The herald., 1896-02-04
THEY ALL FELL down FLAT
E. R. Meserve Is Still Superin.
tendent Of Parks
A FARCICAL INVESTIGATION
The Public Hearing Was Very Funny
Affair
Edwin A. Heserve, the Superlntendent's Bros
ther. Was on Hand and He Steered
A FARCICAL INVESTIGATION
Edwin A. Heserve, the Superlntendent's Bro.
ther, Was on Hand, and He steered
the Family Bark Safely

cOIuIfllS5lOueTS uOWI tuo uuuh. lHo cirCus
lasted for the best part of two hours, and
it was the most entertaining performance
ever enacted amid the sacred precincts oi
the city hall. The ringmaster was Edwin
A. Meserve, the superintendent's lawyer
brother, whose golden tongue and silvery
eloquence put the finishing touches to
Mayor RAIDERS nomination in the Republi
can city convention of 1904.
The lobbies and corridors of the munich
pal building held some forty odd park
workmen for some time while the fun was
waxing fast and furious in the mayors
outer office. All of these mon had been
summoned to appear and give testimony,
at an expense to the city of something like
50 per day for each witness. Commissioners
Cross took in the exigencies of the occasion
early during the proceedings, and ordered
all of the men back to- their several en-
ployments before the curtain had been
rung up on the highly seasoned comedy
scenes which were due to be enacted few
minutes later. Hs
The board having been called to order
the mayor opened up act one as follows:
I'VE have assembled pursuant to mo-
ton made at our last meeting to consider
certain Irregularities with reference to the
park department., and witnesses have been
brought here. 1t remains now for you tc
say whether we will continue. 60 ahead,
orr
"Mr. Chairman, may I ask question:
broke in Ed Meserve.
"Are you here as an attorney, Mr.. Me.
serve?" came the answer. "A motion was
made at our last meeting that no attorneys
be permitted in this. matter, and is it the
desire of'the commissioners to waive that
It may be necessary for me to act accord.
ingly."
"In this matter, Mr.. Mayor, before we
proceed, it is necessary to make this state.
ment," said Meserve. ~ am here not only
as an attorney who, perhaps, understands
the business of examining witnesses better
than my brother, the superintendent of
parks. Through some channel, some
source unknown to us. there has come a
rumor rejecting ON his honor and his in
tegrity, which know, and yot know, and
every man of this board knows, SO far as
they reflect on his honor or integrity, are
unfounded. Now this board has called for
a public investigation. say that investi-
cation should be conducted publicly. The
city attorney should be called in to prose-
conduct the defense, and you should go to
the bottom of every charge which has been
made. You are all my personal friends,
but this matter has gone outside of friend
ship. 1t has got where it. reflects on the
honor and integrity of the superintendent
and ask that you, in justice to him, and
as a matter of right, now that this investi-
cation is called, and particularly as the
matter has become matter of public
notoriety, that this commission conduct
that investigation systematically, with the
dignity which the gentlemen who compose
the board should command, and that the
city attorney be called upon to prosecute il
and to defend it,
''An effort has been made" said the
mayor, "through the public press and one
way and another, different ways, to bring
this matter into moro notoriety than"
~ would like to ask you, Mr.. Meserve,
rs lawyer, If you consider whether this
take evidence in this matter?" questioned
Captain Cross.
II understand, Captain Cross, that this
board of park commissioners are the Gus
todians of the parks of the city Of Los An
geles and its funds, and they can drop any
members which they see fit, and have a
right to ascertain if any charges which
have been made are true or false. AS to
the question whether the men here can be
paid for the time, is one for the city attor-
ney to Decide" was Ed Meserves re-
joinder.
"This is one thing we must remember"
broke in the mayor, THAT no charges have
been preferred. Certain things which came
under the observation of the commission
ers, that they were probably cognizant of
themselves, brought about an investigation
OF a private matter by the members of the
board, and anything that reached publicity
through various channels, and which has
become public. has not been by the order
of the commission at all. The matter here
is one which they consider proper for them
to Investigate. and the conclusions that
they have reached are matters that enable
them to act independent of any investiga.
tion."
THAT is perhaps true," said Msserve.
mo citizen of the city of Los Angsle has a
right to set himself up as a judge as to
what is wise for this commission. -. The
saw fit 10 hold was one at which
no representative of Mr.. Meserve
was allowed to be present. Certain news.
papers printed and published accounts of
that Investigation, which were not currect,
and Mr.. Elmo Meserve is reported by one
OF them to have admitted the truth of the
charges preferred against him, which is
untrue. Now l am here, and l say that if
you are going to have an examination, if
the charges are to be considered by this
board as to whether he should be removed
from this board, those charges should be
made publicly. Otherwise you have no
right to remove him from office as the re-
.
could take TO part. II he has committed a
wrong make him stand and take the pen
atty. Ii he has run those parks better than
they have ever been run before, at less ex-
pense, come out and say so. He is man,
and he is ready to pay the penalty for
every wrong that he has committed, and
demands to be righted if he has been
wTonged. Go to the bottom of this thing
and find out the source from which these
things have emanated, the motives that
started them, and find out the channels
through which they come. You have no
right to consider charges from which Won
do not give him the right to defend him
SELF"
"Do you understand that the board has
made these charges against your brother?
proper place to investigate them is in the
courts. Take the matter into the courts.n
spoke Captain Cross.
"The question ISL said the mayor, s'as
to whether it is to the public interest to en-
gage in private business representing the
same line that he represents as superin.
tendent, or as represented by the park de-
Observation-Disclosures 1t was for the public
interest to engage in private business. and
whether he could give bis public office the
time and consideration by reason Of the
fact that he was engaged in private busi-
ness that he should have. No charges were
made; no charges were considered. The
foreman of the parks was brought in to
consider whether Mr.. Meserve had really
neglected the parks, whether he had given
the time to Them to which they were en-.
titled. Any matter that was said on the
outside, by the public press, is not a matter
for this board to consider. s-
snow. Mr.. MavOr. this co,uas IN >, -o;.1