Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-30
WATER QUESTION
IS DEADLOCKED
PASADENA PROBLEM NOT NEAR
SETTLEMENT
NO FURTHER ACTION PROBABLE
FOR TWO WEEKS
Waterhouse Faction Sends Second
Letter Declining Invitation to Con-
ference and Urging Appoint
ment of Committee

PASADENA, June 29.-What amounts
to practical deadlock in the Pasa-
dena water question, in which the city
seeks to acquire the plants of the
water companies in its limits, exists
today Mayor Farley tonight said
nothing further would be done in the
way of attempting to secure a confer
ence until after his return from his
vacation, which will be in about two
weeks. The deadlock became APP
parent today when the citizens COM
mittee of the Waterhouse faction sent
in their second letter declining to meet
in conference with the administration
forces and reurging their claims that
the commission to investigate the
worth of the properties should consist
of eleven men, with power to go into
the entire water question, future as
we'll as present. To this Mayor Farley
and his people are opposed, believing
the solution of the local problem of
first Importance. With that once
solved, they are willing enough to go
into the matter of an increased supply
which will be needed in the future but
which is not needed at present. The
letter of the citizens committee is
given in full;
PASADENA, June 29.-Hon. Thomas
Farley, Mayor of the City of Pasa-
dent: Dear Sir-The citizens commit
tee has carefully considered the sub
ject matter of your communication of
the 22d inst. and your expressed OPP
position to the proposed investigation
by joint committee into the essential
requirements of Pasadena in the mat
ter of the water supply.
ut seems to us SO fundamentally
necessary that this investigation should
be had that we are DESTROYS of remov-
ing your principal objection, which
seems to be that of the time required
There is no disposition on our part
to retard progress in the acquisition of
municipal water, but an investment of
such magnitude demands reasonable
business caution. There should be a
more definite purpose in view than the
mere purchase of the local plants.
Pasadena demands. and must have,
more water and better service, and
these needs should also be considered
at this time.
Believe Demands Reasonable
1--WE do not believe that such an in
vestigation as we propose will cause
unreasonable or unnecessary delay, but
we do feel certain that it will be the
means of bringing our citizens into the
possession of better and more accurate
information than they have heretofore
had Certainly the citizens of Pasa-
dena are entitled to know, in advance
of voting bonds for the purchase of
the present plants, what additional
amounts will be required to give the
city an up-to-date municipal water
system.
I'VE do not deem 1t necessary at this
time to reply to your arguments or
deny your statements. What Los An
geles has done may or may not apply
to Pasadena but such questions. and
others which your letter suggests, are
matters which should properly be sub
mitted to and reported on by such pro-
posed joint committee.
For the purpose of removing your
objection to the delay occasioned by
such an investigation we are willing to
consent to the time limit of sixty days
proposed by you for the investigation
and report of such committee, though
we believe it would be much more adj
visable to leave the matter of time 70
the good Judgment and discretion OF
the committee appointed. We there
fore trust that under the Limitation of
time which you have suggested you
will see your way clear to accept the
proposals for q joint advisory commit
tee as contained in our communication
to you of the 18th inst.
1--WE have suggested a committee of
eleven for the reason that we think
for consideration demand the ex-
perience of a representative body of
our citizens. Then, too, the work can
better be apportioned by such commit
tee among its members and more rapid
progress made The conclusions of
committee of the size proposed by US
will also have more weight.
"Our committee is unanimously OF
the opinion that in view of the fact
that it represents a large body of cit
liens it would not be wise nor advis-
able, nor tend to promote that har-
mony which should exist in municipal
matters, for the members of the COM
mittee to engage in an oral discussion
of the questions at issue as proposed
by you. In matters of such importance
it is desirable that there would be no
misunderstanding, and for that reason
we prefer that all statements and
declarations by the citizens commit
tee should be in writing. While. there
fore, approaching the courtesy OF your
invitation for a conference with the
city council we most respectfully de-
cline the same. Very respectfully.
THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE.