The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-24

pie Of Garvanza with water, was con-
veyed away by the Crystal Springs Land
and Water company, and that portion of
the system which was located within the
| then limits of the city, was conveyed to
| the Los Angeles City Water company. The
| remainder, the water rights in the Arroyo
Seco and the pipe lines to the former lin
its. and the rights of development. belong
to the Crystal Springs Land and Water
company. And Of these, we say. we will
have a more particular and complete de-
scription ready within short time to pre-
sent to the council with the report which
We are intending to present following this
"These properties claimed by the Crystal
| Springs Land and Water company, includ-
ing the developed water. we do not claim
| are included within the property which
the city Of Los Angeles is to purchase ana
pay for under the contract Of July 22nd,
| 1868.
"If the plan above outlined will be salts
| factory to the city council and we can be
appraised Of that fact promptly, we can prob
ably have the entire report ready to be de-
livered to the council on May 3Oth. or the
S1st Gas the council will probably not meet
Monday, the 30th). II, however. we have
| to make up such a statement as the res
olution Of the council seems to require, we
cannot do It for a considerable length %
time.
I'VE would suggest still further that II the
plan here proposed Is satisfactory, when
the report comes in, If there is still any
| thing else that the council would desire.
that we can furnish, we would do so as
promptly after notification OF 1t as posi-
| BILE.
Before concluding this, we ask leave to
| submit to the council our own thoughts
concerning this matter. We have kept be-
fore the council all the time the fact that
without regard to what is or is not in
| cluded in the contract of July %. 1868, we
are ready and willing to sell the whole
property of all the companies to the city.
We have believed that if the city intends
to carry out its plan of municipal owner
ship of the water system, that the whole
of the property of all the companies will
be available to the city, no matter what
plans 1t may have in view If the city Ilti-
mately acquires the lands above the Crys-
tai Springs tract and constructs he'sa-
works, We believe that it is known to all
that it will not obtain all the water NOV
ing In that section Of the country, which
we have designated as the San Fernando
basin. If the estimates made by the en-
gineers on behalf of the city IN the various
trials which we have had should prove
correct, the city will not obtain at that
point sufficient supply o. water to meet
the demands existing even at this moment.
If the estimates made by the engineers Of
the adversaries of the city are correct, the
supply still would not be much in excess
of the wants of the city at this time. The
developments made by the Crystal Springs
Land and Water company and its conduits
and system generally would be needed by
the city, and could be utilized from the
very beginning, and at all times. While
the city was constructing water works al
some place above the Crystal Springs tract
1t could still have a complete system In
operation for the use of the municipality.
The Arroyo Seco works and water tights
themselves possess considerable value. 1t
Is true that in the summer season Of most
years since the Crystal Springs Land and
Water company has owned 1t, the suppl.
has been very small, but during the spring
months in every year 1t is adequate to
supply the East Side, and with the con-
struction of reservoirs Of still greater ca
pacity, 1t could ordinarily be depended
upon for considerable assistance in sup
plying the inhabitants of the city with
water. The rights Of development have
value-just how great, doubtless, cannot
be determined with certalny, but 1t ex-
tends through about 100 acres Of land.
These properties taken altogether are, of
course, of greater value to anybody than
the various parts would be separated one
from another, and we think would be CT
greater value to the CITY Of Los Angeles
if it finally decides upon municipal owner
ship than it would be to anybody else. AND
we recognize the fact thu: the Crystal
Springs Land and Water company property
separated from the Los Ami gees City Water
compaay's system would be Of less value
to the Crystal Springs Land and Water
company than 1t would be IN connection
with that system.
I'VE would suggest finally that we should
make an effort to agree upon price to be
paid for whatever of this property the city
chooses to take, whether 1t be that which
Is included in the Los Angeles City Water
company's contract, or the whole. If We
can agree upon price, the companies and
the city can proceed to raise money TIC
make the purchase.
1.-THE constitution adopted in 1879 pro-
vides that no county. city, ETC., shall incur
any indebtedness or liability, in any man.
ner, or for any purpose, exceeding in any
year the income and revenue provided for
it in such year, without the assent Of two
thirds of the qualified electors thereof,
voting at an election to be held for tina.
purpose, and at the time Of mourning such
indebtedness, provision shall be made for
the collection annually Of taxes sufficient
to pay the interest on such Indebtedness as
it falls due, and also provision must be
made for sinking fund for the payment OF
the principal thereof within twenty years
from the time of contracting the same.
Any liability or indebtedness incurred con-
trary to this provision shall be void. The
twenty years has since been changed to
! forty years, but the provisions In Other
| respects remain the same. But now any
value that anyobdy has SO far thought of
will require more money to pay than the
current revenues of the year. No con-
tract, therefore. which the city may make,
and no arbitration that 1t may enter into
will be binding upon the city. 1t cannot