The herald., 1897-05-25
SEWERSYSTEM
Santa MOnica'S Citizens
in Favor of It
vR00MAN ACT DENOUNCED
A BOND ISSUE INDoRsED-THE
PEOPLE AROUSED
The Former Action Of the City Coun-
Gil Reversed-Good Cause for
Congratulation

The people Of Santa Monica have been
very much exercised of late over the
action of their city council, which re-
Gently passed a resolution of intention
for the construction of main sewer for
the city system, the work to be done
under the law known as the Vrooman
act.
The people appear to be practically
unanimously in favor of sewer system,
but they are almost as practically unani-
mously opposed to the method Of obtain
ing it
AS preliminary work under this pro-
gram, the council first forms a sewer
district. The contract for building the
sewer is then let to the lowest bidder.
When the work is completed the street
superintendent proceeds to assess
against each lot or parcel Of land with
i'll such sewer district the amount that
the owner of such lot should pay toward
the construction of such sewer, taking
into consideration the benefits to be de-
rived by such lot from the sewer. The
contractor then notifies each property
| owner to pay such assessment. This
amount is lien upon the property, and
if not paid within two years the con-
tractor can foreclose the lien by a suit
in court.
Several years ago the city council of
Santa Monica asked the people to vote
bends to the extent of $40, 900 with which
to construct a sewer system. The bonds
We're voted by an overwhelming two
thirds majority. These bonds were made
payable in the city of New York, just
as all other municipal bonds that have
been issued in this state, with the single
exception of the bonds issued by the city
of Pomona. But the supreme court.
while passing upon similar batch of
bonds, declared them illegal, and there
fore the Santa Monica bonds could not
be sold
On account of the depressed .condi-
tion of the money market, the city coun-
Gil recently acting under the advice OF
a committee of citizens, thought best
to have the sewer built under the Vroo-
man act, and therefore the preliminary
steps were taken to that end.
Two weeks ago remonstrances began
to come against such action. The peo-
pie became so thoroughly aroused on
the subject that the council finally call
ed a special meeting for last evening
and invited all those who were opposed
to the Vrooman act method of preced-
ure to appear and have their say.
The council chamber was packed in
response to that call, and the signatures
of protestants looked very much like
city directory. The feeling on the SUBJ
ject had become intense.
There was full meeting Of the coun-
Gil with Mr.. Jones in the chair. The
chairman opened the meeting with the
statement that the council had finally
secured a better right of way than the
one provided for in the resolutions OF
intention and that therefore 1t had been
decided to revoke the resolutions al
ready passed and published and star:
work anew. The former resolution was
then revoked by unanimous vote and
new resolution of intention was intro
duced which under the law was laid on
the table till the next regular meeting.
The chairman then stated that the city
council desired to carry out the wishes
of the people, and all they desired was
to ascertain what those wishes were.
When action was first commenced un-
der the Vrooman act the financial con-
dition Of the country was such that it
was considered impossible to place the