Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-23
LINE UP ON FIGHT
FOR THE BONDS
BOTH SIDES MARSHAL THEIR
FORCES
PROS HAVE SCHEME TO LEASE
ALL PLANTS
Pasadena Citizens Wage Bitter War
Over Proposition for MunIci-
paIlty to Acquire Three
Systems
BY L. GEORGE THOMPSON

| istration Is claiming that it will carry
the election by a vote of four to one,
The citizens committee has not made
the careful canvass that the adminis-
| tration members have, but say so many
voters call at headquarters to express
their disapproval of the proposed
method of purchase that they feel con-
| fident that the bonds will fail to carry.
All through the campaign the oppo-
sition has insisted that it is in favor
of a municipal water system, but they
| state in the strongest language that
they are afraid of the present methods
as unsafe and not for the best inter-
est of the city. They express fear
of danger in allowing a city council
so much power in the disposal of nearly
| 81. 100000
According to the options granted by
the companies 1t will be for the coun-
| Gil to decide as to whether the prop
erty offered by the companies is suffi-
| cient and possessed of n satisfactory
| title.
After the people vote the bonds they
| will have nothing further to say in the
| matter, and previous to the vote there
| is nothing definite as to what property
the east or west side companies can
| convey.
AS the supreme court has held that
| Pasadena will be obligated to furnish
water to South Pasadena perpetually
| If it buys the plants, as the land there
has an inalienable right to the water,
and the opposition points to that de-
cision as evidence that it is only the
right to operate that the city will get
and not control of the water.
Declares Pipe Worthless
1t is also eontended by the oppo-
sition that the bond issue, if author
lied, will give insufficient funds and
that as the companies have failed to
maintain their systems in good shape
large amount of money will be i'm
mediately required to replace the miles
of worthless pipe which the engineers
would place no valuation on. Since
the first agreement to sell was made
between the city officials and the two
water companies the east side company
has granted a number of rebates. If
the eompany's policy had been con-
tinued as a mutual association, as it
Is declared to be, the opposition claims
that the money granted In rebates
would have been applied to replacing
some of the miles of worthless pipe
that the city will be forced to take up
Immediately after acquiring the plants.
The matter of increased taxation un-
der the proposed method of acquisition
is shown by NJ. H. Weight in the fol-.
lowing signed statement: 1.-The lands
piled with water by the respective
companies are entitled TO the same for
ever The companies cannot sell and
the city cannot buy the water 1t
would be a transfer of control only,
with the great debt added, a debt so
great that 1t would amount to more
than $50 for every man, woman and
child in Pasadena, independent of all
other bonded Indebtedness of the city.
A debt so great that it will
require fully 100000 annually to pay
the principal and interest and to main
tain the system. 1t is not
municipal ownership that we oppose,
but the outrageous price asked for
control and which is inspired by a
combination of men who in various
ways and for selfish purposes have ac-
quired the stock representing the con-
troll, to the extent that they will re-
ceive the bulk of the money realized
from the sale of the bonds.
Who Pays the Debt?
THE individual owns the land. The
land has the right to the water The
water is supplied by the plants and
the individuals who own the land
have paid for the plants. The city, a
corporation composed of individuals
who own the land, and said land be-
ing entitled to the water, now proposes
to create a debt upon said individuals,
the land and the water and plants, of
81, 1926, ,000-for what and for whom?
"First-For the purpose of control by
the city is the stock argument.
"Second-To force the owners to
place a huge debt upon their lands and
property to pay the larger part of the
sum named to those who have engin-
eered the deal, which is an indisputable
fact.
"Is it not an absolutely clear case
that the people who now have the right
to the use and enjoyment of all the
property will be obligated for the debt
and the burdens 1t will entail? Is IL
right? Is it worth it? Are we justi-
fed In taking the risk? The voter
must determine this question. / en-
phatically say mol"
Offer to Lease Plant
group of Pasadena men and women
have offered to lease the water plants
from the city If the city buys them,
provided the people will agree to
change the city charter SO that 1t will
allow of the deal.
They agree to operate the plants,
extend the system and keep the whole
| in repair; in addition they agree to
take care of the bonded indebtedness
and let the city have the plants at the
end of forty years. Those who made
the offer are Thomas Farley, DR.. r..
Schiffman, L. p Pritchard, Allen B.
| Dodworth, Clara B. Burdette, G. Ros-
coe Thomas, w. M. Mason and M. E..
Wood.
The opposition declares such deal
| would place Mayor Farley in the rath-
er peculiar position of seller, buyer and
lessee. as they say he owns stock, or
did recently, in the east side company,
is supposed to look after the city's
| interest in the purchase of the plants
and now offers to lease them.
Upon the publication of the affida-
Wits of the representatives of the water
companies the mayor rushed to the de-
| fense of the price set by the companies
| and for it he has been severely criti-
cised by members of the citizens COM
| mittee, who state that he should have
tried to have the price reduced rather
than uphold it If he took either side.
The board of trade committee Issued
| statement yesterday afternoon CIV
| ing the figures of the assessed valua-
ton. They We're essentially the same
as were given to The Herald by the
mayor and published Tuesday morning.
Another circular the municipal own
ership side is circulating is a deadly
| parallel, in which signed statements
| of members of the citizens committee
are given. A statement made in 1905
is given which reads;
1--WE declare and pledge ourselves
and said candidates in favor of the
public ownership of utilities and the
| consummation of the water bond Issue.
| We pledge ourselves to expedite and