The herald., 1897-01-05
MAYOR sNYDER's INAUGURAL.
An Able Document Outlining the Pol
icy of His Administration.

To the Honorable Council of the city
of Los Angeles-Gentlemen: In enter
ing upon my duties as chief executive
of the city ! wish to call your attention
to certain matters. and to offer for your
consideration few suggestions with ref
erence to them.
AS public servants we should not lose
sight of the fact that economy in con-
Quoting the affairs of the municipality
Is absolutely necessary. EXtravagant
expenditures of public moneys t. as ia
tai to success as the extravagait ex-
penditure of moneys in private. enter
prises. In carrying on the affairs of
rapidly growing city like ours, the
strictest economy is an absolute neces-
sity. We must conduct the municipal
business on the same sound. cautious
principles used by us in our private
transactions.
The growth of our city since the early
eighties has been wonderful. Each year
has seen substantial public improve
population of one hundred thousand
people. No other city in the west has
a brighter future.
In expeuding money we should at
all times keep in mind the future, ex-
ercisirg the greatest foresight in laying
the IOunQatlO0 OF Wnut IS 10 COME.
favor liberal policy in the expenditure
of moneys for improvements from which
the city will in later years reap a rich
harvest.
WATER
For many years the city Of Los An
geles has been struggling under the
great burden n of taxation for water sup
ply They have been, ard are now. at
the mercy of a grasping corporation.
which has compelled them to pay an
unreasonable rate for water. Il
is openly charged that this corporation
has absolutely controlled administra-
tions in the past
OF chief interest during the late cam
paign was, and for several years last
past has been, the question of water sup
Ply for the city and its inha bitants. The
sentiment seems to be universal that
the city should own and operate COM
plete system Of water works. How shall
this end. universally desired. be at
tanned? The city water company hereto
fore and now furnishing water to the
city and it's inha bitants claims tc have
a valid contract with the city, under
the provisions of which said company
claims the absolute right to require that
the city shall purchase its system, If
not on the terms dictated by the coni-
pany, then on such terms as shall be ar
rived at by arbitration.
1T may be seriously questioned wheth-
er the city council in the year 1868 had
the legal power to enter into a contract
with the water company whereby the
city If the contract be valid, bound its
citizens to purchase water of that COM
pany for period of thirty years. There
could have been no actual or reasOna-
BILE necessity to make a contract for
: such length of time. The council was
acting in legislative capacity. and II
seems to me that 1t may be seriously
:. doubted that it could, without any rea-
sonable necessity appearing, bind theil
successors for thirty years.
Among the extraordinary provisions
round In that contract appears the fol-
lowing: Always provided that the COM
mon council of said city shall have and
DO reserve the right to regulate the
water rates charged by said parties ol
the second part, or their assigns, pro.
vided that they shall not so reduce such
water rates or so fix the price thereof
TO be less than those now charged by
the parties of the second part
Los Angeles was then a city of less
tnan oOoO inhabitants, and we have here
provision in what is claimed to be q
valid contract binding the inhabitant.
OF the city to pay for water a rate never
thereafter, for period of thirty years
TO De reduced below the rate which wa.
then being charged. The city has since
grown to over 100000 inhabitants. ant
while the rate fixed in 1868 ought, be-
cause of the great increasing population
to be greatly reduced. the city, If thi.
contract be valid, is powerless to re-
duce the rates below what they were II
1868. This contract by its terms is {
mere ordnance of the city, and Is 81
designated in the contract itself no
once only but many times 1t is there
fore probable that the courts would
hold It to be the legislative act of tn,
council. II legislative. could the coun
ell legislate in such a manner as I,
bind the city for the extraordinar,
period OF thirty years? shall not pre-
sumo TO decide this question of law