The herald., 1898-11-14

vided men Of fair ability and integrity hav,
charge of them, which will be the case if the
people do their duty and select the right
man for mayor.
AN increased number of policemen il
provided for. The number of saloon per
mits which the board may issue is limited te
200 until the population shall have increased
to over 200,0O0. Permits must be obtained
by keepers OF hotels and lodging houses
thereby giving the chief of police and the
board power to regulate and control disrep
utable houses. 1t is needless to say that
this requirement will not in anywise hamper
or prove a restriction upon the business oi
those who desire to, and actually do, conduct
their hotels or houses in an orderly and
proper manner. Enlarged powers are also
given to the board and to the chief in many
other important particulars, which will be
conducive to the public safety and benefit
while at the same time there is much less
opportunity for what is usually described as
doing politics.
EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS
"The greatest and most valuable changes
have occurred in the school department. The
members of the board who are called upon
annually to distribute for the benefit of the
city over $l05,000 at the present time (and
will be called upon to distribute much
larger amount under the new charter), are
no longer elected from the wards or as part
of the machinery of ward politics. Three
members are elected at large from the city
who hold Office for four years. Immediate
ly after the first mayor is elected he will ap
point two members, who hold office for two
years. He appoints their successors ther
for four years, so that there will always be
upon the board, after the expiration of two
years, either two or three members who
have had not less than two years expert
encc. The number of the board is reduced
from nine to five, and they each receive a
salary of S75 month, and three are elected
at large.
"The superintendent of schools is to be
chosen by the board, without reference to
where he lives, and by reason only of his at,
and he will hold office subject to
the approval of the board Tor any contract
it may make with him), and subject to its
power to remove him in any event for cause
such cause being defined in the charter. The
deputy superintendents, on the contrary
are to be chosen from experienced teachers
in the city, thereby insuring deputies thai
have thorough acquaintance with the
teachers, with the schools, the city, its
growth, development and needs.
"The present arbitrary power which the
of the board of education may ex-
ercise over the teachers, and which has too
often been exercised from unworthy motives
and for unholy purposes, will no longer ex-
ist, but the board will only have the power,
with the concurrence of the superintendent,
to remove teachers from the department for
causes.
"The council is required to levy tax for
school purposes of not less than 90 nor ex-
ceeding % cents on the Sl00 annually for the
and support of schools; and it
shall levy not exceeding 8 cents on the 800
for building purposes. At the present time
not more than l6 cents on the 500 is levied.
This provision will enable the board to re-
ieve the city from the deplorable conditions
low existing in cur high school, where over
1900 pupils are crowded into building de-
signed to accommodate only 500, and will
wholly prevent the recurrence of such con-
dition in the future, and that in all probabil-
ty without the necessity OF issuing bonds.
"New teachers are appointed according to
their fitness and qualifications, upon the rec
of the school superintendent,
and they are graded in classes accordingly,
from minimum to maximum. Promotions
of teachers are made upon fitness and merit,
while vacancies in principalships are to be
filed only from the maximum class.
CIVIL SERVICE z
Zone of the most radical and valuable
t,,p of tha al, ~ ,vt bo inf
luction of civil service rules in the appoint
nent of all deputies and employees in the
-arious departments and offices. Such rules
practically require that all appointments
or office shall BE based upon mental, moral
md physical fitness for the position, the
being framed with the view
If obtaining the best possible skill and SER
vices for the benefit of the city in each given
station. These rules are made applicable
o all officers, deputies and employees of the
,ity, save alone the principal elective and
lppointive officers and their chief deputies,
md save also the various boards and COM
election officers and unskilled la
oorers. These civil service rules will affect
md bring under them a little over half in
number Of the deputies and employees of the
,ity connected with the departments to
which they apply. This civil service feature
has for its ayowed purpose the obtaining of
the very best public service, based on indi-
ridual merit, at fair compensation, without
the aid of ordinary political or partisan
The various positions to which it applies
will, therefore, cease to be the gift to party
workers by successful candidates or their
.artN l. S.
political services, and they will thereby be
wholly taken out OF politics; and, as fur
ther and most important result, the candi-
dates themselves, both before and after cleo
lion, are and will be emancipated from the
claims made upon them by nlultitudes of
people who seek deputyships either for them
selves or their friends. The administration
Of public business through political and par
tisan methods is admitted to be the greatest
curse of modern municipal governments. In
with many other changes along
the same lines found in the new charter, it is
believed that civil service will do much to
lbate the evil and to place the administra-
ton of the city government of Los Angeles
upon the same sound, progressive, econom-
cal and non-partisan business principles
which obtain in the administration of the
arge private and public corporations of the
and without the application of
which they could not be successfully carried
On.
DEFINITE BENEFITS
Finally, there are many other lesser
points and features N this charter not con-
aimed in the present law or present charter
which are conducive to good, orderly and
city government, but, other than
,hese, the new charter follows along the