Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-10
COUNCIL ORDERS
INVESTIGATION
PASADENA OFFICIALS SPRING
SENSATION
Bitter Contest DEVELOPS Among city's
Leaders Over Municipal owner
Ship Of Water-Harmony
Endangered
Pasadena Agency,
q1 North Raymond Avenue.
Telephone. Main 1903.

PASADENA. Jan. 9.--Today was adj
ministration day i'm the Crown city
Mayor Waterhouse, City Attorney Fttz-
gerald and the city council during the
regular meeting this forenoon sprung
n surprise in ordering an immediate
Investigation of the purchase of the
property of the Pasadena Land &
Water company under the vote of the
people heretofore had
The mayor was authorized to issue
subpoenas to compel the attendance OF
witnesses, and these were served in
stanter upon Editor Lou f. Chaplin
President d. NJ Linnard, Vice Presi-
dent A. ]. Bertonneau, Secretary ID. W
Coolidge-ohicers of the local board of
trade; City Treasurer s. NJ Munson,
II. c. Hotaling, c. d. Sargent. II. f.,
Goehegan, President McQuilling and
President Parker of the two local water
companies, NJ. p. Green and j. Q. Nc
Cament.
These men have been foremost in the
agitation of the past few weeks and
have stoutly insisted that further de-
lay in the requirement of the water
plants, the purchase of which was au-
thorized by the vote of the people at
the last election, would be dangerous
to the entire plan of municipal owner
ship. They were ordered to attend and
Under the skilful ministrations of the
city attorney were put to the torture,
as one gentleman graphically phrased
it, 'as artistically as ever it was done
by the mother church in the inquisi-
ton"
Attorney Uses Skill
Each of the witnesses was asked
point blank whether he favored the i'm
mediate purchase of the water plants
regardless of the pending litigation and
n @ n
great glee of the city attorney, and
stated that on further consideration
they believed that they would not.
Most of the witnesses, however. stood
firm for the opinion they have been
contending for and stated that they
certainly would make the purchase at
once. Attorney Fitzgerald used q great
deal of skill in his questioning of the
men before him and went into every
phase of the question of municipal
ownership and the history of the pro-
ject up to the present time but the
examination developed much bitterness
and many personalities.
The administration was frequently
accused of trying to defeat the will
of the people and the investigation was
characterized as useless and silly and
Its purpose as a cumberous attempt to
distract attention from the point at
issue, the pending purchase of the
plants. Several of the witnesses re-
fused point blank to answer some of
the questions propounded. and Mr.. Nc
Cament refused to enter the witness
stand at all. in spite of the threatened
punishment for contempt. The council
finally adjourned at p. m. and will
take up the subject again tomorrow
evening at special meeting. DIR.
Houghton, the sprightly Sixth ward
councilman from Los Angeles. was an
Interested spectator during the after
noon and expressed his delight at the
scrappy attitude shown by both sides.
Glee at City Hall
Opinion is naturally somewhat divid-
ed as to the results obtained by the
investigation. Around the city hall
there is great slee over the confusion
certain of the witnesses showed when
given the direct question as to whv
tne water suits now pending should be
disregarded. The defenders of the ad-
mlnistration insist that the entire asi-
ttation is nothing but politics and fiat
the mayor is making haste as rapidIv
ms possible They claim, too, that tbe