Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-15
LETTER NOT READ
To POLICE BOARD
M. & NJ. SECRETARY THINKS
OMISSION INTENTIONAL
Request That the Commissioners In
stall Foster Alarm Boxes Fails
to Reach Destlnstion--Mayor
Makes Statement


Merchants and Manufacturers asso-
citation is trying to ascertain what has
become of a document which he sent
to the police commission and which he
expected would have been read at the
meeting yesterday morning.
There Is an ominous silence in the
city hall concerning the paper and TO
the query of zeehandelaar and the
directors of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' association, echo answers
"where?"
The letter had reference to the Fos-
ter police signal system and Special Of
fcer Foster is also asking "Where?"
Last Thursday the association adopt
ed letter, addressed to the mayor
and the police commission, recitng the
facts in connection with the recon-
mendations the system had received
from the chief of police. the civic bodies
and individual citizens. 1t also called
the attention of the. commission to the
fact that the former council had agreed
to install 100 boxes of the system il
those installed under a temporary ar
rangement gave satisfaction.
That the trial boxes have been re-
ported upon as satisfactory was also
shown.
In order that there might be no mis-
take about the letter reaching its des-
t.nation in safety. Mr.. Zeehandelaar
says he intrusted it to his stenographer
with instructions to place it in the
hands of Mayor McAleer's private sec
retary, c. e. McKeag. This was done
Monday morning, Zeehandelaar says.
Mysterious Paper Appears
| At an interesting stage of the pro-
ceedings of the police commission yes
terday Clerk McKeag held a paper up
for the mayors inspection.
Shall we take this up now?" he
asked.
mo, we will not discuss that at pres
ent," answered the mayor.
| Presto! The document disappeared
with lightning like rapidity in the
capacious breast pocket of the secre-
| tary's coat.
The members of the commission
looked wise and said nothing. The re-
porters went out into the lobby and
discussed the sudden disappearance of
the mysterious document and its pos
sible import.
Inquiries did not avail To all ques-
tions there was "a smile that was
child-like and bland" but nothing do
| ing by way of explanation.
The commissioners evidently looked
wiser than they were. There is reason
to believe that none of them knew
what the paper contained. It's con-
| tents have not yet been made public.
| A member of the Merchants associa-
ton said last night: I'VE are at loss
to understand why any one should de-
sire to prevent the contents of such
document as we sent to the commits
sion from being made public.
1T deals with a question of public
interest and nothing is to be gained
| by trying to hide it's contents. In fu-
ture we will take measures that will
assure us that any document that is
sent to a commission meeting to be
READ openly VIII Dc 81 ISdu.
1.-THE document which was pocketed
by the mayors clerk may or may not
have been the communication from the
Merchants and Manufacturers associa-
tion. The association cares little for
the answer to that question. but 1T is
interested in the fate of the Foster
alarm system.
"A few weeks before Mayor Nc
Aleer was elected, Foster importuned
the then councilman fror. the First
ward to assist in bringing the alarm
system before the council. Foster says
| that McAleer replied: Don't bring that
thing UP now. After election I will be
the mayor and then these people will
have to come to me-"
Alege Unfriendliness
For once a prophet was not without
honor in his own country. The event
proved the correctness of part of Nc
Aleer's statement. He was elected. but
Fosters friends say he has not taken
kindly to the Foster system. Mean
while the merchants and manufactur-
ers are wondering when they will hear
their letter read.
At late hour last night Mayor Nc
Aleer said his attention was called to
similar document day or two ago
by Secretary Willard of the Municipal
league and that he, the mayor, sug-
gested to willard that he file the COM
munication with the clerk of the
council. The mayor expressed the opin-
ion that Willard had followed his sug-
gestion.
Mayor McAleer admitted that a pa
per had been produced during the
meeting of the police commission yes
terday morning. but said that this was
not the communication from the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers associa-
ton. That paper" said the mayor,
was not one that had come properly
before the commission at ALL"
Mr. McAleer says he is convinced
thara vas no iuqRlinR of anv commlIn-