Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-06
FAVORS NEW
M UNICIPAL
CONDUIT PLAN
ENGINEER HAMLIN LAYS IDEAS
BEFORE BOARD
SPACE UNDER clTYs STREETS
COMMANDS PREMIUM
Utility Companies and Officials viii
Confer on Regulating lnstalIa-
ton of Public Service
Lines

City Engineer Homer Hamlin yester-
day laid before the board of pubic
works the conditions attaching TO the
installation of municipal and public
service corporations, urging thai Los
Angeles adopt some general conduit
plan.
The city is growing very rapidly in
this line, Mr.. Hamlin states, as evil
denced by the fact that during the
year, December 1, 1906, to December l,
1907, there were approved in the en-
gineer's office $50 applications, totallng
1858 miles of new conduits.
1t is practically only within the past
two years that any attempt has been
made to gain records of existing and
new public utilities conduits, and this
has come about through the continu-
ally recurring collision of location OF
lines when attempting to install new
works.
In many instances the engineers Of
fee has no records of existing lines
prior to December i, 1906.
Companies Thwart City
There also appears to be great
lack of uniformity in the location Oh
the lines of the various utility COM
panies. which, with the lack of proper
records results in confusion as to
what exists and where it is located.
Again, instances have occurred where
the city has made surveys and upon
them has designed sewers, only to find
that subsequent to the city's surveys
the line has been permitted to be &C.
cupied by a private lines, thus requir-
ing the changing of the city's plans at
a considerable extra expense.
Besides this unreasonable expense
forced on the authorities, 1t has also
resulted in the abandonment of some
proposed improvements, with conse-
auent loss of the funds already eX-
pended.
such changes can be made when
under a bond fund.- said the engineer,
but as your, honorable body is well
aware. the most of our sewer work in
the future, both for sanitary and storm
purposes, will probably be under the
provisions of the Vrooman act, which
is memorable in not permitting any
changes in design Whlch mas peeh
adopted.
"You will observe, therefore, the ne
cessity of accurate record to enable
this office to make designs which Will
minimize the distractions in the way
of a contractor. and thereby lessen the
quantity of chance he must charge for
in his bid for contract"
The congestion is becoming so great
in some localities that already the pub
the advisability of constructing sub
ways to accommodate all lines.
Such subways are in successful OPP
Grafton in other cities and undoubtedly
will be built in Los Angeles, perhaps
by the municipality.
When such subways are constructed
ii will be of the highest Importance to
know positively the location of all ex-
listing lines in the territory involved
before a design and estimate of cost
can be intelligently wrought out.
The cost of collecting such data
gradually will be small-comparative
an inappreciable expense-in contrast to
the great cost entailed in an attempt to
gather IL all in a short period of time
when perhaps needed in hurry.
Moreover the quality of data gath
cred in a rush is apt to be of less value
where data is gathered as a part of the
daily office work when all features
are fresh in the minds of men engaged
on the construction involved.
Collisions Threatened
Public utility companies are con-
stantly appealing to the engineers Of
flee for information to aid them in
avoiding collision with some other line
when seeking extension.
Such conditions inevitably result in
the expenditure of time and money on
the part of the city engineers office
when designing new work of any kind,
or in it's function of being a repository
of definite knowledge upon such mat
tiers open to public use.
Engineer Hamlin argues that the
public interest will be greatly con-
served and enhanced by the systematic
collection and recording of data con-
corning all public utility construction,
and that some steps should be taken to
regulate and systematic the installa-
ton of public utilitv structures, so that
all may have suitable locations.
SO far as known the only attempt at