Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-05
MORE TROUBLE
For the Present Republican
Administration.
COL. M0RFORD WILL RESIGN.
A Hard Blow at the C0uncil-He
Refuses to Tolerate its Misman-
agement-What he Says.

agement-What he Says.
The City Council received yesterday
the worst slap in the face that it has had
during the whole course of it's remark
able career. 1t came in the shape of
the announced determination of Colonel
w. E. Morford to resign his position as
Superintendent of Streets, the reason
being that he found it impossible to sub
NIT longer to the neglect and misman-
agement of the city's affairs which was
constantly going on.
Colonel Morford has had this move in
mind for some time, but has kept his
counsel and said nothing about it. Inn
mediately after the meeting of the Coun-
Gil last Monday he made up his mind
that il was useless to continue the
struggle, and that he had best abandon
the office. He announced this deter
mination to Clerk Teed yesterday
morning, who told several promi-
nent members of the Republican
party. They were very much horrified
at the idea, and Immediately went to
Col. Morford and began to labor with
him. They declared that his action
would work profound injury to the
party, not only by throwing the office
open to the very probable election OF a
Democrat, but also because it would do
irrsparable damage to the standing
of the Republican party. How
ever, the Colonel was immovable
- IN lad an n
frenzied pleas of the Union Leaguers
On the contrary, he drew up his rssigna-
tion in a very emphatic form and said
of the Council tomorrow. Then the
politicians begged him TO put it off until
after the sewer election, or at least until
amantine as upon the general proposition
Colonel Morford was seen in the after
noon at his Office by reporter of the
HERALD.
81 have decided to resign my position, F."
said he, mot because | wish to give up
the work, but because feel that | owe
it to the city to give up struggle that
clique in the Council which opposes
favors. These men don't know anything
about the street department. They
never come to my office or consult with
me. They don't know whether we have
help enough or what work we are doing.
1t is getting 80 that the only way can
hope to have the Council take any action
is for me to oppose it. The streets of this
city were never in worse condition, yet
the Council will do pothing for their re.
lief. There are hundreds of workmen
out of employment, anxious for work
In every city that / ever heard of, when
this state of affairs exists the authorities
do their best to make work for the men,
but here they allow needed work to go
undene.
cit amounts to this, that the city is
paying me So, 900 year. and have be.
come a mere fgure-head. sit here in
my office with nothing to do-a needless
expense to the taxpayers. l decline to
endure it any longer. 1t has worried
and distressed me until l have decided
to give it up. The only consideration
which has deferred me from adopting
this course was the thought that in the
present condition of public sentiment the
chances are some Democrat will be
elected to succeed me, in which case the
boys in the Office here will have to go. l
am sorry for that, but anything would be
better than continuing this farce.
"There are some of the members of
that Council who have been working for
their own personal interests at the ex-
pense of this department. Mr.. Shafer
has influence enough to get through the
grading of streets out near the city
limits where he happens to own property.
l will not stand by and try to work with
body that acts as this Council has
DONE"
The Colonel then instanced the case
of the opposition of the Council to his
attempt to secure carts to work on the
streets, and variety of other cases
where he declared that the Council had
shown its opposition to legitimate street.
work. His method of expressing him.
self was cool and free from anger, but
was very determined, and showed that
his action was the result of much delib
Grafton. He said that he had been
begged by a number of members of the
Union League Club and other prominent
Republicans to withdraw his resignation
but that he intended to 60 on in the line
of policy he had marked out
The announcement that Colonel Nor
ford had made up his mind to resign his
position, created no little Consideration
at the city hall. Il was generally con
ceded that it meant the election of some
Democrat to take his place, which was
not an agreeable idea to most of'the Off
cials in power. Late in the day mum
ber of officials offered to bel
that the resignation would be
Withdrawn. They seemed to consider
that influence of some kind could be
brought to bear upon Col: Morford which
would cause him to abandon his ex
pressed determination. On the othel
hand, it seemed to be the view of those
who knew Col. Morford best that he was
not the kind of man to back down, anc
tnat if he had come to conscientious
conclusion that he could not continue az
Superintendent of Streets that he would
stick to his word and would resign.
The charter provides in section 197
that special elections shall be held fol
the purpose of eiecting any city officer
made elective by the people in case of I
vacancy occurring in the office. Such
election shall be ordered and held with
out delay. Until such election be helC
the Council shall have power to fill thu
vacancy.
The County Division.
The commissioners who are ASSESSING
benefits and damages in connection witt
the division of the county assets between