Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-03
A Meeting of the Protective
Association Yesterday.
Forty Thousand Dollars Never
Accounted For.
Who Got That Doodle for Court House
Plumbing9
Expert Moore's Sensational Charges-He
Tells the Result of Some of His In
vestigation-Other Matters.

tioh lorlHeu 10 cOrrecJ ABUSES IN the City
and county government, held its regul ar
meeting yesterday in Forester's hall,
l07 North Main street. The attendance
was rather small, there being only about
twenty-five or thirty present when the
meeting was called to order at 10 o'clock.
Among those present the following were
noticed: III. G. Dillon, E. A. Brunson,
@. A. Coffman, Francis Biggy, II. H.
Boyce, p. Brady, G. Tononi, I. Reed, R.
j. Adcock, E. j. Nolan, B. s. Eaton,
William d. Gould, James Clark, Judge
sanborn, A. fl. Judson, w. T. Kend-
ricks, Edgar Moore, l.. Lichtenberger
and Joseph Mesmer.
The chair was occupied by President
Lichtenberger, and Joseph Mesmer acted
as secretary. The first business dis
cussed was an address to the taxpayers of
Los Angeles county. The document was
quite lengthy, and among other things
stated that the taxes of Los Angeles
county for 9091 amounted to 81 ,0O5,-
888.14, the population being 100000,
making an average of $40 for each per-
son. The taxes in Los Angeles city were
$79l, ,65096 or about $15.S3 for each per-
son. making a total of $25.S3 tax for
each person in the city. 1t then went
on to accuse the county officers of in
competence, ignorance and rascality, to
declare the accounts to be incorrectly
kept, and that it is limited that public
officials who have charge of the county ex-
penditures are playing into each others
hands to steal everything in sight. 1t
concludes with description of the Tax
payers union, its aims and objects, and
inviting all to cooperate with the union
in exercising general supervision over
county affairs, and investigating the
rumors OF corruption, etc., now in circu-
lation. The address as read was adopt
ed by the union, and will soon be print
ed and circulated.
About dozen new members signed
the roll and paid dollar apiece into
the treasury. 1t was stated by the Sec
retary that the list of paid-up mem
bers included thirty-nine names. while
the roll of those in sympathy with the
movement numbered a few over $50
names.
In the general business of the meet
ing the bylaws were amended so as to
require $500 bond for the treasurer
James Clark, of Pasadena. was elected
vice-president, in place of d. F. Bell.
Printed applications for membership
were given to the members to be circu-
lated among taxpayers. A seal was
adopted, the design of which was dog
guarding safe, containing the name of
the union. A committee consisting of
w. d. Gould, w. Kendrick and A. III.
Judson, was appointed to consider the
advisability of Incorporating the union,
and to prepare articles of incorporation,
should they decide in favor thereof
AT this point Mr.. E. Moore, the expert
who has been engaged in examining the
county records, was called upon for
statement.
He said he was not yet prepared to
make full report, but as soon as the
union was properly organized he had
sufficient data with legal evid ence TO
back it to furnish the board, so it might
go ahead with its work. He said the
minutes of the board of supervisors
were very poorly kept, a number of
their acts are not entered on the min
utes at all, and you can't trace them.
The same carelessness presents itself in
the demands allowed by the board.
Many OF them are not sworn to, MANY
not o. KID by the officer who has
charge of the work for which the de-
mand is made, many are not even
signed, many he knows have been
allowed when absolutely no service was
rendered. These demands have all bad
warrants drawn for them, and have
been paid.
He said he had discovered a number
of forced balances of accounts. The tax
collectors balances for the year 1889,
when Mr.. Bulls was tax collector,
showed that over SAC, 900 had been col
lected on personal property which had
never been turned over to the treasurer.
Yet the balances appeared all right and
in proper shape. He was still working
on this matter gathering details, yet he
knew what he stated was positively the
case.
He said there had within the past
three years been between $4,000 and $1,000
spent in repairing the old court house.
Five thousand dollars of this had gone
for plumbing. Mr.. Moore then stated
that the board of supervisors had taken
steps TO endeavor to head off this inves-
tigation but without avail. He said the
district attorney, auditor and treasurer
were with the union.
Mr.. Mesmer wanted to know how
much the Lockwood, Damron and Edel-
man trials had cost the county, as be
considered the expenditures larger than
necessary.
Mr.. Lichtenberger made statement
rejecting upon the coroner. He said
the coroner has been holding number
of post mortem examinations where
there is no necessity for it. He cited
the case OF negro woman who died of
cancer of long standing. Though she
died under physicians care, who issued
certificates of death, the coroner insisted
upon holding a post mortem, for which
the county had to pay. He knew of
two other cases, and he had all the data
and names of witnesses. This should
also be looked into.
motion was made to adjourn, but
was defeated in order to allow the pre-
sentation of motion changing the date
OF meeting to the first Friday in each
month. This being done, the union ad-
journed.
AN EMINENT WOMAN.
Professor E. I. French on Her Wav