Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-04
THE LAW EVADED.
How the Old City Hall Was
RemOdeled.
10 CONTRACT WAS MADE.
The Council Approved the Demands
Which Remain in Mayor
Hazards Hands.

At the last meeting of the Police Com
missioners Mayor Hazard called atten
ton to the fact that demands amounting
to over So, 900 for remodeling the ole
City Hall had been presented to him to-
his approval, and that there was no con
tract for the work. He also suggested
that the matter should be investigated
It will be remembered that last fall whel
the matter of remodeling the cid Cit,
Hall was started, the attention of tn,
Council was drawn to the fact that there
was no contract, but this seems to have
made no difference with those who make
the laws of the city.
When the City Clerk and other city
officers moved into the new City Hal
it was decided that the grount
floor of the old City Hall should bt
turned into Receiving Hospital anc
suitable offices for the Police Depart
ment. Official action was taken or
August 10Th, when the Police Commits
sion requested that it be allowed the
former Office of the City Clerk for Re.
ceiving Hospital and for other purposes,
This request was granted by the Coun-
Gil, and the Clerk notified the Police
Commission of this action. The mem
bers of the Police Commission then went
to work and had rough plans drawn by
Contractor J. M. Skinner, to whom the
Commissioners proposed at that time to
give the work. 1t was stated that
the prisoners in the City Jai
could do part of the worh
and save money for the city, but this
plan did not suit the Council, and there
was hitch. Mr.. Skinner offered to con-
tract to do the work for $1,000, but il
was then stated that the contract coul6
not be given to him; that as it would
cost over $500, the limit which could be
expended without contract, the worl
would have to be let to the lowest bid
der. For over month nothing was
done, and then the Police Commission
sent in communication to the Council,
stating that plans had been drawn, and
recommending that an architect be en-
ployed and specifications be prepared,
and that the City Clerk be instructed to
advertise for bids for ten days.
This recommendation did not seem to
suit the Council either, and on motion
the matter was referred to the Commit
tee on Public Buildings. There was no
clause in the reference giving this COM
mittee the power to act, but it appears
that it did act, and that it has never
made report on the matter referred to
it. A search of the minutes of the
Council failed to bring to light a word on
the subject of the old City Hall reported
by the Building Committee. Not word
has been uttered in the Council meetings
since this reference to indicate that the
contract for remodeling had been let
and no contract was ever presented tc
the Council for it's approval. The only
time the old City Hall has been men
toned in the Council since that 23d day
of September was on Monday last, when
an article in the HERALD had drawn at.
tention to the fact that everything had
been provided for in the old City Hall
except the most necessary apartment Of
all, the Receiving Hospital. Then the
Building Committee was instructed
to see that apartments were sci
aside for the Receiving Hospital
Daring the past two wesks the demands
for remodeling the old City Hall have
been coming in. and these to the amoun
of So, It's .061a have reached the Mayor
hands. They were first taken before th'
Finance Committee of the Council an,
that body, knowing that there was M
contract, and that the total amount wa
over $500. approved all of them. TIL
next step was the approval of the de
mands by the Council. and this wa
done without inquiry of any sort at las
Mondays meeting of the Coun
Gil, and then the demand
were sent to the Mayor fo
approval, and they still remain in hi
hands. These demands are for the fo
lowing persons and amounts:
s. K Adams, painting work, $215. rs
Crane Bros, plumbing, 1920; Souther
California Lumber Company, lumber
$265.5S; j. r. Howe, carpenter, $21 81
Crane Bros, plumbing, $271.27; Charlie
Mephan, plumbing, $42; Manuel Calalls
labor. SIS; G. s. Gibbs. labor, $SS 75
F. Cady, labor, $l6S75; Eel
strom & Strasburg, papering, $Ss. 7e
Hoffman & Wanerth, hardware, $137. .25
VIM. Wilson, varnish, SIS; Chas. Carte
teaming, $33 so; Berkeley & Kohl, mil
work, SAC 10; F. Mcintosh, plasterin
material, $5s O4; F. Mcintosh, labo
$46; f. McLain, labor, $126; Milton v
Armstrong, labor, 1885. E. G. Webste
labor, $67; s. j. Brummett, labor, $10S
L. s. Chapman, labor. SOB; w. Moody
labor, $47 So; A. W. Fleming, labo
$685. 871a; Reynolds & Darby, sharpenin
tools, $40 As; s. NJ. Perry, fittings, $31 S(
H. L. McLain, labor, $155.75; L. Lion
Son, shades, Sc so; Crane Bros, pluml
ing, $42 20; Los Angeles Lumber Con
pany, lumber, $95; Southern Californi
Lumber Company, $2e5 So; Fosmir Iro
Works, doors, $299; Fosmir Iron Works
iron work, $101; total, So, ,175 061s.
A careful study of these bills will n
veal the artfulness of the entire job; an
the ease with which the provisions of th
charter were set aside. The charter ez
pressly provides that the Council ma
"by an ordinance, authorize an