Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-27
HAZARDS SAY-SO.
THE MAYOR DIFFERS FROM MR..
MrLMOIL.
of Sixth Street.-The Commissioners
Severely Criticised.

Mayor Hazard yesterday sent the fol-
lowing veto message to the council:
To the Honorable Council of the City of Los
Angeles:
return herewith without my sigma
ture the ordinance directing the opening
of Sixth street between Pearl street and
west line of the Galpin tract and ap-
pointing commissioners to assess the
damages consequent thereon.
have heretofore complained to your
honorable body of the practice of ap-
pointing these commissioners without
any Limitation on the amount they are
permitted to charge for their services.
1t is now going on three years since the
first appointment of commissioners to
open streets was made by the council,
and not final report has yet been fled
on any of these streets, and in reply to a
communication to your honorable body
of tenor similar to this, Mr.. McIlmoil,
one of these commissioners, said: "In
each case we (the commissioner esti-
mate the value of our work according to
the time consumed;" and now let us
see what time is consumed, taking this
commissioners word for it, In the same
communication he says: "Our expert
ence has been that it was necessary that
we should constantly he present in our
Office in order to do the work satisfac-
torily." Read these two sentences to-
gether, in connection with the fact that
no final report has yet been filed on any
street, and you can realize what it means
to make these appointments without
any limitations on the fees they are au-
thorized to credit themselves with.
In. a former attempt to open this came
street a charge of 5000 was made for
services of commissioners alone up to
filing OF the report clerk, $l00; subse-
quent estimated expenses, $4,000 and
other expenses making 8 total of
$l145.09, and there were no improve
ments to be damaged or houses to be re-
moved, simply the computation of what
ten small pieces OF property, to be taken
for street purposes, was worth.
| do not believe with Mr.. McIlm O il
that it is necessary for them to remain
constantly in their office while these
proceedings are pending, and to charge
for the time spent waiting for come one
to come in and get warrant. The clerk
who draws salary for that purpose is
AMPLY dDl6 W dItcuu " dlt hOCH QuJieE.
Mr.. McIlmoil says: 1--WE find it neces-
sary that we should remain in our office
during the opening of steret 80 that
property owners can receive any in
formation wanted; besides, we are re-
quired to be present SO that warrants
for damages to land can be signed by
u.s." That these commissioners are re-
quired to stay in the office and charge q
salary therefor that they can tbe pres
ent to sign warrants plainly shows
the necessity for some limitation in this
behalf.
1t does -seem to me that these com
missioners with attorneys, experts,
clerks, and all assistance necessary
which is paid for by the property own
ers, under their direction, should be
able to get these matters in such shape
as to enable them to appraise these
limited amounts of damages without
spending all their time in doing go.
They have gone through this matter
once and have been paid for it., they are
able with the assistance of their clerk to
approximate what their fees should be
in doing whatever is necessary, and the
amount, if reasonable, ought to be the
limit which they are permitted to
charge these property holders for their
services in that behalf
Respectfully, ETC..
HENRY L. HAZARD, Mayor.
Los Angeles, Feb. 26, 1892.