The herald., 1897-02-27
THAT infant Industry
How the Oil Business Has
Been Conducted
The PEOPLE TELL THEIR STORY
Annoyances to Which They Have
Been Subjected
UNABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT
Because Of the Almost Unbearable Noise
About the Wells
10 the Daytime the Smoke Rendered Houses
Almost Unlnhabltable
The Hearing Before the Special COMMITTEES Of
the Council Last Eveniny-Both Sides
nsAl
to Be Framed
UNABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT
Because Of the Almost Unbearable Noise
About the Wells
Ia the Daytime the Smoke Rendered Houses
Almost Uninhabltable

The special committee of the city
council appointed to investigate the
condition of the oil industry. to devise
measures for the abatement. of exist
ing nuisances, and to provide regulations
for the conduct of the industry so as to
reduce the annoyance and Inconvenience
to a minimum, met in the council
chamber last evening. In addition to
the members of the committee Messrs.
Grider, Baker and Mathuss, Council
men Nickel, Ashman and Toll were
also present, the latter gentleman act
ing as secretary for the committee. A
number of property owners, as we'll as
oil men. were in attendance, which ne
cessitated the removal from the commit
tee room to the chamber. Deputy City
Attorney Crutcher was also present to
keep the councilmen within legal
bounds.
At o'clock Chairman Grider called
the meeting to order, and Secretary Toll
read the resolutions adopted by the
council last Tuesday, and which were
published in The Herald Wednesday
morning. as follows:.
Whereas, The discovery and develop
ment of a deposit of petroleum under
lying a portion OF the city of Los Ange-
les, while aiding to our resources an
important industry in the production of
cheap fuel, has. nevertheless, been at
tended with many and serious disad-
vantages; and
Whereas, These disadvantages con-
sist in a system OF development which
Is generally conceded to have been ill
advised. and rystem of operation that
has been needless of public and private
rights: and
Whereas. Despite regulations an0
special inspections instituted by this
council. nuisaEces incident to the prose-
cution of the oil industry have not been
prevented or abated; and
Whereas. The effect Of this carelessly
conducted industry has been to injure
property values within the boundaries
of the oil fields, infiicting great hardship
and loss upon residents thereof, and
maintaining public nuisances that have
become unbearable; be it
Resolved, That special committee CT
three be appointed by thep resident Of
this council to inquire into and report
upon the condition of the oil industry in
this city, and the public nuisances and
the damage to public and private prop
erty resulting therefrom.
Resolved, That said committee, in con-
junction with the city attorney, prepare
and present to this council an ordinance
designed to accomplish the following
results:
First-The prevention of nuisances in
cident to the operation Of steam engines
and boring and pumping plants.
Second-The prevention of nuisances
due to depositing oil and waste matter
in sump holes, and allowing the same to
run over the surface of the ground.
Third-The prevention of the abuse of
public rights by pumping cables ex-
tending across streets. the loading and
unloading of oil upon streets and the de-
Element of streets by allowing waste
oil to escape thereon.
Fourth-The establishment of thor
ough system of license and inspection
for said oil wells, levying special tax
upon the same to defray all expenses
incident thereto.
Fifth-The establishment, of suitable
fines and penalties for the violation of
such regulations as may be established
Resolved, That said special committee
and the city attorney be required to re-
port the result of their inquiry and said
proposed ordinance at the next regular
session of this council.
Deputy City Attorney Crutcher then
read the ordinances now in force regu-
lating the oil industry The first ordi-
nance Is the one for the protecting of the
placing of any petroleum or other like
substance on the streets, or in any place
where it might run into any of the
streets or Zanjas of the city The Sec
ond ordinance Is the one adding several
sections to the fire ordinance, and is de-
signed to abate the nuisances by forbid
ding the use of bull-wheels in certain
operations of wells within certain pre-
scribed districts, to prevent the use of
whistles within certain hours, and pro-
viding for an inspector to see that the
ordinances are enforced. This ordi-
nance also provides for the immediate
removal of derricks from dead" wells,
and for the purposes of the ordinances
the cessation of pumping for thirty days
shall be construed as an abandonment
of WELL
Mr.. Crutcher said that. so far as he
could see, there was enough law on tn.
books to cover the points raised by the
resolution II 1t was enforced. At any
rate, it was about all the law that could
be enacted on the subject.
Councilman Toll thought that these
gentlemen present should be heard in
order to find out just what the principal
complaints were.
Mr.. Crutcher said that the ordinance
requiring we'll borers to take out
license had been knocked out by the.
courts.
James 6uTQette, WHO dppedreu as
counsel in the trial of the case referred
to, then addressed the meeting. He said
he appeared, not as an attorney, but as
a man who had suffered from the oil
industry, and who Is still suffering from
1t. He explained the posit'&l Naken by
the court in the case, and gave his rea-
sons for the opinion. There was one
thing, however, that he could say. and
that, too, without fear of successful con-
tradiction, and that was that unless the
people received some relief, they would
be compelled to abandon their homes.
Nearly every night he has been awaken
ed, and kept awake, by the noises from
the wells, and while some of the oil men
admit that this is wrong, they say that
others are allowed to continue opera
tions, and therefore there is no use for,
them to try and keep quiet. Then In the
daytime there is the intolerable smoke
nuisance. In his particular case, his
immediate family had been made sick.
and he had been compelled to remove