Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-07
WATER QUESTION
DEBATE IS ENDED
City and County Consolidation
Enters Discussions ReIa-
tive to AqueduCt
MULHoLLAND PLAN POPULAR
Mayor Announces Meeting for
Oct. 13 to Consider Dis
tribution of Power

CITY and county consolidation and
distribution of the surplus Owens river
water seem so closely allied that every
speaker at the water meeting in the
council chamber last night dwelt on the
necessity of consolidation before DIS
tributing the water. The meeting last
night was the fourth and last session
that will be held on the water question,
unless it is decided later to take it up
again.
Next Thursday night the first meet
ing to discuss the distribution of elect
ric power to be developed by the aque-
duct will be held. Mayor Alexander
announced that John b. Miller, presl-
dent of the Southern California Edison
company, will be the first speaker. The
discussion of the power distribution Is
not expected to be as harmonious as
have been the debates on water distrl-
button, for the public service corpora
tions that are deeply affected by the
immense amount of power that VIII be
brought to Los Angeles will make de-
termined fight for themselves.
Judge Cyrus F. McNutt was the first
speaker last night. He confined himsen
chiefly to q discussion of the legal
phases Of the question, and especially
the charter provisions. He differed from
some of the previous speakers who nave
discussed points of law when he de-
clared that as the city could only dis
pose of surplus water to consumers
outside the city, the water would have
to be Withdrawn as soon as 1t ceased TO
be a surplus and was required for do
mestic use in the city, even if contracts
were made to the contrary. Judge NC
Mutt quoted the constitution to show
that the city could be compelled to dls-
pose of its surplus where it was needed,
whether it wanted to or not.
COST is ESTIMATED
Joseph H. Call was on the program,
but he was out of the city and pa
per prepared by him was read by F. G.
Henderson. In this paper Mr.. Call
said that he estimated the owens
river water would cost the city about
$4,000 a miners inch by the time IL
reached Los Angeles and that In dis
posing of it the city should receive
at least 10 per cent on this amount or
5000 a miners inch. This amount, he
said, would be necessary to pay Tor
depreciation and the cost of maintain
ing the aqueduct. He advocated the
consolidation of the city and county
government under an improved Dor
ough system as the best way of solV-
ing some of the problems the city must
face in disposing of this surplus.
Stoddard Jess represented the Los
Angeles Clearing House association.
lie was a member of the consolidation
commission appointed by the civic
bodies several years ago to consolidate
the city and county governments. Mr..
Jess said that the commission soon saw
legal difficulties ahead in its effort to
consolidate the entire county and city
Cf Los Angeles and bent its energies
toward acquiring the 'shoestring'
strip. This strip, Mr.. Jess said, should
now be widened until it formed the
boundary of the greater future city
os Los Angeles, He declared the
boundaries of the future city should
be known before any attempt was
made to dispose of the surplus water.
No water should be leased outside of
these limits, he said, because when the
water is placed on the land it must be
left there, for its withdrawal would
create a desert. He did not favor a
large bonus, but a fair price for the
water. He brought up one point that
had not been touched on, and that was
that the city should determine as soon
as possible what it intended to do with
its water and power and other munich
pal projects. because outside capital
was timid about investing where it
did not know the intentions Of the city
in such matters
ADVOCATES CANAL
T. p. Arnold advocated dredging a
canal from the business district of
Los Angeles to the harbor with the
apDaratus the CITY is using on the
aqueduct and turning the surplus
water into the channel to float freight
boats to the harbor The mayor de-
clared this was not practicable and
would cost $3.50 900, 900.
G. e. Overmeyer declared that it was
a waste of time to consider what rates
the city would charge a municipality
for furnishing it water power be-
cause, when the city went into the
business of furnishing water it then
became a public service corporation,
and the municipality receiving the
water had a right to fix the rates un-
der the state constitution.
The upper San Gabriel valley is
ready to become part og the consoli-
dated city and county government, ac-
cording to Judge Charles D. Silent,
Judge Silent lives at Glendora, and
he said that the district he represented
was suffering for water and would be
glad to join with the city TO get it.
REMEDIES ARE EASY
\, Referring to legal difficulties in the
way Of distribution, Judge Silent said
they could be easily remedied by first
going to the people and then to the
legislature, and the proper legal ma
chinery would be provided. He esti-
mated that as soon as the water and
power were on a revenue producing
basis Los Angeles would be practically
without taxation, if these sources Of
revenue were handled properly.
J. A. Winans, VIII D. Gould, g. NJ.
Taggart James A. Anderson and 9TH
ers made short talks. The burden Of
every argument was first to fix the
boundaries of the territory that should
form the consolidated city and county
government and then dispose Of the
water in that district.
In all the debates on the disposal of
the water none Of the speakers has
gone far away from the plan outlined
by William Mulholand Mr.. Mulhol-
Il land did not advocate city and county
consolidation. but said that the water
should be disposed Of only in terri
tory contiguous to Los Angeles and
capable of being annexed Some
speakers have taken issue with the