The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-15
THE CHARTER AMENDMENTS

The election on the proposed charter
anne ndments takes place today, and the
voters of this city should see to it that
an ample majority is given in their favor
We have referred heretofore to the advan-
tages which would accrue from the adop-
ton of these amendments, giving partic-
ular attention to the matter of separating
municipal elections from all 9th ers; and
while we regard this as being the best
feature proposed, there are several others
well worthy of adoption.
The subject of taxation is one in which
all are interested, and the system of
assessment and collection under which
we are now working is expensive and far
from being satisfactory. We now have
two Assessors and two Collectors one of
each for the city and for the county
The combined expenses of the two
city offices aggregate about SCI COD
a year, which is an entirely I'M
necessary expenditure, for an assess
ment is first made by the County Assessor,
and then the same ground is gone over
again by the City Assessor and this
duplication of work and expense could
and should be avoided by taking the
assessment made by the County Assessor
and using it for the purpose OF city taxa
ton. Again, so far as city tax payments
are concerned, the work of the City Tax
Collector is but repetition of that done
by the County Collector and the latter
could just as well do the work for the
city. Aside from the economy of the
proposition, the great convenience of its
operation would be of advantage, for both
the city and county taxes would be paya-
able and would become delinquent at one
time and place, instead of at two, as at
present.
The reduction of expense in assessing and
collecting taxes is not the only retrench-
ment embodied in these amendments
some needed reductions being made in the
pay roll and regulations having been pro-
vided for the government of different de-
partments which will reduce expenses and
at the same time increase the efficien-
cy of the public service The approval of
these amendments will effect saving of
at least $25, 900 per year.
The attention given to public contracts
is another feature which strongly COM
mends them to thinking citizens. AT
present, bids for public work, such as
lighting, street sweeping, etc, are asked
for by advertising but short time before
the contract then existing expires and be-
fore the commencement of service under
the new one, and as it would be impossi-
BILE for any one to prepare to furnish the
service required in the short time which
is now allowed for such preparation, no
one can bid except those who are already
prepared and in the business. This
constitutes a virtual monopoly of
such work by the people already pre-
pared and engaged in it, by which
they charge the city whatever they
please for their services, and when con-
tract is once made they give the city as
poor service as they please. The pro-
vision in these amendments requiring
that bids for all such work must be adj
vertised for and the award made at least
six months before the contract com
mences will put an end to this monopoly
by giving sufficient time between the
award of a contract and its commence
ment in which to prepare to do the work,
so that people other than those already !
prepared may compete for and do such |
work. y
In the government of this city under
the charter as at present. there is
noticeable lack of system, each office be-
ing conducted so independently of all |
others that little knowledge of affairs can |
be gained without patient, exhaustive |
and costly search. No reports of a char
acter at all comprehensive or complete are |
made to the Auditor or the Council, as
should be. These amendments provide |
that system of reports of form which !
will show all transactions of every office !
in detail, shall be made to the Auditor !
and he shall keep them on file. !
These reports will be of great value, not |
only to the Councilmen and other city !
officials but to the general public as well, !
and they will be the means of detecting I
and correcting many extravagances.
Much more might be written of the adj
OF adopting these amendments,
the improvements proposed in the hand
ling of the public money, the certainty of
the Board of Education being trust
worthy body by electing it's members at
large, the definite location of RESPONSE
bility n other Improvements all being
matters of Importance and advantage,
but we feel confident that the intelligent |
voters of this city need little urging to
appreciate the benefit to be derived from
their approval.