The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-06
MAYOR HUBBARD TALKS OUT.
4 Sledee- Hammer Drive at the Clty
Trustees.
He Tells Them Why, in His Opinion,
Illegal Games Are Not
Prohibited.

The following message from mayor
Hubbard was read at the session OF the
City Trustees last night:
To the Honorable Board Of Trustees:
At the meeting of your board on fast
Monday evening, March 18th, you
passed a resolution ordering the Chlel
of Police Immediately to close all gam
bling games existing, or being operated
In this city, and further directing thae
he report to your board in writing, on
April 9Th. concerning the following
matters:
..First-What games have been sup
pressed
"Second-What illegal games, If any,
are supposed to exist, but for any rea-
son whatever have not been sup
pressed.
'.Third-Why such games have not
been suppressed.
"Fourth-What steps are necessary to
insure the closing of such games and
the full and prompt enforcement OF
the laws
I believe the resolution was offered
with an honest intent but such a reso-
luton is not a proper one for your
board to pass. If your board desires
such information, you should ask for it
through the Mayors office. There is
nothing in the charter which gives you
any right or authority to give orders to
the Chief of Police You can pass rules
and ordinances, but you have no right
, to interfere with the execution of such,
nor is there anything in the charter
which requires the Chief of Police, or
any other department officer, to report
10 nj hfaI Iona Icrh
the Mayors office, except in the single
instance where the charter requires
that the Chief Engineer of the Fire De-
partment shall make an annual report
to the Board of Trustees.
In passing the resolution aforesaid
your honorable board have violated the
provisions of the charter by attempting
to override and annoy the Mayor, who
is the chief executive officer of all the
municipal departments in the perform
ance of duties imposed upon him by
the charter 1t seems to be the object
Of your beard to use every effort to as
sumo the executive as we'll as the Leg
islative duties of the city government
and to prevent the clearly defined pro-
visions of the charter from being car
ried into effect.
The Chief of Police is a department
officer under the general supervision OF
the Mayor, and any communications
to or from him should pass through the
Mayors office. When you arbitrarily
assume to constitute yourselves the eX-
ecutive branch of the city government
and disregard the charter or law under
which your board exists, there is no
wonder that the other officers of the
city do not have proper respect for
the laws.
l will reply to some of your requests
for information. In replying to your
second request, viz: What illegal
games, if any, are supposed to exist,
but for any reason whatever have not
been suppressed ?" I will answer that
by reference TO the records Of your
board
The most pernicious and demoraliZ-
ing form of gambling that ever ex-
listed in this city is that of pool-selling,
mad it is not suppressed because your
honorable board refuses to pass an or
dinance prohibiting it. On March -,
1896, 1 presented an ordinance to your
board, which, / believed, would sup
press this kind of gambling. Twice, by
request, the ordinance was called up,
but you refused to act upon it. On the
26th Of May of that year L urged you
in a message to act upon said ordi-
nance, but after reading the said mes
sage you ordered it filed, and not a
sage you ordered it filed, and not one
upon it.
Again, or the 10th Of August follow
ing, I most earnestly requested your
hOar ri to ma &C the ordinance To StOD this
most vicious form of gambling. but
with every argument and entreaty
which / could present to your board