The San Francisco call., 1898-02-14
DEFY THE
 LAWS OF
 THE CITY Los Angeles Corpora tions Ignore an
 Ordinance. Making No Attempt to Place Wires Under
 ground. One Magnate Boasts That He Can Cause the Repeal of
 the Act.
WATER COMPANY SCHEME
Striving for Reappraisenent of the Value of Improvements to It's
 Plant.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13.-The City Councillor at least a majority of the members-has sent forth an unofficial conduit district not underground on the 10th day of April will be cut. This pro- nunciamento does not seem to have any effect on the Los Angeles Lighting Company and several other corpora tions, for their wires are everywhere strung overhead within the prescribed territory, and they are making no pro- vision whatever to place them under ground.
 The truth is that the city of Los An geles has, through the treachery and faithlessness of the three syndicated dailies, been handled and ruled abso lutely by the corporations so long that the officers of the various companies cannot now realize that they are in the future to receive the same treatment accorded private individuals. w. B. Cline, the president of the lighting com pany, makes boast that at the proper time, whenever that may be, he will see to it that the conduit district ordinance is knocked out. Nevertheless, conduits are being put in all over the district by some of the corporations whose officers have generally manifested willingness and desire to comply with the law.
 Since The Call registered the com- plaint of the property owners in the matter of requiring corporations tear ing up the streets to replace them promptly in condition, cause for req sonable complaint has disappeared. It was fact that a corporation formerly could and did tear up the main thor oughfares for whatever purpose it de- sired, and then, in its own good time, put the street back into condition if it desired to do SO; if it did not, it sim ply let the street go and the citizens did the best they could. But if an in dividual had reason to tear up a street he had to give a cash deposit to the street superintendent that he would put 1t back in satisfactory condition. If he did not, his money was spent to do it. Since The Call exposed this manifest outrage the corporation is also re- quired to immediately repair avenues or streets which it has caused to be torn up.
 The officials of the water company are engaged preparing the inventory of the improvements they have made to the GUY pldHl, WHICH tIe 0OuilCll Has called for. It is reported that the in- ventory is being prepared in such a way as to compel the Council, if pos sible, to order a reappraisement of the improvements. This is what the peo- pie are opposed to as a unit, and they will look upon any councilman voting for reappraisement as playing direct ly into the hands of the water com pany.
 As indicating the feeling of the peo- pie of the community toward the mu- nicipal officers who have stood faith full to their pledges in the water con- test it is only necessary to refer to an incident that transpired Saturday even ing. Four thousand people were gath cred at Hazards Pavilion. Mayor M. P. Snyder entered and took seat upon the platform. As scon as he was recog- nized by the audience the people arose and gave him a grand ovation. This, be it remembered, is the man whom the three syndicated dailies refer to as an advocate of piratical policy of confis- cation, and whom they have repeatedly denounced as an unsafe man. The peo- pie of Los Angeles do net agree with the combined corporation dailies.