Year: 1875

the road completed to, aud IN actual
operation between 1t and the wharf at
Santa Monica, thus fulfilling the desire
for competing road to tide water
By means of this, the important mat
ter of freight charges will regulate it.
self and we are relieved from any in
convenience that might possibly arise
from u monopoly of the carrying
trade.


The Southern Pacific Railroad Com
pany has completed its new depot
and though not occupied according to
contract, it undoubtedly will be soon.
The track of this road has been push
ed eastward through the San Gorgo-
nio pass, nearly far enough to COM
mand the trade Of ArizOnia. Mean
time work on the line between this
city and San Francisco has heen pros
ecuted with gratifying energy and We
are promised rail communication with
the metropolis of the western coast at
an early day. Altogether our rail
road progress has been phenomenal
and the near future seems pregnant
with still greater activity and more
important results.





The Amended City Charter has been
in operation long enough to be thor
oughly tested has shown that it con.
tains some faults which should be
remided. For instance the opening or
improving of streets is attended with
too much complication. The greater
part of the advertising can be done
away with to advantage. Certain
provisions in regard to keeping streets
and sewers in repair should be made.
Also, in regard to the Mayors Court,
the article by which this Court is es-
tablsh-d and governed should be re-
modelled. would suggest that this
tribunal be conducted by an officer es-
pecially elected for the purpose. Dur
ing the year more than eight hundred
cases have been before this court for
trial, and these too, are only the crim-
inal Offense brought to the notice OF
the police. The time of the Mayor is
thus occupied to the exclusion of other
business, for not only do these cases
require the time necessary to actually
hear them. but in order TO be prepared
to do justice he must take time to be-
come conversant to some extent with
the law and the numerous ordinances
of the city. Whereas, If an officer
were especially elected to this position
and given the same powers as u JUS
tice Of the Peace, he would be prepar-
ell to try civil actions, and think the
office could he made self sustaining.
In this connection l desire to state
that the ordinances in regard to crimes
and their punishment need revising,
and some provision should be made
whereby the City Attorney should at
tend this Court and prosecute offen-
ders in behalf of the city.


NUMBERING HOUsEs-THE PLAzAs.
The numbering of the houses and
naming the streets is u matter which
should not be delayed. 1t would be
great convenience to our own citizens
as well as strangers and would sug-
gest that immediate steps be taken to
carry out these much needed improve
ments.


The public plazas have been i'm
proved very much and we will shortly
have neat and tastefully arranged
parks in place of those barren and un-
slightly spots which have hitherto
marred the beauty of our city.


PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


The public schools of the city are in
a prosperous condition. Their i'm
prOvement has kept pace with the
general advance of the city in other
respects. The increased number of
children to be provided with school
facilities incident to the rapid growth
of population filed all the classes, un-
til, in March, the Board of Education
publicly announced that no more pu-
pills could be admitted into the classes
in the more thickly settled portions of
the city. To provide for the pupils
thus rejected, and for the children of
the coming tide of immigrants the
question of voting special tax of
twelve thousand dollars, to build and
furnish five new school houses was
submitted to the people, and as an ev-
idence of the appreciation of the COM
munity of the high standing of our
schools, there were but eleven votes
cast against this tax. During the year
five new school houses have been
erected. They are plain but neat and
substantial buildings located in por-
tions of the city best adapted to ac-
commodate our very scattered popula-
tion. Owing to the rapid increase of
population of this city every reflect
Ing man must see that it will require
great liberality on the part of our cit
izens to provide school facilities in pro-
portion to the enlightened sentiment
of the age. In what other particulars
we may be behind our sister cities, let