Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-07
THE COUNCIL.
Lax Methods Censured by the
Mayor.
HIS TWO sCOLDING MESSAGES.

The Water Franchise Referred to q
Special Committee-Other
Minor Business.
The City Council met yesterday, Presi-
dent Frankenfeld in the chair, and
Coapcilmen Wirschipg, Summerlsnd,
Van Dusen, McLain, Shafer, Brown and
Hamilton present.
The following message was received
from the Mayor:
accompanying demands amounting to over
$1,000, being claims against the city for labor
and material furnished % IN % remoae1g 81 A ana ia, re
manner in which this work has been ordered
to be done. On August 49, 1889, the Board of
authorized to refit, refurnish and remodel said
quarters for the convenience OF the depart.
ment, including Receiving Hospital and
% thorisfne @ I this % Commission mission to s per orm this
work, your honorable body on August 10Th
returned to said board the reply that 'the mat.
Of the Committee on Public Buildings" but it
does not appear that It was done under this su-
pervision, On Septsm Der 18th the said COM
general plan of remodeling the building had
been agreed upon, land We respectfully recon-
mend that an architeet be employed to draft
plans and specifications for said work, and
thatthe same be advertised for competitive
bids for the period of ten days, etc." To this
last request Of said board your honorable body
gone on and had this work done without any
architect, without any contract, and without
CURED % by the charter Tie 'es ordinary mary preca1 re M
lions taken in all cases In the absence Of con-
tract seem to have been overlooked, as the
corrsctnss Of single 1SS one Vf Of these bills
1' Adam. 19a 9sianS fes Sss1s7s for a' painting
Mr. Adams but his account rather shows sSst
he employed the painters himself and kept the
only account we have of the same, which does
formed this painting, and no one in the employ
OF the city certifes to the correctness OF this
scccunt or any part of it; and still the same
has been approved by your honorable body. 1t
Is quite evident to me that this mater has been
neglected aud the plain provisions of the
charter M relating to such matters ignored result
the claims already presented exceed the
amount for which the work could have been
zone @ oy IN s6ss amount % ana the claims are e. not all
ceiving Hospital. Under the circumstances,
do not feel justified in approving these de-
mands.
Mr.. Wirsching said that evidently
ter in reference to the cost. A bid re-
csived by the Building Committee
showed that the cost would have been
more than it was. The original plans
we're incomplete, and more work had
been done than had at first been thought
necessary. He moved that the message
be referred to the Building Committee,
to report upon next week.
The vote whereby the demands were
approved was reconsidered, and Major
Bonsall said that the work had been done
while he was away, but he thought as
the Building Committee had been at
tackled the matter should be referred to
special committee. He understood that |
the Mayor objected because the work was
done without any advertisement or COM |
petition.
Mr.. Wirsching said that if the Coun- |
Gil had advertised the work could not
have been done as cheap, as contractor
could not have used the prisoners.
Mr.. Hamilton said that 81 800 had
probably been saved by doing the work
as it had been done.
Major Bonsall said that he had under
stood that there would be a Receiving Hos |
pital, but it appeared that the work had |
been gone ahead with and no hospital
had been provided. A Receiving Hos
pital was necessity.
Mr.. McLain said that the design had
been drawn up by Mr.. Muchmore, the
Building Superintendent, and the work
had been done under his supervision and
the Police Commission.
President Franken6eld said that this
was one of those things that could not
we'll be done by contract. This was one
of the scolding messages usually sent in
by the Mayor.
MIR. Wirsching said that the Health
Officer would not have a Receiving
Hospital there and go that project was
abandoned.
Mr.. Shafer said that the records show
that the property was eet aside for
Receiving Hospital. There had been
no action setting aside the motion he
had made to set aside the property, and
he did not know by what authority the
Receiving Hospital had been abandoned.
The motion to refer the demands
back to the Building Committee was
carried.
Mr.. Hamilton moved that the Mayor
be requested to notify Justice Lockwood
to file monthly report with the Council.
Carried.
The following message was received
rom the Mayor:
IT desire to call the attention of your honor
able body at this time to Section 207 of the new
charter in which the provision in the old char
ter, viz: "That the Council by resolution or
motion may authorize any officer, committee
or agent Of the city to bind the city
without contract in writing for the
payment Of any sum OF money not ex,
under the new charter the only manner in
which the city can bind itself in such cases is
by an ordinance This is the language Of the
new charter on the subject: The Council by an
ordinance may authorize any officer, committee
or agent of the city to bind the city without q
contract in writing for the payment OF any sum
of money not exceeding $500" This change
in the law has been overlooked by
your honorable Lody for the past year
and the custom that obtained under
the old charter authorizing the exp enditure of
money by Committee on Supplies on mere
motion or resolution has been continued, when
the law does not authorize 1t, and 1t ought to
be discontinued and supplies instead of being
purchased by the Chairman of the Committee
on Supplies, should be purchased in open m ar
ket after publication of notice for competitive
bids took occasion to call the attention of your
honorable body to this matter before but 1t has
been overlooked. On the 9th of November
the Fire Commissioners requested to be per
mitted to purchase the hay and grain for the
Fire Department after hay which had been
Durchased bv the Chairman of the Committee