Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-05-03

"An Act to create q Board of Pubtit
Works IN and for the city of Los An
geieS," approved April Sd, lS76.)
These Acts must be construed to.
gether, in order to draw safely the line
of demarcation between the authority
of the "Mayor and Council,n ano
that of the "Board of Public Works u
After a minute examination, no reason
appears to exist for any antagonism
between these two public bodies. II
is believed that they may easily move
on i'm harmony within their respec.
tive spheres, for the common good OF
the people whom they represent.
L.
THE COUNCIL.
For the Council there is wide field
of useful legislation. 1t remains with
the mass of the powers formerly held
by it, and which so largely affect i'm
portant interests of the citizens and
may be summed up as follows:
l. ITO purchase, hold and receive
property, real or personal, within OF
without the limits of said city," for
any or all public or municipal objects
as required for the protection, benefit
and conveniences of said city and its
inhabitants" Amended Charter, Art.
H., Sec. g. except for the Public
Works. And subject to this exception,
it also has the right of condemnation.
according to said section and Art. vi.
2. TO levy taxes for municipal pur-
poses. (Art. H., Sec. 8.
3. To sell, lease or otherwise dispose
of municipal property. (Art II.,Sec. A.
lThe Public Works In charge of the
Board, alone excepted.
4. To regulate licenses, and punish
vagrancy. (Art. H., Sec. 5.
the efficient government of the city.
Cart. H., Sec. g. [City Engineer,
Street Superintendent, Zanjero and
Superintendent of Parks excepted.
And further powers, under said
Article and Section as follows:
6. To prevent the introduction of
contagious diseases.
7. To secure the protection of per-
sons and property.
s. To provide for the health, clean
illness, ornament, peace and good or
der.
8. To provide against nuisances.
10. To maintain an efficient Fire
Department.
IL. To regulate private market
houses, slaughter houses, and butcher
shops.
II. To district the city into three
wards.
l3. To regulate gunpowder or other
combustibles.
IA. To pay the debts, liabilities and
expenditures, lin generdt,) of the city.
Is. To preserve the records and
archives.
ls. To borrow money. Cart. TX,
x. TO appoint Clerk. Art. w.,
1S. TO appoint Chief of Police, to
hold Office for two years. Art. Ill,
Sec. l.
10. To appoint Judge of the City
Court, to hold Office for two years.
(Art. V, 4, Sec. l0.)
20. To provide a ahospital for those af-
fected with contagious diseases. Cart
w., Sec. ~ THE erection of such a
hospital building would belong to the
Board of Public Works.
81. To provide against the existence
of all filth, garbage, and other injuri-
Gus or ineonvenient matter, within or
along streets, sidewalks and cross
walks, private lots, yards and prem
ises. Art. w.. Sec. |.
EVERY thing pertaining to the
zanjas-the care of them and of the
purity of the water, as we'll as their
construction, etc.-is given to the
Board.
%. 70 provide for the custody of
prisoners, and the government, man.
agement and control of a city Jail.
(Art. w., Sec. ~
[That is to say, in its internal econ
omy-the construction &c. belonging
to the Board.
%. To establish and regulate salary,
fees and compensation of city officers.
(Art. w., Sec. /.
lThose provided for the Board ex-
cepted.]
"a. To control and manage all mu-
nicipal lands. (Art. w., Sec. l.
Except such as are necessary for
the objects specified in sections one
and two of the Act creating the
Board.
25. To provide for surveys of blocks,
streets or lands within the limits of
said city, (Art. ~, Sec. |. ''and to
declare such surveys official" Gb)
This does not conflict with the
power of the Board to make all such
surveys, in the execution of their
particular duties, Which surveys UiLl
be binding on the Council.
26. To make all laws, rules and reg
ulatiohs, necessary to carry out the
other powers granted to the Council.
(Art. w., Sec. ~
This summary may suffice for Illus
tration, omitting some powers Incl
dental to all municipal corporations,
such as to have a corporate seal, &c.
1t must not be forgotten, that land
and water, and all property, vested in
the corporation, are held merely IN
trust for the inhabitants, which trust
must be executed in the manner and
by the officers directed by the Legis-
lature, Hart vs. Burnett, 10. Cal. $50,
and all the authorities
II.
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
This Board consists of three members,
holding office for three years; ap-
pointed by the Governor, until the
next municipal election, each giving
a bond in $4,000, for the faithful per.
formance of his official duties, to be
approved by the District Judge of the
Seventeenth Judicial District. After
qualifying, they are required to meet
and draw lots for the terms of one,
two and three years; the member
holding for the short term, to go Out
at the next municipal election, and
his place to be filled at that election
AT each annual municipal election
.hoocsI.otaf 20, iIaat of 1919 ma oaa.