Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-27
THEY WANT SEVERAL REFORMS,
The Meeting of Taxpayers Held
Last Evening.
A Number of Changes Proposed in the
City Government.
A Consolidation of Several Offices Pro-
posed--A Reorganization of the
Police aud Fire depart
ments Demanded.

hall, which made the people aware that
the Sierra Madre was good deal closer
to town than it had been since last Feb
ruary, and the people were slow in get.
ting to the taxpayers meeting an
nounced at that hall.
About hundred people had fairly got
into the room and got seated when Mr..
G. J. Griffith called the meeting to or
der. Ex-senator L. j. Rose was chosen
as chairman, and, after snort speech
George w. Knox was chosen as secre-
sary. tVs
The first thing was the subject of Tax.
alton, by S. w. Brotherton. This gen
tleman said the meeting was not for the
purpose of repudiation. We voted for
the sewer bonds for we thought the
health of the city depended greatly on
q good sewage system. We voted water
bonds because we believed the city could
furnish water to consumers cheaper
than corporations could do it, We are
not met here to repudiate any just tax.
We recognize taxation as one of the
penalties of civilization, and are pre-
pared to stand any fair or rea-
eonable tax. But we. are opposed to
collecting money to be disbursed by
political "heelers" and ward strikers.
This is what we are met here to try and
set aside, this employment OF super
fiuouH officers to do very little work
at heavy cost. We have two men to
do one mans work, in our whole system
Of taxation. We have city assessor to
assess the city taxes and city collector
to collect them. Then we have county
collector to collect taxes assessed by a
county assessor. This superfuity of
officers is wholly unnecessary and de-
vised only to keep men in Office who
have fallen out with hard work.
"a simplifed way" said the speaker,
lis that now in vogue in the state OF
Ohio. They have done away with the
old and cumbersome systems, such as
prevail here. They have county clerk
and when man sells piece OF land he
goes to the clerk to file his deed. The
clerk says he must first get theauditor's
certificate of transfer. That costs 10 cents.
Before the deed can be recorded that
duplicate goes to the county treasurer.
When the assessor takes up the work Of
making tax roll, he goes to the treasurer
and gets what property is on his books.
He then puts down what other property
he cannot find on the treasurer's books.
Boards of equalization sit upon the as
eessment to reduce or increase them as
they zee fit, according to current valua-
ton. The thing had worked well in
, Ohio and should work we'll in Los An
geles.
"The cost OF street work in the city Of
Los Angeles amounted to a practical
confiscation of the property, and the
whole system seems to be carried on in
the interest OF professional office-seeke1s.
= Mr.. Abbott Kinney was the next
speaker. He said: "No man could
help seeing that our city government
was contucteI now at a cost axpayers
were unwilling and unable to bear. The
mayor is cypher, because he has only
veto power and is not consulted
in the selection of his officers. Now
suppose you 60 to work, electing Demo-
cratic president, Republican secretary
of state, Populist secretary of the navy,
what kind of q government would you
have? The fault is not the fault of the
American people, because they are an
intelligent people, but it is the fault of a
system. The mayor is liable to be a
Democrat, the city engineer Republi-
can, and the city clerk a Populist.
Whenever you change this unwhole-
some system, 80 as to take the power
out of the hands of the ward heelers
and strikers, you will amend your city
charter 80 as to elect mayor and com.
mon council. Then let the mayor NOM
mate the city officers, subject to con-
firmation on the part of the council.
Then incompetent or dishonest men
would be rejected, and none placed on
guard of the. finances save good and
worthy men. Men will say this puts
altogether too much power in one man q
hands. They will call this centraliza-
ton. In one sense this is true, but the
time is ripe for change, and the best
people of this city are ready for it,"
The next subject was high salaries,
and the first speaker on this subject was
Mr.. Frank Finlayson, member.elect to
the assembly. His appearance was
strongly in his favor, his voice clear and
his attitude manly. He had been asked
to speak on the subject of high salaries,
and said he was in favor of liberal sal
aries and competent men to fill public
Offices. He favored salaries such as
would warrant competent business men
to leave their private business and take
Office; men who are not afraid of hard
work and willing to earn liberal salaries
and men who will not have lot of sal
aried deputies standing around the
stove and falling over one another fol
want of something to do. He favored 9
law to make the county assessor do the
assessment of taxes on city property
He said the proposed law to make Ger
tain classes of cities all come into one
classification may cause opposition from
Oakland city officials. If the city as
sessor's Office could be abolished it wa.
equally feasible to abolish the city taz
collector as we'll.
Mr.. M. e. y. Munday was the mex
speaker. He came upon the platform
and said briefly that he was in favor O
retrenchment in government expenses
and the reform of existing abuses HI
did not believe that officers were al
dishonest, but the present system is a
fault. He said he did not favor Mr.
Brotherton's suggestions altogether, tt
assess property once in five years. Las
year lot on the corner of Third ant
Broadway was assessed at low fgur,
because there were no valuable or costly
improvements on it. Now we are tolC
that that property is to be surmountet
with q costly edifce worth $500, ,OOG
which would deprive this city of fou
years. revenue from the true value O
the property if the five year plan wa
adopted.
Now as to the salaries paid to officials
he would say that whoever is paid til