The herald., 1898-01-19
TIE FALSE AND THE TRUE
Explosion of the Calls Whatthe Councils Records
BombshelI Prove
QUARTET OF MALC0NTENTS HISTORY OF NEGOTIATIONS
cLAMoRING FOR THE scALPs OF
COLLEAGUES TATE ACTION
The Councimen 9rder All
al Hagen Done Under the Exis+ing
Exploited spreckes Circumstances
Whatthe Councils Records
Prove
HISTORY OF NEGOTIATIONS
ovERzEAL DEMANDED PRECIPI-
TATE ACTION
All Has Been Done That Could Be
Done Under the Existing
Circumstances

The records of the water supply COM
mittee are part of the official records
OF the city, and are, perhaps, the best
indication of just what has been ac-
complished. Those records show that
the first step toward the desired end was
taken at the council meeting of January
IL, 1897, the second meeting held by the
present council. At the first meeting
President Silver appointed Messrs. Nick
ell, Toll and Blanchard as the committee
on water supply, and at the second meet
ing motion was made and adopted in
structing this committee to confer with
the city engineer "as to the best pro-
cedure for acquiring water plant to
be owned by the city," The committee
reported to the council, recommending
that the city engineer prepare an esti-
mate OF the cost Of "a complete water
works for the entire city, using the Los
Angeles river as a source of water sup
ply AS part of the same report was
the following: I'VE would also recon-
mend that this committee be empowered
to take such action as it may deem nee
essary to open negotiations with the Los
Angeles City Water company, looking to
the ultimate purchase of its plant, in
event 1t shall appear advantageous
to purchase same, in accordance with the
existing contract"
When this report was presented to
the council MI. Grider moved to strike
out this last clause, and he and Hutchi-
son voted for it. His motion was lost,
and the report of the committee was
adopted. Immediately afterward City
Engineer Dockweiler went to work on
his estimate.
NEGOTIATIONS
On February "a the water supply COM
mittee sent to each of the water COM
panies letter setting forth the desire
Of the committee to enter into negotia-
tions for the purchase of the several
plants. These letters were sent to the
City Water company, the Highland Wa
ter company and the West Side Water
company Each of the companies replied
that 1t was willing to meet the commit
tee at any time desired. This resulted in
conference between the committee
and Messrs. Mott, Brodrick, Drake and
Minor, representing the City Water COM
pany, held on April O. The result of this
meeting was that the committee was
officially notified that the company was
willing to sell its plant, and that it in
vited an inspection of it's property by
the council or any of it's agents. This
inspection was afterward made.
DOCKWEILER'S ESTIMATE
President Silver sprang a surprise on
the council April 10, by demanding that
the water supply committee report to
the council the result of the estimate
made by the city engineer. His motion
to this effect was adopted, and the re-
port was forthcoming. Mr.. Silver stat
ed that the people and the council ought
to know just where the matter stood.
The city engineer estimated the cost of
new plant, upon the basis of 250, 900
population, at $4,5O0,0 1000. The report was
filed, and is still on file, as there was
nothing else to be done with it under
the circumstances.
The water supply committee held fire.
quent meetings, and on May 10 filed
with the council a report containing a
schedule of all of the property of the
water company.
The city engineer was kept at work
on the matter nearly all the time, and
made reports from time to time to the
committee. There was in June and ear
ly in July little done by the council itself,
although the committee was busy. City
Engineer Dockweiler had been instruct
ed to ascertain the value of the COM
pany's plant, and Engineer Abs Hagen
was employed as his special deputy to do
this work. 1t was task that required
time, and in certain quarters there was
much clamoring for immediate action.
Just before the engineers report was
completed, and while the finishing
touches were being made, the data hav-
ing all been compiled, Mayor Snyder
delivered surprising message to the
council, in which he asserted that too
much time had already been lost, and
saying that the councilmen were violat-
ing their pledges to the people, Had the
mayor cared to secure correct informa-
tion as to what had been done, he had
only to go to the office of the city engin-
eer to get all the facts. This message
was delivered July IL. Commenting on
this message, The Herald said editorial
ly the next day:
The message of Mayor Snyder yester-
day. in calling the attention of the coun-
Gil to the delay in submitting the required
data may be all right, but It looks a little
like play to the galleries. personal
visit to the office of the city engineer.
which is located in the same building.
might have satisfied his honor as to
whether the work was going forward with
proper expedition, and If not, a word
dropped in the ears of the water commit
tee Of the council might have logged It up
q bit.
The concluding paragraph of the same
editorial advised the course that is now
being taken, and what has been pro-
ncunced by eminent attorneys as the
only sensible course. It was:
II at the proper time we close the con-
tract with the water company according
10 the intent and stipulation of the agree |
nent and take over the property at fair
price, that is the businesslike thing to do. |
That the city engineer reported. esti-
mating the value of the company's plant |
1t $1,190.655 is well known, but only
few days before this estimate was made
public the company offered to sell for
So, ,000, 900.
Under date Of July 27th, under in
structions from the council the commit
tee on water supply formally offered the
$1,190,655 for its plant. which
was the next day refused.
ARBITRATION NEGOTIATIONS
The committee met July. 30th and de-
,ided to report to the council at its next
meeting recommending the appoint
nenf Of n r0nsI1Iffurr hon ~ <,f a,,S-t.><.-uI