Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-06
THE NEW CHARTER
Mr.. Joseph mesmer's views.


THE NEW CHARTER
Mr.. Joseph mesmer's Views.
From the Evening Express
Editor E1press:-A few OF the rea-
sons why we should vote for the
adoption of the proposed new charter
to be voted for on next Monday, May
7, 1888: If the readers OF your valua-
BILE paper, Mr.. Editor, would take
time to make comparison between
the proposed new charter and the old,
the one we are now operating under,
explanation on my part would be
wholly unnecessary. To be brief, in
defining the old charter: 1t was good
enough for to meet past requirements,
but it is unsuitable for even the pres
ent and future requirements, as is a
pair OF pants for a boy who has out
grown them. So that if the pro-
posed new charter is not adopted ii
will necessitate the election of new
Board OF Freeholders to frame anoth-
er charter to be voted for, and those
Objectionable features in the proposed
new charter now made expressly in
| the interest, for the people and
directed against corporations and
monopolies will be formed to suit the
gain OF certain individuals at the ex
pense Of the people. have been
told that the provisions inserted for
the removal of smallpox patients is an
Objectionable feature. This objection
is raised principally to blind the ideas
OF those who do not stop to read and
consider. do not know Of any city,
county, or State that is not Obliged
for the protection OF its inhabitants to
enforce strict quarantine laws. The
force of the application in the pro-
posed charter, is not any greater than
with the old charter. All charters are
amendatory to the existing State law
which says that a persons
house is his castle or home,
and no law can remove him
from it unless with his consent.
OF course, for the safely of your
neighbors and for the public's safety,
it is expected Of you to strictly comply
with the quarantine regulations. !
am elso told that reducing the num-
Der of councilmen increases the risk
of iobbing. l do not agree with the
gentlemen who think this, and my
reasons for thinking adversely are
these: In the first place the gentle
men who will be elected will be well
paid, $3.50 per month. They must
hold daily session from 10 A. NJ. to A
P. NJ. To pass any measure involving
any expense, purchasing, leasing
or disposing of any property en-
tering into or binding the city
with any contract, or granting any
franchise or special privilege, will re-
quire the recording of four votes out
OF the Eve, with the additional ap-
proval OF the Mayor; should he dis
approve Of the measure it is returned
to the Council with the written objec
tions indorsed on the back, which
veto power can only be overcome by
having the full recorded vote of the |
five Councilmen. The election of one |
Councilman from each ward centers |
the responsibility and management of
the interests of the wards, leaving no
doubs of who is to blame in case of
any mismanagement.
This large county OF ours is man.
aged by five supervisors, and have |
not heard one word as to any mis- |
management, while hundreds of criti- |
cisms are raised against the misman-
agement of our city government; and
why? because the former are paid
for their services and the latter are
not.
1t is a human as well as divine
law that says the laborer is entitled to
bis pay; then why continue the plan
of encouraging prostitution Of office
The charge OF centralizing too much
power in the mayor is idle gossip de-
rived from lack of careful study Of
the question. None of his appointive
officers, and only then subject to the
approval of majority vote of the
Council, cut any political significance.
In fact, the proposed charter express
ly provides SO as to eliminate as
lnuch as possible politics. For
the appointment of four (4) citi- |
zens by the Council, not more than
two (2) of same political party, to
form, with the Mayor, Board of
Police Commissioners, and also pro-
vides, subject to the same conditions,
for to form Board of Fire Commits |
sioners. If this police provision was
in the old charter, this jeopardising
Of life and property, that is being
done at present under the existence
of the Police Commissioners squab-
BILE, would not exist; the true inward
ness would not stand exposure. The
dollar tax limit not only insures more
scrupulous management, but it also
insures you against being charged in
creased interest should your circum-
stances require the loan of money.
The increasing of our bonded indebt-
edness ought to be SO apparent to
every one that comment would seem
unnecessary. Its refusal either means
increased rate Of taxation or the
crippling Of public improvement, which
means the throwing of hundreds
out of employment. Grant that you
meet the emergency by increasing
taxation, and in result you will find a
depreciation of property values.
Why? Because the average investor,
no matter how infatuated he may be
in your climate, thinks more
of his dollar than of your
climate, and ais consequence
he will naturally wait until prices go
lower. It's human nature. The
question of the purchase OF the Water
Company ought to appeal to the ne
cessity of the public. Certainly no
heavy stockholder in this or any other
corporation whose interests are going
to be antagonized will vote for its
adnnfion Whu2 Racauaa dOllara and