhaps it was the best thing they
could do, but it bound the city for
thirty years. and not until now has the
opportunity come to our citizens to re-
lease themselves from the grasp of this
monopoly
Then this was only little Spanish
village of adobe buildings, but now in
the place of those crude structures OF
earth, we have a splendid city of fine
business blocks and beautiful homes,
! and this question will have to be settled,
| for the future of our fair city, ~ the in
| coming adminstration-the question of
whether. we will continue to be over
taxed for one of the greatest necessities
of life or whether we shall be cOerced
into paying an eXorbitant price for the
plant of the water company, or whether
we shall secure proper water system
of our own at an outlay, which, from
business point OF view, would pc sem
sble and right
1.-THE contract with the water COM
pany provides that at the expiration of
the lease. the city shall purchase the
plant This is the contract which our
forefathers made, and we are in honor
bound to live up to it, for we propose to
deal honorably and to live up to our
agreement and respect our good faith
as a sacred thing; but if the water COM
| pany shall presume to take advantage
of this contract and its power and TO
rob the city, then by no law of nature or
| God can we be compelled to permit
| the water company to force the city to
be cinched out of 100000.
This contract provides for commits
| sion of appraisement. You know how
| such commission would be constituted
| 1t is fair to suppose that the city would
select a man who would be faithful to
it's interests. 1t is also fair to suppose
that the water company would choose a
man who would be in sympathy with
| its interests, and you know that these
| two would never agree, in the very ma
ture of things, until some one was chos-
l..
! of the water company than of the city
Now, what would $3.50 900 or 100000 bs
to the water company If it could secure
a commission that would favor the pur
chase of its plant by the city for $3,000,.
600? Therefore, / say | will never sigI
any ordinance providing for any sucf
commission, if l am elected, unless by
an order of the courts. My reasons TO
this is that the water company does no
intend to deal fairly with this city
prolonged applause.)
why, it has already violated thi
contract and forfeited any right to con
sideration, and / will tell you how. Un
der the contract it is entitled to only tel
inches of the water of the Los Angelo
river. What does it do? Why, it goe
into a scheme by which the Crysta
Springs Land company is formed-an,
that is but a corporation within a cor
poration, with the same board of di
rectors, all the same Southern Pacifi
and Central Pacific-and this compan,
goes up here about seven miles from tn
city and there, where there is a bend il
the river, lays its pipes, all perforated
under the bed of the river and robs thi
city of the water which you, the citizen
of Los Angeles, own. and then it turn
around and sells you the water 1t ha
robbed you of-selling it to you, at tha
! at rates which are outrageously eXtor
tionate-and. to cap the climax. when
files its statement with the city clerk,
has the audacty to debit itself with 4
| per cent of its gross income, which
: credits to the Crystal Springs company
: giving you figures which are miseadin
and which cover up the hundreds {
} thousands of dollars profit it makes ar
nually. Our city engineer found thre
of the Crystal Springs company's pipe
under the river bed.
Il Will tell what my plan will be.
the people of Los Angeles favor me wit
, | a majority of their ballots. propose (
go about this like You or any sensibl
7 business man would. some three week
l | ago | proposed a resolution in the cour
=, Gil to have the city advertise for bids.
would favor the idea of Offering prem
iums to bidders for the best plans an
specifications and the most advants
geous- figures. This was done in Nor
!, tana for public building, and our ow
architect in Los Angeles secured tn
:, prize of $4,000. I would favor offerin
three prizes of $4,000, $4,000 and $4,000 re
" spectively, to bidders, and this woul
i secure for us competition the most fl
> vorable to our city. Not long ago a
: agent of a st. Louis firm came to me an
1~xx - ~ -