The herald., 1897-04-05
The Boiler Inspectorship Job

To the Editor of the Los Angeles Her
aid: 1t seems somewhat strange TO me
that anyone should presume to question
any act which may be done by the
council of this city. What right has a
citizen and taxpayer to object to any
act of the council, even though his
taxes are immensely increased through
damages awarded by the courts on ac-
count of the city's incompetent officials
in certain offices? OF course there are
no suits now, nor is there any assurance
that there will be any, but suppose, for
instance, an elevator were to fall, what
attorney could not get almost any dam
ages he might see fit to ask? Such must
necessarily come against the city be-
cause of the certificate of inspection is
sued by a city official certifying to the
fitness of the elevator for duty.
The examining boards report, as pre-
sented to the council shows that neither
one of the appointees of the council an
swered any questions in regard to ele-
vators, while the rejected applicants
stand one perfect and the other missing
one question. If that is not enough to
secure the judgment. I should like to
know what evidence would be more
convincing, or could be more relied up
on to establish a fact in law. While it
is true that elevators might break down
if examined by men having knowledge
OIL SuCn IndlLtTS, lHc ClidACCS dAC 1890
and no charge of incompetency could be
sustained where they have conclusively
proved that their knowledge and fitness
qualities them to judge of the safety
of an elevator, so far as skill and expert
ence will allow, which the appointees
are wholly without, according to their
own statements.
Under the old ordinance, which was
repealed, no record of the office of boiler
inspector was required. The new or
dinance was drafted in such manner
as to require a record to be kept of the
acts of the inspectors and board of ex-
amining engineers, making the boiler
inspectors the clerks or record Keepers
for the office. According to the examin-
ing boards report the best of the two
who were appointed only answered
about one-third as many questions as
did one of the rejected applicants. 1t
is generally presumed that when per-
son is given a public office he is qualified
to perform the duties. 1t is not intended
that public office should be school of
instruction for anyone; yet in this case
it necessarily must be.
What business man would choose a
bookkeeper when he knows that he lacks
by two-thirds the ability to do the
work required of him? When he wants
an apprentice or an office boy he usually
hires them for that purpose, and ex-
poets himself to guard against any mis-
takes but when he wants man to per-
form some certain duty he sees to it that
the man is competent to perform 1t.
Owners of steam plants would have
first class claims against the city for
damages inasmuch as the board of eX-
aminers report shows both men to be
very low as to their knowledge of boil
ers-one having SO per cent, the other
so per cent of correct answers-while
the rejected applicants have respective
ly 9S and SO. What court, upon such
showing. could refuse to grant damages
to an owner of an exploded steam plant
against the city?
In our public schools a percentage OF
rs is required of all students in order to
allow them to advance from one grade
TO the next, or 10 and a teachers recon-
mendation. the latter being rarely given
except when the student has been sick
or otherwise prevented from properly
pursuing his studies. This seems GER
tainly guidance as to the percentage
required for a person for anything
There are councilmen who understand
the position thoroughly, and anyone will
find upon consulting the records that
they acted honestly and fairly, and did
everything in their power for the best
interests of the city. They said that
when we are sick we consult physician
and not a scavenger. The majority,
however, seven in number, while at first
making vigorous professions of honesty
of purpose, threw to the winds their
previous resolutions wherein they de-
clared that those standing highest were
to be selected. The time of the appli-
cants was also wasted, when if they had
not been deluded by the pretensions of
those resolutions they might have turn
ed it to good account in some other way.
Such acts as these lead me to believe
that if the taxpayers but had the use
of the imperative mandate, and elected
everybody and did away with all ap-
pointive power, it would be good
thing. Respectfully,
TAXPAYER.
Los Angeles, April 8, 1897