Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-02
INVOKING A CALAMITY


causes a strain on the patience of this
community. The fact that the opposi-
tion is feeble, being representative only
of certain corporate interests, does not
lessen the strain.
If it were thought possible that such
sion on public patience would cause a
snap. Thoughtful consideration of the
inevitable consequences of defeat Of
the project would warm public wrath
to the boiling point.
Think for moment what those con-
sequences would be.
All reliable authorities on the sub
ject, representing the federal govern
ment, the state and the city, together
with the most eminent non-official en-
gineers in the United States, agree
upon these two propositions:
First, the present growth and PROS
perity of Los Angeles cannot long con-
tinue without assurance of future
water supply adequate for the needs of
such a population as may be expected
here, in favorable circumstances, a few
years hence.
Second, there Is no source of such
adequate water supply except in the
great range of lofty snOw-capped noun
tains of the Sierra Nevada, from which
flow the tributaries of the Owens river.
All other water sources are known to
be utterly insufficient for the require
ment.
Therefore, what would be implied by
a failure of the city to secure that alb
solutely necessary adjunct Of its
future expansion?
Every thoughtful person knows that
the whole site of Los Angeles. as we
see it today, would hardly be worth
the value of a Broadway lot without
its water supply. And every such per-
son knows as we'll that the outlying
acres on which the city must expand
would would be of no more value, with
out sufficient water, than If they were
located in Death valley.
But consideration of this subject
brings us all nearer home than the out
lying districts marked for future ex-
pansion.
With the only source of an adequate
water supply cut off forever. what
would be the effect on the values of
our present homes and business prop
erty?
Failure of the Owens river project
would be flashed at once to all parts
of the United States. It's significance
would be interpreted instantly as
meaning that Los Angeles had about
reached the limit of it's growth and that
it was nearing its finishing touches as
city.
The phenomenal expansion of Los
Angeles within the last few years has
resulted largely from the promise of
future elements of growth. That is
to say, the march of improvement has
been discounting the misunderstanding
on the assurance that worlds harbor
at San Pedro is certainty, that more
railways are in prospect, that vast
manufacturing industries will center
here and that an abundant water sup
ply is available.
Such an ominous sign of stunted
growth as failure of the water sup
ply would indicate, surely would be
followed by these results:
First, a halt in the advancement of
all real property values, followed by
a general decline. That would apply
to every home in Los Angeles and to
every other real estate investment. It
would strike with peculiar hardship
upon the large class of citizens who
have invested their savings in building
lots and to another large class who
are paying for homes purchased on
easy terms.
Second, it would strike home to all
would be written over the present shin
ing legend, prosperity" that dazzles
the eyes of strangers.
In the course of his recent speech
here Senator La Toilette said, when
a man who has been elected to repre-
sent the people swerves one hairs
breadth from his trust, that man is
as guilty of treason as Benedict Ar
nold'
And when a citizen of Los Angeles
schemes to deprive the city of an alb
solute necessity for it's future growth,
for sinister purposes, he deserves to
be classed with the object of Senator
La Follette's malediction.