Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-19
Present Plants Not Needed

It has been assumed and stated
publicly that an essential step TO
municipal ownership of water is
the acquisition by the city of tho
present plants. Such conclucion
is unbusinesslike and unwarranted
until demonstrated by careful COM
parfson with all other available
sources of supply that the present
plants offer equal or superior ad-
Vantages, considering questions of
permanency, efficiency and price.
We believe that their purchase by
the city in advance of the inVesti-
cations such as proposed would
be a serious mistake, and this view
is strengthened by the legal ques-
tions involved affecting title there
to which certainly should be salts
factorily disposed of before pur-
chasing at any price. The same
care should be exercised in public
as in private affairs. No private
citizen would buy a lawsuit or a
property of questionable title.
The value of the present plants
to the city of Pasadena is largely
dependent upon how far they will
properly fit in and become a part
of a comprehensive and permanent
municipal system. 1t is clearly
evident that such value cannot be
based upon the original cost less
depreciation. 1t must be remem-
bered that the present plants were
constructed to supply only limited
districts of a fruit growing COM
munity TO meet the then present
necessities at the least possible
cost. The present plants will not
combine into a municipal system
such as the city of Pasadena, with
her wealth, will be proud of. Pasa-
dena demands the best and is able
to pay for it, The city of Los An
geles has recently replaced hun
dreds of miles of pipe of the char
acter now used in Pasadena with
large, heavy cast iron mains in an
ticipation of the owens river sup
ply, and it is our belief that in the
near future Pasadena would of
necessity be compelled to rebuild
practically the entire local system
in the event of its acquisition by
the city.
If Pasadena is to depend upon
local development even for a por-
ton of it's water supply and is un-
able to purchase the present plants
at it's own estimate of their value,
and inasmuch as 1t will probably
be necessary in any event to build
an -enIlTely l6N uiSll llibuIiiiS 9y9NS
would it not be the part of good
business judgment to develop an
independent water supply by the in
stallation of pumps in proven To-
calities and thus avoid the in
Vulnerable complications and prob
able legal disputes which it appears
to us are sure to follow If the city
purchases the present plants?
In this connection it has been
suggested by one experienced in
such matters that a centrally To-
Gated power plant with sufficient
capacity would furnish power for
lighting the city at night and for
pumping the city's water during the
day, thus reducing the expense of
operation to the minimum. This
idea is at least worthy of investiga-
tion.
We have replied thus fully to
your honor's communication with
the sincere purpose of arriving at
proper solution of the questions
which have for many years agita-
ted our city, and we trust we may
all get together and work for an
up-to-rate water plant and supply
On receipt of your approval of
the plan herein outlined and on
notification that you have appointed
five members of such committee, we
will promptly send to you the