Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-08
COUNcILMEN ASK TIME FOR
FINAL DECISION
TO HOLD A SPECIAL SESSION
Committee Of the Whole viii Discuss
Owens River Proposition Ex-
haustiveIy With the
Commissioners


owens valley into Los Angeles that the
councilmen declare they must have time
to consider the question before taking
final action.
Accordingly. It was decided at yester-
DAVIS session. on a motion by Council
man Smith, to meet in special session
of the committee of the whole with the
water commissioners, superintendent
Mulholland. ex-Mayor Fred Eaton, City
Attorney w. b. Mathews and City En-
gineer Stafford for the purpose of dis
cussing the great question from all
sides and obtaining all the information
possible on the subject.
'If this proposition Is as it is repre-
sented to be it is the greatest thing
that has happened to Los Angeles in
the last half century" declared one OF
the councilmen yesterday "but we
must feel assured that we are making
no mistakes. A mistake now would
mean far more than it would before all
of this about the city's water supply
was made public. We are not dying of
thirst now, but we shall be in few
years if new supplies are not secured.
This statement may be said to show
the feelings of every member of the
city's Legislative body
Report From Commissioners
The water commissioners addressed a
communication to the council yester-
day as follows:
"In presenting this resolution re-
ouesting that your honorable body have
presented. to the people the question OF
issuing bonds for the purchase of lands,
water and water rights in the Owens
River valley we beg to present the fol-
lowing statement in explanation of our
action:
''Very soon after the acquisition or
the water plant by the city it became
apparent that at no distant date in the
future the city would have outgrown
the water supply then available. The
three annual reports rendered to your
honorable body by this board and its
predecessors gave full warning of this
pending condition.
at is needless to say that the growth
of the city in the past two or three
wears has far exceeded the expectations
of even our most optimistic citizens.
Concurrent with this rapid growth. in
stead of an increase in the water sup
ply to meet it there has been marked
diminution. This condition has been
ceaseless source of anxiety to us and
one which we have been very loath to
advertise. having in mind the serious
effect such announcement might have
on the city's prosperity. When 1t be-
came apparent to us that the situation
was really a serious one, requiring
action prompt and effective, we availed
ourselves of the services of the hydrau-
lie engineering firm of Lippincott &
Parker to assist our engineer and
superintendent in the investigation Of
all water sources within reasonable dis
tance and cost of requirement by the
city of Los Angeles.
Water Supply Abundant
THE work of these gentlemen, ex-
tending over period of five months,
has been thorough and exhaustive.
Each of these men had been engaged
in the investigation and development
of water supplies in Southern Califor
MIA for many years, and all were well
supplied with data relating to the pos
sibilities of every watershed of i'm
portance in this section. Their investi-
CATION embraced not alone the peren-
NAL living streams of the mountains
but also the ground waters of the val
ley and every other SOURCE that might
be made to yield water in quantity
worthy of consideration.
Their conclusion was that the Owens
river project, here presented to your
notice, was of such overwhelmingly
greater promise than any or even all
of the others combined, that when the
facts were presented to us and fully
considered and discussed we had no
hesitation in ratifying their judgment
"A very important factor to be con-
sidered in connection with this project
is that it does not despoil any of the
adjacent agricultural country tribu-
tary TO our city. Our failure to accept
any of the nearby propositions which
have been either offered to or consid-
cred by us simply leaves such waters,
II they have any practical value, to be
used in further development and en-
rlchment of the surrounding country.
1--WE have in preparation, and within
a few days will present to your honor
able body. a map showing all the prop
critics so far secured by us under op-
tions. and win accompany the same
with a list in detail of the prices we
agreed to pay for each, together with
all other details Of every transaction
involved in this proposition.
Options at Low Price
"Our negotiations for the purchase
Of these lands and water rights were