The herald., 1898-11-19

corresponding responsibilities outlined by
the new charter are dangerous or erroneous
in the government of our city.
Fourth. The communication apparently
presents q covert attack of q negative sort
on the new city charter, by suggesting the
theory that if the appointment by the mayor
of any officers at all be good thing, we
cannot have enough of that good thing, and
that accordingly the mayor ought to have
been endowed by this charter with power to
appoint all the other city officers who have
to do with the public revenues. 1t may be
that the point is not made in q Pickwickian
sense, but seriously. However that may
be, the argument in either event does not
make with any force against the new char
ter for many reasons.
A statement of the cardinal objects to be
attained by the new charter will constitute
a perfect resume of those reasons.
Its leading purpose is to so distribute the
powers OF city government that the principles
which obtain in the successful business ad-
minstration of the large private corpora
tions of the country shall apply to the city of
Los Angeles. It's four cardinal objects are
effectiveness, economy, security and respon-
sibility.
In order that these points may be at
department of the city into the control or
direction of another department, beyond
what the new charter actually does. 1t
keeps the line of demarcation between these
departments sharply defined.
Broadly generalizing this new charter by
its two largest features, the powers Of its
several departments are represented, on the
one hand by the council and its allied depart
ments, and on the other hand by the mayor,
with the several departments conducted by
the officials whom he appoints, constituting
the executive and administrative branches
of the city government.
The council enacts all municipal legisla-
tion, inaugurates all proceedings for the
raising of revenue, and is vested with the
power of making all appropriations of money
for all city purposes; makes all city con-
tracts not expressly vested in particular de
partments, controls and directs all work
on streets and sewers, holds the purse strings
and thereby controls expenditures.
The mayor, on the other hand, is the head
of the executive or administrative depart
ment. He has no part in inaugurating legis-
lation or in raising, appropriating or ex-
pending money, except that through his right
of veto he possesses check against any
vicious or dangerous exercise or abuse by
the council of its legislative, revenue rails
ing, or revenue appropriation powers, while
over all other officers he has a supervisory
power whereby he may compel them to
perform their official duties.
As a separate and independent, but SUBJ
ordinate, branch of the revenue raising
power of the city, we have the assessor
and tax collector, elected by the people to
execute the general laws and the ordinances
of the council in the matter of assessing and
collecting taxes. As another separate and
independent branch of the revenue depart,
ment, We have the treasurer, who is the Gus
todian of all revenue and funds.
| Over all these departments. and as a
check upon al. we have the auditor, who is
the bookkeeper of the city, who reports to
the revenue raising power the necessities
of all departments, who apportions to all
departments the funds belonging to them.
and who generally constitutes a check upon
each and every other department He
handles none of the public moneys, but he
sees to it that those who do handle them
are lawfully entitled so to do, and that they
do not msappropriate any. He is in fact
the watchdog of the treasury"
For the absolute and certain protection of
the taxpayer in respect of the public rev.
enues and their lawful appropriation and
expenditure, it is necessary that all these
different coordinate branches should be
each Independent of the other in its creation
and operation just as they are defined by
the new charter; and at the same time that
each should possess % certain check upon the
others, as will be found to be the fact when
the various provisions of this charter are
examined in detail. As a result of this, it
was not deemed, and upon principle it would
not be safe or proper, that the mayor should
appoint any of these particular officers con-
nected with the public revenues.
The three officers, however, heretofore
elective, which he will appoint under the
new charter have nothing to do with the
assessing, collecting, appropriatng or Gus
tody of any public funds, and one only of
these has anything to do with the expendi-
ture OF any public funds, to-wit. the stree.
superintendent, who superintends certain
public work for the benefit Of the city or
of its citizens, not under the mayor, but
under and in pursuance of the ordinance
of the council or of the general state law;
while the other two, the city attorney and
city engineer, engage only in the profes-
| >ional work of the city government along
their respective professional lines, so far as
may be necessary to enable the other de-
partments or officers to effectively and cor
rectly discharge their several duties.
The mayor himself will be no longer a
member of any board or commission, AZ
under the present charter neither will he
participate in any matter involving the ap-
preparation or expenditure OF any public
money, save alone as he may unite with the
council by approving ordinances or dissent
from them through his veto.
There is no possible circumstance that
could arise whereby combination between
the mayor and the three officers appointed
\ by him, or between any Of them, could
work the city any serious injury, unless the
council and sor,e other officers connected
with the revenue, including tine auditor and
treasurer should also combine-a most
| improbable contingency.
Under the present charter tle mayer ap-
points the library board and is ex.ofIicio
an active member of the police, fire, health
and park boards.
In practice and in fact the mayor has
been and is the presider. OF these last
named four boards. lie participates in AT
their deliberations and business, takes part
in all their expe ldt 'res of the pubic NOR
eys appropriated 'nd apportioncd to ihese
boards and has II potent influence in die.
tating who shall be appointed as employees 5
under them. As such member md presi-
| don't the mayor has exercised and he now