The San Francisco call., 1898-02-06
Los Angeles Misnamed League for Better
 Government.
Management Assists the Water Company Instead of the
 City.
Member of the Syndicate Pre- ss Loses the Official Printing to the
 Record.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


 LOS ANGELES, Feb 1.-The League for Better City Government has thus far utterly failed to give any aid, as- sistance or counsel to the people of Los Angeles in the fight they are making against the City Water Company to obtain municipal control of the city s plant. The fact is being generally commented upon by citizens, and the feeling has become quite general that the controlling spirits Of the league have been using that organization and Its influence against the interests or the people in the water contest Lead ing members of the league when ap- preached and asked to identify them selves with the peoples side of the controversy, either refuse to talk or proceed to make a lengthy defense or the water companys programme to mulct the city in the sum Of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
 It is absolutely impossible at present to get an expression from the league directors in favor of the city's side of the water fight The rank and file of the members of the league are unques- tionably in favor of bringing the water company to terms, but the directing spirits seem to be lined up with the syndicated press in favor of the water companys policy of delay. The. result is that the League for Better City Gov ernment is being looked upon by many as an organization which was simply given life in order that a few schemers might use it to back and enforce the nefarious plans of the local newspaper combination of the Times, Herald and Express.
 This policy was partially outlined when the league directors-a bare quo rum of eight being present-passed resolutions attempting to 1nJure The Call. The effect of those resolutions has been to add several thousand names to the list of regular patrons of The Call in Los Angeles City.
 The absolute failure of the organtZa- tion to make itself felt or be heard from in the water contest, the most important battle that has ever been fought in this city, has had the effect of causing hundreds of people to de- nounce the leagues present manage ment as a simple tool Of the water company.
 It is not too late however, for the league to come in and assist the peo- pie in making this fight, which Is to de- termine whether corporations existing by the suffrance of the city are bigger than their maker.
 One of the members of the syndicated local press-the Express-received severe set back to-day. The finance committee of the City Council took from it the city printing and awarded it to the Record for the ensuing year. This makes the Record the official paper of the city, which the Express has been for a long period of years. The Record will now increase it's size to eight pages It is the only daily newspaper published here that has taken the side of the people in s the the water controversy.
 The City Council will be called upon on Monday to vote s2O0O more to defray expenses in the litigation over the Crystal Springs water rights. The proposition was made at the meeting of the finance committee of the Council to-day to transfer $2000 to the cash fund to meet the expense. Councilman Grider refused to vote to make the transfer. He said that within two months s300O of the peoples money had been spent in this matter and he could not see that one particle of good had re- suited. He added that he was opposed to spending any more of the public funds in that Wasteful way and went on to state that the committee of the Council now Investigating the source of mountain water supply, of which he was a member, would make its inves- tigation and report and the expense to the city would not be one dollar.
 The supply committee has already approved bills in the sum of $500 on account of the Crystal Springs suit, and they will be reported on Monday. Chairman Toll of the supply committee says that they will have to be paid whether the funds were transferred or not.