The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-04-29

(COQIl0QoQ lTOm Il ncI I d6C-y
are III the transferring of the time
lof city elections to the non-political
years. that is to say away from the
years of presidential or state and
county elections; CD the establish
ment of a permanent non-partisan
Board of Public Works, that feature
of the citys business having hereto
fore rested with a committee or the
council with most unfortunate results;
t(3) the extension of the civil service
/ to all departments and including the
registration of laborers; CAD abohDon
of the elective office Of street Superln-
/ tendent, making it a department I'M
der the Board Of Public Works; t9)
the preliminary steps toward the con-
solidation of city and county assessor
and tax collector; (6) limitation OF
railway franchises TO twenty-one years
4 The mere enumeration of these
lchanges viii indicate mo doubt the
iextent to which the whole system was
4 put OF true when the work or reioT-
nation began and there is no need 70
iexplain that evils SO fundamental ana
of so long standing cannot be RENE
died by the mere enactment Oh laws
The adoption OF a competitive me-it
system for example does not mean the
immediate establishment OF a hlghN
competent municipal serVice-time
. and eternal vigilance and an educ2t-
ed public sentiment all are needed TO
the working out of that end The Los
Angeles Civil Service Commission has
adopted stringent rules with reS9sct
to the participation in politics OF city
employees, and a practical demonstra-
ton was given OF the working OF these
rules by the removal of several viola
tors. Heretofore our city conventions
have been largely dominated by direct
1 city nall influences, and the caueuses
? and primaries and polls on election
] day have been run by city employees.
: This practice has now ceased with
r marked improvement in the whole
! field of city politics.
7 The fear experienced by many par
] tisan workers that under the new
y regime nobody would be left TO man
2 age politics has been shown TO be en-
I tirely baseless, for great body nf
: citizens that heretofore manifested
d but little interest in sucn matters are
d now making up and taking an active
r hand.
e The Recall.
eI But the entirely unique feature OF
t the Los Angeles charter is the Recall.
9 1t is a plan whereby if twenty five per
S cent of an elective officers constitu-
e ents sign a statement 10 the effect
+ that they are dissatisfied with his
$ course, an election is called forthwith
el and he must contest for the place as
IL to the remainder of the term, with
g him. The Recall has been actually
. used once and. public opinion now
81 strongly favors the system. Its value
n as a permanent political institution
ri cannot be determined by one expert
II ment, but there are CERTAIN objections
d, taat were offered TO the system before
IS irs adoption which our two years Of
of experience with it seems TO have abol
"a isfted. One was that II would dis
y courage meh from seeking Office. Two
Of months after the recall election, the
regular municipal nominating conven
Of tions were held and a larger percent
Df age of good men entered the contes
n than at any time previously
S. Second, it was urged that tae recall
n would be evoked for partisan purpOs
es, and that frequent changes in tht
n, personnel Of Offices would result Blu
ir as matter of fact il is a pretty se-i
a. Gus undertaking to secure the sigma
be lures of twenty-five per cent. Of th'
ID voters. each name witnessed an,
or sworn to as the law provides. More
n over, there is the American sentimen
of fair play to be reckoned with, whicI
IL will protect tae officer who means L
ed Go what is right.
H. Since the Los Angeles experiment:
en- four neighboring California citie5
&C Pasadena, Fresno, San Bernardino an
la, San Diego. have Incorporated the rt
ed call in their charters. In the case @
ia Pasadena. the committee framing III
vs. charter. composed almost exclusivel
e, of oficehelders, refused 10 include II
IL recall, and the people promptly force
all 1t in by initiative petition
cir Municipal Franchises.
to When the amendment 10 the charte
It's limiting street railway franchises I
i twenty-one years was proposed, NJ
Huntington, wac owns the Los Ang'
les roads, announced that he woui
i'll make no further additions to mis- line.
Ter The amendment carried, however, an
g. lseFeral franchises have already bee
nd asked and granted, and more are pr
at lsently to follow. The franchises {
the general system have thirty-fv
years more TO run. Agitation is a.
tive for a municipal gas plant. tn
L. Mayor having recommended it an
several councilmen declared in It's fa'
esl or. 4 bill passed the last legislator
allowing streets in cities to form a
sessment districts to put in speci;
he lighting systems and one street has q
artistic and beautiful set of pests ov,
Ike a mile and half in length already
ng place Three others are to folio
Esuit;. and when that work is compile
INT ed Los Angeles will be the most bea
no ltifully lighted city in the Union