Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-27
SUDDEN CHECK DOES NO
HARM, HE ASSERTS
NOT PARTIAL TO CIVIL SERVICE
Head Of Finance Committee and Die
tator Of Financial Policy Of Los
Angeles Tells How Inflated
Estimates Were Cut

think of spending more In his year
than he made or than his income.
Neither should the city And 1t won't
mot this year, anyhow.
Il don't take much stock in this
civil service In city departments. Men
won't work as hard when they know
their jobs are secure. 1 don't believe
it is the best thing for the city"
Councilman George A. Smith, 1.-THE
man behind the AK" as he is known
about the city hall, sat back in his
Office chair, gripped the stump of a
burnt out cigar between his teeth and
set his jaws.
A very determined looking man is
this same George A. Smith when he
emphasizes a statement and the cold
glitter in his unusually soft brown eyes
means that he has ideas we'll set, and
them.
He was chatting about the recent
awful slaughter in the figures for mu-
nicipal expenses for the present fiscal
year, and he didn't mince matters in
expressing himself, either.
Grew Up With City
George A. Smith ought to be pretty
we'll posted on the needs of a city, its
business affairs and the way they
should be run-especially of this city.
He has lived here 36 years-grew up
with it, and saw it transform from
u 'dobe village to a metropolis. Much
Of its progress he helped to shape.
"All of this saw, some of this I was"
he might have said, with that wise
ancient of Greece, but one would imag-
inc that he didn't care very much for
what any old chap of the B. c. period
had said; he looks too modern and too
very present to compare with anyone
of those classic days, or to be expected
to quote their sayings.
But that's neither here nor there;
George A. Smith came here SO years
ago-a generation, as such things are
reckoned, but practically the historical
period of modern Los Angeles-and he
may be said to have been part Of its
genesis. He started with the present
town; he grew up with it, and he
achieved wealth and experience at the
same time. Now, he has both in
abundance, and the city Of his growth
is receiving the full benefit of them.
Holds City Office
Councilman Smith is the head of the
finance committee. AS such, he has
the duty, with his colleagues of ap-
portioning the city's funds and of say
ing to each department of the mu-
nicipality how much it shall have to
satisfy it's needs, both real and imag-
mary. Usually, this has not been very
much of a task; every year the city's
funds have grown with it, and the de-
partments were merely apportioned
their supposedly equitable shares, and
If any one howled too severely, per-
haps it bluffed forth bit more and
no harm was done.
But this year, things happened, and
the quiet, sturdy Mr.. Smith was sud-
denly thrust into the limelight, all un-
willingly, but nevertheless none the less
prominently. With one bound, as it
were, he had the center of the stage,
and the whole municipal government
swirled about him, and each individual
centered upon his devoted head batter
les of pleas and intrigues and demands
and cajolings, that were wonderful to
behold.
For the estimated revenue, at one
awful swoop, was slashed to the bone
and instead Of being $3,SS1. 72410, as
estimates called for, it was determined
that the past methods of money rails
ing were illegal; that the city had not
some powers supposed to rest with 1t;
that the income would therefore be
less than was figured, and that every
department in the municipal govern
ment had asked for far more than 1t
would get.
Then the pipe went out. Some one
woke up. 1t was discovered that for
years the city had been illegally rails
tag its revenue by getting money on the
bond payment plea, and not using 1t,
DeCduSe 1t WASH needed IOr lndI, InuS
fattening the regulation municipal
purse. And the city attorney said it
wouldn't do, for 1t was wrong.
1t was a calamity! Pencils were
whitfield to fine points. and schemes
buzzed through many brains. to work
around the dead stand. but it was no
go. The facts were absolute; the city
could do only thus and so. and the knife
was whetted and the order given to
"chop."
No Raised Salaries
1t was cruel. The figures as finally
made up shocked the willing recipients
of increased income. Dreams of raised
salaries. fatter jobs softer snaps and
this and that and the other. went glim-
mering like snow in a July simeon.
The fellows secure in their places be-
gan to worry over possible cuts, and
the hangers-on by their eyebrows
wondered if they had jobs at ALL The
bird house vanished into thin air. ana