Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-21
THE COUNCIL.
It Holds a Long Adjourned
Session.
LEGAL POINT DISCUSSED
The City Tax Collector Turns Over
His Boeks-COntracts for
School Buildings.

The City Council met yesterday morn
ing in adjourned session, President
Frankenfield in the chair, and Messrs.
Wirsching, Summerland, McLain, Van
Duuen, Hamilton, Brown, Shafer and
Bonsall present.
City Tax Collector Thompson presented
his books for the years collections,
showing collections of $445,374 4S, and
delinquent taxes amounting to $35 ,565. At.
Referred to the Finance Committee.
Mayor Hazard returned the contracts
for the building Of the schoolhouses for
the following reasons:
"The draft of the contracts regarding
the erection of public school buildings is
defective in that it directs the Mayor to
affix the corporate name of the city of
Los Angeles thereto, when the charter
directs the Mayor to affix his signature
in behalf of the city instead of the cor
porate name. If the contracts were
executed as therein directed, don't be-
lieve they would be valid, and the
Ckby COQl0 AOu 31hAkt 1to Alobnlby
to the amount designated in
the contracts under the Mechanics
Lien law, because of the want of con-
tract as required. 1t might result that
the city would be compelled to pay much
more than the contract price to save the
buildings from the foreclosure of
mechanics liens, and as the amount ex-
ceeds $l0O, 900 the utmost caution should
be exercised. have therefore returned
all these contracts that they may be
amended in form.
City Attorney Mcfarland said that
the Mayor objected to sign the name of
the city to the contracts and wanted to
sign his own. The law plainly provided
that the contract was to be signed in the
name of the city.
Mayor Hazard said that he had ex-
pected the City Attorney to misconstrue
what be said. He had no objection to
signing the corporate name Of the city if it
was proper, but there was a large
amount of money at stake. The
charter plainly said that contracts
were not good unless signed by the
Mayor in behalf Of the city. The attor-
neys for the contractors insisted on the
contracts being signed as the charter pro-
vided.
The City Attorney said it would be we'll
to sign the contracts, "The City of Los
Angeles, by Henry 7. Hazard, Mayor, )"
and then both points would be covered.
Mayor Hazard said that the contractors
did not desire the contracts signed that
way, but wanted him to sign as the law
provides, which is his own name for the
city of Los Angeles.
After some further discussion upon the
legal point involved, it was decided to
leave the decision of how the contracts
should be signed to the attorneys for the
contractors, the Mayor stating that he
would sign the contracts in the manner
acceptable to them.
Attorney Woodward having been sum.
moned, said that while at first he
thought the Mayors position right, yet
he had become satisfied that the con-
tracts should be signed as recommended
by the City Attorney.
Mayor Hazard agreed to sign in this
manner and Withdrew his message.
Mr.. Summerland moved that as the
City Hall is entitled to an electric light
the City Clerk be instructed to notify
the light com pany to erect the light.
Carried.
Messrs. Boyes & Crowley asked for q
30d day extension of time in grading
Edgeware road. Granted.
A petition for cross walk on Figueroa
street, at York, was referred to the Board
of Public Works.
The street-numbering ordinance, as
amended, was read and adopted.
An ordinance ordering Hill street side.
walked was read and adopted, as also
was an ordinance for sidewalking
Orange street.
A contract with r. Herring for 81, ,275
for his work on the sewer problem was
read and adopted; as also was q contract
with George G. Knox and August Meyer
for $500.
The report of the joint Committee on
Echoolhouses and Sites, as published in
the HERALD, was read and adopted.
Mr.. McLain moved that the Street
Superintendent be instructed to clear the
mud from the paved streets until they
can be swept.
The contracts with the various archi.
tects for the school buildings were read
and approved.
The City Clerk was instructed to adver-
tise 100000 school bonds for sale for
six weeks.
Mr.. Knox asked that the Board Of
Engineers be allowed to have its report
printed. The report could be finished
by evening and be in print by Monday
Mr.. Shafer moved that the Board OF
Engineers have 500 copies printed
Carried.
The reports OF the Land and Sewe,
Committees were read and adopted.
Adjourned.