Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-04
WRITE FINS TO
WATER CAMPAIGN
PASADENA FACTIONS MAY LET
MATTER DROP
Board Of Trade counseIs Delay in Me-
qotiations and Council Votes
Against Administrations Sug-
eested Action
Pasadena Agency,
II North Raymond Avenue.
Telephone Main 1l47.

PASADENA April 3-That all
further action in the campaign Tor
municipal ownership of water will be
abandoned until another and presum-
ably a more compliant administration
shall have been placed in power APP
pears to be the program now agreed
upon by the friends of the movement.
When the city counci! voted this fore
noon against the appointment Of an
other committee to investigate the
water situation the step is believed to
have been taken with this object i'll
view.
Attorney Seward Simons, as spokes-
man for the hoard of trade, secured the
floor Immediately after the vote on this
proposition was announced and pre-
sented Judge Lees opinion on the water
situation and made the formal request
that all further action be suspended
until the several questions at issue can
be presented and determined by the
supreme court. To this end the board
petitioned the city council to have its
city attorney present in the litigation
now pending all of the facts and law
applicable to them which shall insure
a complete determination of the rights
Of the city and of all persons con-
cerned.
The request was received and ordered
placed on file without any action, but
together with the vote on the previous
question appears to outline the holding.
of the entire question in allegiance as
above suggested. The councilmen who
voted against the administration plan
this morning were Ashby, Barnes, Bra
ley and Loughery. Those who stood
by the mayor and city attorney were
Crandall, Dyer and Root. The lobby
of interested spectators during this part
of the session included large number
of distinguished citizens representing
all shades of political opinion but all
deeply concerned in the action of the
council upon the municipal ownership
problem.
Municipal Lighting, Too
Following the disposal of this ques-
tion the councilmen took up another
of almost equal Importance, the pro-
ject for a municipal electric lighting
plant as urged by the mayor. Coupled
with the $125,000 wanted for the estab-
lishment of this plant is $4,000 so
urgently needed for rehabilitating the
city's fire department The ordinance
calling for this bond election fixes upon
Thursday, May 8, and after reciting the
purposes for which the money is de-
sired, divides the city into five voting
precincts and names the customary
election officials. The bonds, if issued,
will bear four per cent interest and will
be in small denominations, the highest
being $500. The reading of this i'm
portant ordinance brought up a very
interesting discussion between the
mayor and two of the councilmen as
to the sufficienCy of the amount named
for the construction of a municipal
electric lighting plant. Mayor Water
house was asked to give his authority
for stating that this amount of money
could do the work, and after some lit
tie delay stated that the figures as sub
mitted to the council came to him from
the Westinghouse company in Chicago.
The ordinance was then passed on its
first reading.
Since the figures submitted by the
mayor for the construction of the plant
have been in the possession of the pub
lie it has been stated by many people
that the plant required for Pasadena
to duplicate the existing plants OF the
Edison Electric company would cost
considerably more than $125,000, pos
sibly double that amount. Hence the
close questioning of the mayor who has
not heretofore given a hint as to where
he secured his estimates. There seems
to be a strong sentiment growing up
against the municipal lighting project
at this time and the prophecy is freely
made that it will be voted down. If it
is voted down the action will probably
indicate distrust or displeasure with the
present administration rather than op-
position to the proposition as desirable
business for municipal activity.
Think They EIoped
Jack" Obell, the dusky elevator boy
and assistant janitor of the Slavin
block, suddenly and mysteriously dis
appeared from the city Saturday night
without leaving notice of his probable
whereabouts.
Strangely enough, Ida, the 19year-
old daughter of Expressman r. r.