Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-01
PASS 17O.
THE MAYOR REPLIES AT ONCE TO
COUNCILMAN REES.
or Says, Ride on Street Car Passes.
An Interview Full of Ginger.

A HERALD reporter called on Mayor
Hazard last evening in reference to the
reply OF Mr.. Rees in the council yester-
day to his message.
"You have read Mr.. Rees's statement
made in the council today" said the re-
porter.
eyes, have read it," replied the
MAYOR, "and am somewhat amused at
the umbrage he takes at my stating he
rides on free passes obtained by virtue
OF his position as councilman, be-
cause | have no hesitancy in stat
ing that no one ever offered him
a pass before he was a councilman.
He says, when he catches me and my
wife riding to Sacramento and back on a
free pass, l will agree to place twice the
amount OF the fare in the treasury of
the Orphans home That is true, be-
cause no railroad company would eyer
conceive the necessity of putting up
that amount to own this Uriah Heep of
the ninth ward: he can be bought for
less money; scent car fare is nearer
his fix. He admits, however, that did
paw my fare, although was on busi-
ness OF the city. He says, when he
returned from Sacramento he probably
thought he could make little political
capital if he insisted on paying his fare.
never thought of that as have always
and on all occasions paid my fare, and
would never have mentioned it, had l
not been compelled to in answer to his
charge that l got $25 from the city,
when in that one instance show that l
expended in fare and hotel bills alone
| the sum of $133 in behalf of the city
and never asked the city to repay me a
cent thereof. | am frank to confess he
would make some political capital if he
would repay struggling street car COM
pany which has invested so much in our
city and barely pays running expenses,
if he would pay the amount of his fares
obtained on free pass.
~ did say that he accepted favors oi
the street-car companies and rode on
passes. / must qualify that, however,
by saving, on reliable information, that
during the session of the grand
Jury, when it was reported that that
matter was under advisement by that
body, he declined to use pass No. 10,
but | don't know that he is entitled to
anv credit therefor, because members OF
his family did during that time use
other passes.
"a public official should discharge the
duties of his Office for the salary it
yields. Under no circumstance should
he accept fsvors from any, and if the
salary is not sufficient without accept
ing favors he should resign, because an
employee cannot always exercise his
honest judgment who permits himself
to be put under obligations, no matter
how small that would depend largely,
however, upon the number in his fam
lily.
Permit me to describe the sensation
of this independent municipal states
man, travelling on free pass: The
conductor comes along and says: Fare,
! please!'
"The question then arises in his mind
which is the greater, my independent
manhood, that would prompt me to pay
4 my way through the world and be under
obligations to no one, or 5 cents. Some
men would not consider the proposition
others would admit that cents was the
larger, retain it in their pocket, sur
render their Independent manhood, and
in reply to fare, please, say pass No.
170.' 1 will pay my respects in proper
|, time to this municipal statesman with a
free-pass collar around his neck"