Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-08

The city needs attention OF the city
| LEGISLATORS perhaps more this year than
ever There are many things which
need prompt attention An ordinance
/ has already been prepared for better
meat inspection, and II will be pre-
sented to you. Among other things It
calls for more inspectors. They are
needed. The milk inspecting force is
also too small. new departure, but
an essential one, Is that providing for
the inspection of restaurants and food
served Such inspection should be
| provided for.
school nurses are needed. There Ia
work for at least ten nurses I'm our
schools today. You are aware that the
finances will not permit so big an in
crease i'm the force, but at least two
should be added.
Public bathing places are sadly
needed. I am told they are needed
here more than any city I'm the United
states This is due to the large num-
Der of visitors who stop In lodging
houses and tenement districts where
proper bathing accommodations are not
provided
Comfort stations are necessity In
Los Angeles. Rapid development OF
suburban settlements. residents of
which come here TO trade, renders the
necessity greater each year. This
recommendation should not be cast
aside.
An ordinance should be passed which
will regulate the sanitary conditions
and a thorough system of inspection.
Each lodging house keeper should be
Obliged to secure permit, subject to
approved sanitary conditions. At the
same time there Is likewise need of
| inspection of so-called first class hotels
as well as poorer lodging houses.
After years of waiting, each year
| bringing a fresh recommendation from
the health department, detention hos
pital where contagious diseases in case
of an epidemic might be isolated, Los
| Angeles now has complete and ready
| for occupancy q hospital equaled by
none wes' of the Rocky mountains. 1t
has been accepted by the board of
public works and pronounced by health
officers jus. what the city needs.
l am IN thorough accord with the
recommendation made by ex-Mayor
Nj. p. Snyder and the health depart
ment officials that Los Angeles needs
| just such a hospital And now that
IT is completed, / think 1t should be
used.
While the city has been exceedingly
fortunate in escaping epidemics Of
contagious diseases no one knows when
one will occur. We should be pre-
pared. "Forewarned is forearmed." l
believe in the saying. We should be
prepared
Having made careful inquiry. now
respectfully suggest that the hospital
be equipped and opened for use. not
merely for the isolation of smallpox
patients, but for the quarantine of all
contagious diseases. This will relieve
overtaxed health officers and improve
the efficiency of the service.
Liquor
| I am not in favor of any change or
extension of the liquor zone, and rec
ommend that no action he taken which
would increase the present number of
retail liquor licenses.
The Gas Situation
| Los Angeles has experienced what no
municipality of it's size in the couu-
| try ever experienced-a gas famine.
What is more serious is, the city is
threatened with a repetition of the
famine should a prolonged cold spell
occur Even today there is a shortage
in the supply which is causing mild
frenzy. Not only have the people been
inconvenienced, but there has been
actual suffering. The chill of cold and
pangs of hunger have been felt, and to
the gas famine several deaths have
been charged.
It has been an experience the most
dream coulG occur-an experience peo-
pie shudder to contemplate being re-
peated.
The people want true explanation
of the cause. and of the present gas
situation They want to know why a
famine was made possible. and If there
is danger Of another. With this cry
comes another for better service and
lower gas bills. They have long since
passed the point OF requesting for in
formation-they are now making de-
mands.
And there is sound reason for these
demands. The corporation is using
streets owned by the people and ope-
rating under rights granted by the
people. The existence of this corpora
tion depends upon the people. They
have right TO demand accurate in
formation. What is most surprising
to me is that there has been no salts
factory explanation forthcoming. Of
flcers of the gas corporation have been
most generous with explanation, but
they have failed utterly to quiet or
satisfy the people. Offering excuses at
first. leading people to believe all would
be right in a few hours when it was
impossible TO fulfill the promise, and to
follow promises with other excuses, the
people saw they had been deceived
and refused to accept what the off,
cials now claim 10 have been the SIM
pie truth The truth is many people
have been eXasperatea to point where
they cannot believe the corporation is
doing all IT can to meet the demand
for gas.
l am convinced by my inquiries there
is but one way to quiet the people and
prevent, If this is possible another
famine, and that Is by an official in
vestigation. An investigation can
harm no person or corporation Is my
belief. The people are entitled to It,
Furthermore, they are looking to city
officials to make 1t. Therefore I recon-
mend that a committee, made up of
members of your honorable body, as
sisted by some competent man having
knowledge of gas plants, begin an in
vestigation at once.
l have reason TO believe that the
corporation officers themselves will as
sist you in such an investigation. They
should, l believe, for 1t is as much to
their interests : n those of tho cOO-