Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-28
PUBLIC WORKS
BOARD BEGINS.
NEW OFFICIALS TAKE UP
THEIR DUTIES
Most Of the Council Committees Find
That Their Work is curtaIlsd
as Result Of theIRe-
arrangement

The council met .yesterdayFand ep-
proved the bonds Of the three members
of the new board of public works The
bonds were all for $4,000 each. Three
different securities companies vouched
for the new board.
A few minutes after this action the
three men, D. K. Edwards, A. A. Hub
bard and James bs. Anderson, took the
oath Of office, administered by Charles
L. Wilde, chief deputy of the city clerk.
The first meeting will be held this
morning at O'Clock, when the new
board will formally organize. Accord
ing to the charter amendment,providin
for the board the term of office is four
years, but the new board must draw
lots, and according TO luck one member
shall hold office for two years, one for
three and the third for four years.
After a decision has been reached on
this question they VIII choose one of
their number for president.
Next ,auSecretary
A secretary is to be chosen by the
board, whose salary will be $3.50
month, and whose duties, as prescribed
in the charter, will mot be very ardu-
Gus. Although the position is looked
upon in the light, of a sinecure very
few candidates have appeared for the
place, probably owing to the fact that
10 one KNEW uIllllt VhUiludy WIZ WOht0
constitute the board.
The charter amendment provides that
the city engineer and the street super
intendent shall be retained In their
Offices under the direction of the board.
for at least one year, , but the title of
street superintendent changes to in
spector of public works. The salaries
of these two officials remain the same.
and therefore the induction into office
of the new board has little effect on
Street Superintendent Hanley and City
Engineer Stafford, except in such man
ner as 1t restricts their power.
But with Building Superintendent ].
J. Backus the case is different. The
amendment overlooked him entirely
after it had practically taken away his
job by giving his power to the new
board of works. 1t is within the prov
ince of the new board to name a new
superintendent, and although none of
the members has definitely announced
it Mr.. Backus will probably be re-
tanned.
Studying Methods
The members of the new board spent
nearly all day yesterday at the city
hall inquiring into methods of pro-
cedure and acquainting themselves
with the inside details of the city's
business.
They all freely admitted that they
had a good deal to learn. but evinced
a willingness to, figuratively speaking.
pull off their coats and go to work and
perform the duties of their Office to
the best of their ability.
Through the induction into office of
the new board of public works, nearly
every committee of the council has
it's powers curtailed and some are put
entirely out of q job.
Idle Copopoi%feae
Those committee for which there
seems to be nothing left are the COM
mittee on public works. composed of
Kern, chairman; Healey and Harmon;
the water supply committee, composed
of Ford, chairman; Hitler, Harmon,
Kern and Smith.
The committees on fire and water,
gas and lighting, land bridges and
building, have no powers left except
those of hearing protests and minor
affairs of that kind. Their duties are
practically assumed by the new board
of works.
The only committees whose powers
are not curtailed are the finance, sup
plies and legislation. These commit
tees will maintain all the privileges
they enjoyed under the old order of
things.
1t is expected that at meeting of
the council to be held at o'clock this
evening the former board of public
works will be changed to council COM
mittee on public utilities and improve
ments for such purposes as hearing
protests and petitions on franchises
and to certain limited extent regu-
lating the various public utilities. This
committee will be composed of Kern,
chairman; Hitler and Blanchard.