The San Francisco call., 1898-06-18
LOS ANGELES
 WATER TANCLE City Council Has Let It's
 Hands Be Tied.
WARNINGS LEFT UNHEEDED
THERE NOW SEEMS LITTLE
 HOPE FOR THE CITIZENS.
In the Height of the Melee Mayor Snyder Has Mysteriously
 Left the City.

LOS ANGELES, June 17.-There is difference of just $1,7OO,OOO between what the City Council wants to pay and what the Los Angeles Water Com pany is willing to accept for it's plant. The Council to-day agreed by a unani- nous vote to tender the water company $1,3O0,O0O for it's improvements to the city's plant. This was in response to the company's offer to sell for 3O0O,- 900. This difference of over a $1, 1,500, 900 did not come as surprise. It was ex- pected. When the Council met the committee on water suppY it was re- ported that the City Engineer had made a thorough examination of the additions the company had made to the plant since the date of his last valua- tion, July 20, 1897. These additions he reported had valuation of about $110,- 900. and added to the total of his pre- Vious valuation, made a grand total of $1, 300000, which was offered the con- pany.
 As soon as the water committee made its report to this effect it was unani- mously adopted. The City Clerk was then instructed to notify the water company of the offer and request a re- ply not later than Monday next.
 At that time the water company will respond and decline the offer. The city, will then invite the water company to arbitrate under the terms of it's con- tract. The water company will agree to arbitration, but will demand that be- fore any steps are taken that the city indicate where and how 1t will secure the funds necessary to pay the amount of award and what assurance the com- hn criXr hot ar.I rxri1V be binding. Neither the city nor any of it's officers can give any such as- surances such as are desired. It can only raise money to buy improvements by voting bonds. These bonds cannot be voted until the amount of money de- sired is known and specified, which it will be impossible to ascertain until af- ter the arbitrators have fixed a price. Then, if this price so fixed is too large in the opinion of voters bonds will be defeated and the city will have no money with which to make good the award of the arbitrators.
 This is the unfortunate and compli- | cated condition the water problem is in. It is just exactly what The Call out lined and warned the people of Los Angeles against months ago.
 No steps were taken to unrayel the snarl, however, until now, when but little oyer thirty days remain of the life or the water cOmpanyS contract with the city.
 Mayor Snyder has mysteriously left the city and no one knows whence he has gone. Those who do know will not tell. Only one thing is known, he is absent from the city on water busi- ness, but just what point he is trying to make cannot be discovered.
 The water company has played it's cards very cleverly. It has within the last thirty days stood strictly to it's contract and is complying with it strictly. The scheme of the company is to place the city in default on the con- tract. which will prevent Mayor Snyder and the police force from taking forci- ble possession of the works at midnight of July 22.
 The water imbroglio will soon be at it's height and some anomalous and stirring scenes and situations are prom ised before a final settlement is made.