The San Francisco call., 1898-01-17

ings tending to the acquisition or such 2 system be instituted immediately, and we pledge each and all of our candidates that. If elected, they will take immediate steps upon taking office in the honest and earnest investigation of said matter, with a View to the acquisition and construction or said water and electric light system, and that all proceedings be pressed with all possible dispatch. to the erd that said system. If found feasible and reasonable, shall be constructed and in operation before the expiration of the present privileges of the city water company
 And, in general, the Republican plat form was like unto these; and every city official elected last year was "ab- solutely and unQuaIIfiedly pledged" to do something at once, which has not been done to this day. But i've short months of the lease of the City Water Company yet remain.
 The present city government has frittered away more than year in a vain and foolish attempt to acquire not an entirely new and adequate water plant of scientific construction of sufficient capacity to supply great city, and with force enough to serve as an agent for the extinguishment of conhagrations, besides furnishing pow CT for a great electric lighting sys- tem-but a scurvy, little anuquated system of rusty water mains of the enormous diameter of two inches.
 Some thirty years ago the Council of the village of Los Angeles entered into an alleged agreement with certain individuals by which the latter were to have the privilege or uslng the water of the Los Angeles River, Whlch is owned by the city; and at the end of thirty years the city was to buy the plant of the said individuals at whatever it was worth.
 At present the plant or the Clty Water Company consists or a oatch of ancient machinery, some anuqua1- ed headworks for extracting water and diluted mud from the bogS up the river. a few ponds called "reser- voirs'' and about 300 miles of rusty mains" of which latter commodity the average size is about three inches, lS0 miles thereof being of no more than twO-inch pipe.
 Only per cent of the ponderous water mains" of this city are more than four inches in diameter, and many miles thereof are of that per ishable material commonly called sheet iron.
 For all this rust and scrap iron, and for all these bog sinks, the City Wa ter Company asks the Town Council to pay the modest sum of s3,OOO,0O0
 City Engineer Dpckweiler prepared plans and estimates for an elaborate water system, in accordance with the political platforms of the late munich pal campaign, the smallest main in any side street to be six inches in diameter. or of nine times the ca pacity of the average main of the +I1a ants srn of such a system sufficient for city of $50 900 inhabitants was found to be but little more than 5000 900.
 If this city can construct a great water system for 5000 900, with water mains of 6, 12, IS. 30 and 70 inches in diameter, it would be a crime to pay any such sum for the rusty pipes that now drip a little water here and there over the city. and which aggravate the entire Fire Department every time 1t tries to extract from the said pipes enough water to Quench the flames in a burning shanty.
 The Los Angeles Water Company is more powerful as a political engine after elections than as a distributor of water to the public. Most of the newspapers of this city appear to be in its employ or upon it's pay roll. A4t AHlGSS SttIlS tu De us SLeauleSt and most trusted ally. The Times seems to grow restIve occasionally but 1t usually cools down into a friendly apologist for the water com pany within a day or two after it's buster or covert attack upon the said company
 In labored editorial published a few days ago, the Express said that the water company is a large tax payer of this city and that for that particular reason it was foolish to think that the water company would take advantage of the city. or the tax payers thereof. Whether the editor did not know that the water company might want to get back its tax money together with the tax money paid by 2O000 or 900 others Is not known to everybody.
 Nobody but the water company can ever know how many people there are here, or how few. who are under the thumb of the said company for pe- cuniary reasons: but 1t Is certain that there are many officials of the city and many private citizens who see through the water companys spec tacleS because of pressure brought about by pure business relationship and constant insidious maneuvering on the part of the astute management of the water company.
 could name half a dozen city off, cials whose worst enemies never ac- cused them of downright bribery for coin, and whose official conduct con- corning the water question is ab- solutely inexplicable if it be not for the insidiogs influence of business re- lationship.
 Mayor Snyder has fought well for the interests of the people. In the City Council, MT. Grider and myself fought long and hard to have plans and estimates for a new water system prepared by City Engineer Dockweiler, or under his supervision. IL took a fight equally long and hard to get an inventory of the plant of the City Water Company.
 That inventory. made by Ernest Abs Hagen. c. E., under the super vision of Engineer Dockweiler, was most minutely exhaustive, and 1t re- vealed the fact that nobody could find any value in the present water plant beyond the sum of $1 ,190,O00. That is far less than the three millions asked for the plant by the water company.
 No criticism of Mir. Abs Hagen's scientific investigations and careful es-