The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-08
City Hall Schemers Trying to
Evade 1t
GRAND JURY IS NOT WANTED
Strong Endcayor Being Made to Avoid
Expert Inquiry
Pressure Being Brought to Bear on the Grand
Jury to Have It Consider Only 1at-
tiers Voluntarily Submitted

The push is now endeavoring to get in
its work on the grand jury and prevent
that body from making any investiga-
ton whatsoever of the city government
and its affairs except where some person
comes before the jury voluntarily and
gives information upon which they can
act.
For this grand jury to adj ourn with
out making a complete AID searching in
vestigation Of each and every depart
::ent OF the municipal government, would
be a matter for universal regret. 1t mat
ters not how this Investigation is inaus-
urated, whether it be by the voluntary
statements of few persons in possession
of facts or whether it be on tho m otion OF
the grand jury itself, it should be had
by all means.
The manipulators and schemers who
have the reins of the city government in
their hands have been designing for
metimc past to have the grand jury
avoid any Investigation of the affairs OF
the municipality. They do not want the
light turned on and 1t is not to be won
dered at for if there is one particular spot
in all this state where there exists ne
oessity for general reform 1T IS IN the city
hall.
The gang started out some time ago
with the statement that the grand jury
could not under the statute Investigate
city government matters. This, OF course,
was not true. The statute makes 1t man.
datory upon the grand jury to investi-
gate and expert the books of every coun-
ty official, but says nothing or city gov
ernments. OF course, though, the grand
jury is expected to, and has in the past
Investigated all public offices.
,A,n hi nh yu
supposed to give the grand jury the
proper legal advice, has stated that
while the statute is not mandatory, the
grand Jury can investigate the city hall
affairs and records if it desires to do so.
The district attorney should have gone
further. He should have stated that it
is the grand iurys duty to investigate
municipal matters from top TO bottom.
Why are city officials less liable to err
han county officials?
Speaking OF matters and things that
m light be looked into at the city hall BY
the grand Jury, why not make search
ing investigation of the street superin-
matters generally? Ono councilman-Mr.
Kingery-againsJ whom charge or sus-
picion of dishonesty has never been
made, has alleged that the street superin-
,sndent attempted to bride MIN with an
offer of cold ccin TO influence his vote on
a certain measure.
Then all the other Offices at the city
hall should be at least given a cursory
examination on the quiet. The question
as to the blackmail that has been levied
on the denizens of the Alameda street
district indirectly and paid to certain
parties through Theodore Bauer might
be good thing to look up. Then the sa
10 On license qestiuon will bear q scare CHI
ing inquiry. Mr.. Bauer's license that has
been revoked it is rumored, cost him
$500. Who got it?
There are a great many other things
that a grand jury might discover at the
city hall that would, II reported, furnish
foud for reflection for municipal tax
payeYs