The herald., 1898-06-05
THE POWER TO FIX WATER RATES

the 18th 1859, and recorded in the office of the
recorder of said county Of Los Angeles
June Is, 1863.
On April 2, 1870, the legislature of Cali
fornia passed an act hereinafter set forth
in terms ratifying and confirming said con.
tract.
| Grifan, Beaudry and Lazard did moth.
/ ing personally in carrying out said con-
| tract, or constructing or maintaining said
water works, but said company, after II
| was organised, took possession of said wa
ter works, and has performed all of the
aforementioned obligations of said con.
tract, except the one providing for the re.
turn of the water works at expiration OF
lease, and, In such performance, has laid
800 miles Of pipe, erected over 500 hydrants
for protection against fire, and constructed
six reservoirs, with an aggregate capacity
of nearly sixty-six millions of gallons, and
is now, as 1t has been at all times since the
contract was made, furnishing the city OF
Los Angeles with water for the eXtinguish-
ment of fires, and for the public schools
hospitals and jails in said city, free of
charge. The aforesaid extensions of the
water works were rendered necessary by
the growth of said city, whose population
| in 1868 was between 5000 and 5000, and is now
about 100000
During the whole of the year 1868 the
territorial limits of the city of Los Ange-
les were as follows: Four square leagues in
u square form, the center of which was the
center of the old Pueblo plaza.
About 1872 the limits were extended 42(
yards south of the former south boundary
and within the past three years, and prior
to July, 1897, the limits were further ex-
tended so as to take in between ten and
fifteen square miles of additional adjon-
ing territory. Immediately after the eX-
tension of the said limits, the Los Angeles
City Water company began to extend its
pipes over the said addition to the city as
the same was settled up and improved, and
ever since has been and is now
furnishing water to the people in said dis
trict added to the original territory of the
city, and, upon the demands of the city
council, erected fire hydrants within said
additional territory and furnished water
free of charge. and has in all respects con-
tinued to lay pipes, erect fire hydrants and
furnish the inhabitants with water for do
mestic uses in like manner as it has con-
Quoted the same business within the orig
inal limits Of the city as established by the
act Incorporating it. And so with the more
recent extensions of the city limits, to-wit,
those made within the last three years, the
company has also extended its pipes in por-
tions of those limits and furnished water
in the same way.
The quantity of water required to supply
the domestic wants of the people of said
city is one inch of water, measured under a
four inch pressure, to every one hundred
inhabitants. To meet the increased de-
mands upon it for water, under said con-
tract. said company has, among other
things, purchased the system known as the
Beaudry system Of water works, and also
certain water rights in the Arroyo Seco,
and conducted water from the Arroyo Seco
into the city on the east side of the Los An
geles river, and has been furnishing the in
habitants Of that portion of the city with
water from said system. and also acquired
the stock Of the corporation known as the
East Side Spring Water company, the same
mentioned in paragraph 10 of the COM
plant.
In the growth of the city its settlement
extended to localities of higher elevation
than those occupied by its inhabitants at
the time of said contract, and the point
originally selected for the diversion Of the
water of the Los Angeles river for supply
ing the city and its inhabitants, as in said
contract provided was SO located in said
river that it was impracticable to there
maintain dams and diversion works that
would not occasionally be swept away
or rendered useless by floods; and, the
surface water of the river after severe
|
plying the inhabitants with water for do
nestle uses, and in the year 1883 the Crys-
tai Springs Land and Water company
made excavations in the places referred to
in the bill of complaint and laid the pipes
therein as alleged; and the water that has
been used by the Los Angeles City Water
company for supplying the city with wa
ter as provided in said contract has ever
since been obtained from that source, ex-
cept that from time to time a further SUD-
ply of water has been taken from the Los
Angeles river in order to supply said in
habitants, which diversions have been at
or near the place where the said under
ground pipes are laid; and that by these
means the water can be delivered to the
higher elevations. and the underground
waters, as to quality and amount, are thus
protected against the influences of floods.
The Los Angeles City Water company
ever since its Incorporation, has taken
more than ten inches Of water, measured
under four-inch pressure, from the Los
Angeles river, and the amount taken has
| increased with the increase of the popula-
tion of the city and the demands of the
municipality itself for water for extin-
gushing fires and the other puhlic MIR.
poses referred to In the said contract and
the amount has increased until now II re-
! quires from 1000 to 1900 inches of water
measured under a four-inch pressure, for
| such purposes. and during the summer sea
| son the amount of water used by the Los
| Angeles City Water company for the Dur.
poses aforesaid runs from 1000 to 1900 inches
under four-inch pressure, inclusive OF
the water obtained by the underground ex.
cavations, which latter furnish from 65(
; to $50 inches, measured under a four-incf
pressure.
The city of Los Angeles has always haG
flowing in the Los Angeles river, at the
point from which said Los Angeles Cit,
Water company has always diverted waite,
from said river, quantity of water suffi
cient to have supplied said Los Angeles
City Water company with all the water
required to supply said city and it's in.
habitants with water for domestic pur
poses and municipal uses, and has never
| objected, up to October 20, 1896, to sait
Los Angeles City Water company's takins
as much water from said river as it nigh
require for said uses and during ol
of said period said city has never objected