The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-10
BUDD AND REFORM.

III.
como o. IL. Taxation remains tue came
and political loxerdemain has bsen geing
on as belore. The newly elecsed cover
nor has taken a new departure and has
shown himself to he 9 practical refnrmer
by pointing out whore excrsscences and
su perfiuitiea can and should be removed,
and the burdens OF the people lessened.
Ii was wise that he did this before his
Inauguration and before the assembling
OF the legislature. The executive and a
majority OF the legislature being OF dit
ferent polisjcs, the attitude OF the new
governor seems to have brought out q
response which looks as il the legisla-
ture wers going TO adopt his suggestions.
and to take the initiative itseif. The
governor undoubtedly will further
develop HE ideas OF reform as ne further
looks into the condition OF atfaire.
From appearencss there IL likely to be q
race between the two branches OF tn 6
government on the work OF reform aud
economy. Let tho RAGS 20 on and may
the fastest win.
We do not care FROM what source i'm
provement comes. We shall applaud it
whether it comes from the Democratic.
Rspub lican or any other party. Re-
form and greater economy are much
needed ir this state. There lie too much
machinery in every class OF government,
the systsln ia unnecessarily cumbrons
and tho expenses are greater in Califor-
MIA than ia any othsr state, according to
population. with very few exceptions.
That this is so is result of peculiar
circumstances. The state WAS organized
and admitted into thu union in the
very height of gold production. Wages
and profits of business we're phenome-
nal. Money was plenty and everybody
was getting rich. The men go environed
made the old constitution and put she
government into operation. Economy
was not known or cared for In private or
public affairs. Large fortunes were
su bsequsntly made in building rail-
roads, in the acquisition OF crest bodies
of land and in numerous other ways.
Business activity ensrossed the thoughts
OF the mass Of the people, and the
character of the government was a mat
ter OF secondary consideration.
Political ideas until recently were
different from what they now are. II
was theory that the best why to build
up party was to provide ofticsa for poll
tical workers. Hence the machinery
OF government becams not only cum
brous but unnecessarily expensive. The
people have for some time felt the bur-
den which in the present depression
has become positively unbsarabIs. 1t
is creditsble to the new governor that
be comprehsnds the situation and has
taken time by the forelock and is urging
retrench ment.
The extent to which offices can be
abolished and salaries educed We will
not attempt to point out in full. We
will confne ourselves to few. We
have county and municipal ASSESSORS,
or in all the citiea of whatever class
two assessments for purposes OF taxa
ton. In most il not all the other states
the county assessment is adopted al the
baois upon which taxes are levied for
municipal purposes. The legislature Of
1891 made the adoption OF tho county
assessment optional with city govern
ments, but VS. ars not aware that any
city has avaled Itself of this privilege
And why not? We know OF no reasor
except that to retain assessors and theil
assistants affords larger means OF com
psnsating for par tissn work. The un,
necessary work OF city ASSIGNMENTS costi
the taxpayers OF the cities OF Los Angs
les county many thousand dollars an
nuslly.
In most OF tho states the count,
treasursra collect ell the taxes for what
ever purposes levied. and pay the none,
over to the authorities appointed b!
law to receive it. In addition to ths
expense saved that method is a grea
convenience to the people. They 20 t,
one place and get a clean recsipt for al
they owe for taxes, but under our sys
tenn the residents OF the cities are re
quired to 90 to two places. There is nc
need OF tax collectors of cities or ooun
ties. They are like fifth whesls t,
wagons. They collect and pay over t,
the tressurers and the treasursrs dis
burse IS the law directs. To abolish al
tax collectors and transfar their work t,
tho county treasurer would increase tn,
expenses OF the trsssurer's office, Blu
after dsduoting that expense the saving
to the taxpayers of Los Angeles county
would not be leas than $4,000. Som,
OF tho public money stickn to ever
hand 1t passes through, and it 10 bes
that it should pass through a. few hand
az possible.
The two Gases mentioned are illus
trative OF the cumbroua and expensive
character of our system of government
A little study will show where there Cal
be Other rstrenchmsnts.
The time has come whsn politi ga
management must be conducted upoI
better lines than it has beon done il
the past. No political party can main
tain itself ia power through patronage
merely. 1t would take q great man,
offices to do that, and 1t would impos
greater burdens than any free peopl
would bear. The political leaderl O
party that relies upon patronage niue
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