Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-20
MAYOR MAKES STATEMENT
Replies to Open Letter Of Business
Mems ORGANIZATIONS

Of public works last night, with the
request that It be published
Mr.. j. o. Koepfli, president Chamber
of Commerce; Mr.. H. B. Gurley, Act
ing Secretary Chamber of Commerce;
Mr.. Niles Pease, President Merchants
and Manufacturers Association; Mr..
f. j. Zeehandelaar, Secretary Mer-
chants and Manufacturers assocla-
ton; Mr.. H. c. Wilmer, President
Municipal League; Mr.. c. d. Will
lard, Secretary Municipal League:
Gentlemen-Shortly before 10 O'Clock
this evening there was delivered to me
at my home a letter dated this day
and signed by all of you gentlemen un-
der the names of the several bodies of
which you are officers, purporting to
be communication from yourselves
as representing the chamber of COM
merce, the Merchants and Manufactur-
ers association and the Municipal
league, concerning the appointment of
the members of the board of public
works.
You state in the letter that the direc
tors of these organizations are impellel
to lay all the facts with respect to the
appointment of this board before the
public in an open letter to me.
In view of the fact that you have
adopted this means of presenting 10
the public the matters stated in your
letter, 1 think that in justice to my
self and the people of Los Angeles, my
reply thereto may also well be in the
form of an open letter to you and l,
therefore, in the limited time that is
allowed me desire to place before the
people plain statement of the facts IN
the case and of my action in order that
no unwarranted or hasty conclusions
may be drawn without full knowledge
of the facts. ~
The organizations named are repre-
sentative bodies in this community and
any communication from them, If au-
thorized, is entitled to great consider
alton and especially by public officers.
The appointment of the board Of pub
lie works has been a matter that has
been directly before the public since
the adoption of the charter amendment
providing for the board by the last leg
islature, and. figured to large exten:
in the last municipal campaign, 1t then
being expected that in all likelihood the
amendment would be adopted by tho
people and ratified by the Legislature.
In every speech I made during the
campaign I pledged myself to ask the
various business associations to SUBJ
init names for this board, in the event
of the adoption Of the amendment, and,
from the names submitted, would
choose the board of public works. In
making this statement 1 meant just
what L said, and have acted in good
faith from that day to the present
moment. You WILL therefore, permit
me gentlemen to say, that in nothing
l have done have I offered or sought
to offer "a deliberate affront to the
dignity of these organizations, whose
names are appended to your letter, as
is the intimation of your commune
cation.
During the month Of February of this
year conference was held between
Messrs. Slauson, Koephi, Washburn,
Johnson and myself relative to the ap-
pointment of the members of the board
of public works. and at that confer
ence reiterated to those gentlemen
what I had previously stated to the
public during the municipal campaign, |
and at that time the gentlmen named
made a proposition to submit five
names, If I remember correctly, and
me to choose the members |
o. the board from the list thus sub
mitted, and have no recollection of
any other proposal. I declined to ac- |
cept the proposal, and stated to those
gentlemen that would adhere to my |
original declaration.
The matter then rested until June 26,
on which day I sent communication
to the chamber of commerce, Merchants
and Manufacturers association, Mu-
nicipal league and the Voters league
those bodies to suggest for
the names of ten men
deemed by these bodies suitable as
members of the board of public works,
and stating that IL they thought favor
ably of the proposal that l would APP
preciate an answer as soon as possi-
BILE. on the first day of July received
answere from your association in which
It was stated that they would advise
me as soon as action was taken. /
have never received any notice from
either Of your associations that they
accepted my proposal or would sug-
gest the names requested. except from
the Voters league.
On Saturday, July 15, Mr.. Koephi re-
uuested a conference with me for the
afternoon, but as / had made previous
for that time arrangements
were made for meeting on Monday,
July II. Messrs. Koephi. Washburn
ana Johnson were the gentlemen met
IT that time.
After several hours conversation per-
tanning 70 the appointment OF mem-
49,. - fha hoara ~ .,,sf,lfo rVorka Mr. |