Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-04
THE NEW EXECUTIVE WRITES
A STRONG DOCUMENT
HIS SUGGESTIONS IMPORTANT
Treats Of the Water Question and
Recommends Immediate Passage
Of the Gas and Electric
Light Ordinances

! VI uiiuoudi pObtiS iiAtl toI anu iN' ~
concentrations, as a rule met with
favor.
Among other things the new mayor
urges the council TO take up for imme-
diate consideration and passage the
proposed ordinances providing for the
regulation OF the gas, electric light and
telephone business. This Is measure
which has been strongly urged by The
Herald, and with the active support of
the mayor will no doubt be speedily
enacted.
The message reads as follows:
ITO the Honorable, the City Council
of the City of Los Angeles-Gentlemen
The people of this city having placed
me in the position of its chief execu-
tive, desire to sumbit to you this my
first message, in compliance with the
provisions OF the charter making it
the duty of the mayor to communicate
to the council, at it's first meeting in
January Of each year, general state
ment of the condition and affairs of
the corporation, and to recommend the
adoption of such measures as he may
deem expedient and proper.
LOS Angeles, once and within COM
paratively recent memory mere viii
lage in size and Importance, has now
attained metropolitan proportions, with
a population of nearly, IL not quite, two
hundred thousand, with large and rap
idly growing commercial interests, and
with all the features and advantages OF
a progressive modern city 1t is need
less to say that the public affairs of
such city demand of those who are
entrusted with their management the
exercise of the utmost diligence, care
and honesty, in order that the revenues
of the city may be economically and
for which they have beeen received.
The gross annual income OF the city,
including water revenues, now exceeds
two and three-quarter million dollars,
and the number of its employees is
about fourteen hundred persons. These
figures alone are sufficient to Indicate
the magnitude and Importance of the
business affairs of the city. The dis
bursement Of such great revenue for
various and almost innumerable pur-
poses without loss or waste is a task
requiring the highest order of adminis-
trative ability. 1t behooves us, there
fore, to put forth our best efforts to
faithfully perform the extremely inn
portant trust that devolves upon us.
Finance
"The fiscal year of the city begins
half of the present fiscal year has
elapsed; but much more than one-half
Of the city's revenues for this year has
already been expended. 1t is, there
fore, especially important that during
til next six months rigid economy
should be exercised in all departments.
and retrenchments in expenditure
should be made wherever public inter-
est will permit, in order that the obli-
cations of the city may be promptly
met, and that it may not be embar.
rassed by a deficit at the close of the
year. In this connection, beg to
recommend that the further oiling of
streets be suspended during the re-
mainder of the winter season. This
work, besides being very expensive,
cannot be safely and advantageously
done in rainy weather.
II desire to commend to you the
present system of purchasing supplies
for the use of the various departments
of the city, by means of which the
city has been able to buy it's supplies
at the lowest prevailing prices. The
faithful administration of this system,
by the present council committee clerk,
has resulted in the saving of many
hundreds of dollars each month
1.-THE work of the auditors depart
ment in devising and installing a uni.
form system of accounting is deserving
Of great praise, and i recommend that
all departments of the city govern
ment be required to conform thereto.
II recommend that your honorabls
body petition the Legislature to make
such changes in the existing laws as
will permit the city to deposit its funds
in banks, providing such banks give
security in the form of bonds of the
United States, or Of this city or state,
for the repayment of same
Water Department
"In reviewing the condition of the
city with regard to water supply a
close personal inspection and study 70
the sources of the water and the means
for its collection and distribution has
led me to the conclusion that by proper
conservation and economical use of thu
water now available and to be made
available by the work now in progress
and nearing completion, our water sup
ply will be ample for the city's needs
for several years to come.
81 find further that the present board
OF water commissioners is fully cog
infant of the Importance Of looking fur
into the future in anticipation of
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