Year: 1878

Los Angeles county now owns q
poor farm Of her own. We hope
shortly to hear 1t chronicled that
this class are made self-sustaining.
We are In need of several other
thIngs-in urgent need Of them.
One IL q Court House. Let any
one take glance at the building
which is at present dignified by
that title. Let him look into the
County Clerks Office, for instance.
He will be surprised to note the
fragile character of the room in
which documents involving mill
lions Of dollars are held. He will
notice that doors with glass COM
partments are oil that protect
these muniments of title and rec
ords Of judicial proceedings from
spoliation. He will find that every
inch Of available space is already
taken up, and that all the drawers
are 20 chockful that, in opening
and shutting them, the precious
instruments which they contain
are more or less defaced. Small as
the County Clerks room is, a por-
tlon Of II has to be surrendered to
the use Of the Auditor, who is
Obliged to transact his business in
: little cubby.hole of an apart
mant which would not make more
than . respectable cell for con-
vict. But, small as his accommo-
dations are, he is still compelled to
share them with the County Tax
Collector. The provision for the
County Recorder is also grossly in
adequate. All these offices are
througed at all hours of the day by
persons who have business to
transact. Tho public records are
increasing at an unheard-of rate,
aud they will soon litter the very
floors. There is no pretense that
this building is fireproof and the
Idea would be laughable. 1t is o
veritable tinder box, and If a fire
should gain any headway the en-
tire destruction of the building ant
records would he inevitable.


But, urgent as is our need of
new Court House, our need o
new Jail is still more
Imperative. The present one
IL a disgrace to any civilized
place. however excellently Jailol
Thompson may try to administer
1t. It is IN outrage that any human
being should be crammed into suct
den. Worthy people occa'
sionally get into Jail, and to com
pei such to herd with the scum who


snersIly inhabit this den is an of
fenoe wffllels cries aloud to heaven
for redress. Night before last was
. capital instance of the
result of our neglect ol
duty in this matter. An INSTALL
ment of four of the San Francisco
hoodlums who lately arrived from
San Francisco were thrust into this
Institution amongst twenty ol
more Of the Los Angeles Jail squad
A fight sprang up; and, in the ex'
pressive language Of q Los Angelo:
policeman, our local cuIprits liter
ally "mopped the floor" with the
newcomers. What a glorious ex.
perience such a scene would prove
to n respectable person who might,
by some mistake or caprice on the
part OF the administrators of the
law, have been immured therein?


A new Court House and Jail
Will uuquestionably cost money,
but the sum need not be very
large. By an agreement between
the City Council and the Board ol
Supervisors, the present Court
House could be sold for almost
money enough to build the new ed
lice, the city furnishing the
ground. Accommodation for the
several municipal officials could
also be provided In the new build
ing.


Let us have the new building al
whatever reasonable cost.