Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-28
RETIRING COUNCIL
. CREATES SINECURE
PREPARES SOFT BERTH FOR
H0UGHT0N
Diseredited Sixth Warder to Be Made
Superintendent" Of .the So
Called Detention Hospital
at Fat Salary

az TaN oaldTy
The same council that granted the
rived bed franchise and tried to deliver
the goods until the holy wrath of an
outraged public made It back-pedal
mighty quick, yesterday created the
position of superintendent Of the deten-
tion hospital and fixed the salary at
$3.50 a month
This is the soft, easy berth made for
Dock Houghton to fall into, when,
kicked out OF the council by his long
suffering constituents of the Sixth
ward, he was on the verge Of having to
work for his living. 1t was happy
thought that brought to his mind the
crumbling ruins of the detention hospi-
tai, some of the buildings scarcely n
year old, but nevertheless, according to
the report of the board Of health, fall
ing into decay already and suggested
the superintendency at $3.50 monthly.
While Houghton was not named for
the position by the council yesterday,
1t is well known that he is the candi-
date for the job and 1t was he who yes
terday moved that the job be created
and the salary Of $3.50 monthly attached
to II.
1t has yet to be confirmed by the
mayor.
Two CounciImen Protest
Only Councilman Blanchard of the
Ninth ward and Councilman Hitler of
the Third ward made any protest
against the graft.
us that recommended by the board
of health?" asked Councilman Blanch-
ard, suspiciously. mot on your life
l don't vote for that. Mark me no.
II want to know about that, too"
said Councilman Hitler. He was as
sured by Councilman Healy that If the
board of health didn't like the ordi
nance it could be returned to the coun-
Gil, and that it was simply for the pur-
pose of getting it before the board that
the ordinance was passed.
well, under those circumstances I'll
vote for it." said Hitler in protesting
voice.
Councilman Smith also began q pro-
test, but remembered that he was oc-
cupying the chair and had no right to
the floor and kept still, but refused to
say 'yes" or mo" when his name was
called.
The ordinance, however, passed by the
necessary six votes and Dock Houghton
Is just that near to Easy street.
Hospital Standing Joke
Houghton sometimes plays like he is
a physician. Now and then he can be
seen on the street with little black
case. and when he holds conversation
with some one whom he can bluff he
will throw in a few Latin expressions
with the utmost sangfroid, and they
say in Chicago that he once lectured
before the students of the Hahnemann
hospital.
But a great deal of medical knowl-
nd dprn fnT 40
hospital There Is one patient there at
the present time, and that is one more
than has been in there for months. The
hospital is the standing joke of the city
and would be positively funny If it
wasn't so serious.
The detention hospital cost the tax
payers of Los Angeles $4,000 to build,
and what on earth the city is ever go
ing to do with 1t is problem that
hasn't been solved yet.
No one knows who is responsible for
the hospital. The board of health now
in office says that it has not even been
consulted during the erection of the
buildings, and that all that was ever
asked of it was to accept the hospital
when it was completed.
Soft Snap for Dock
The board of health that preceded the
present one says that once 1t did sug-
gest that new smallpox hospital
should be built, as the old one was fall
ing to pieces. The next thing that was
heard of the hospital was when the
council Immediately preceding the one
now in Office put before the people the
project of voting $50, 900 bonds for build
ing the institution. The bonds were
voted at time when there was a small
pox scare abroad in the land, and some
architects and contractors received fat
pickings.
Now the city has a detention hospital
for smallpox and for smallpox only, as
1t cannot be used for any other purpose,
that is the best in the land. Every one,
even to the uttermost ends of the earth,
afflicted with smallpox and hearing of
the fame of the Los Angeles hospital,
will Immediately come to this city for
treatment, according to the members of
the board OF health; and Chavez ra-
vine, where the white elephant is teth-
cred, will be the Mecca of the victims
of the virulent disease. And the hospi-
tai is plenty big enough to take care of
all of them. There are two big ward
buildings, three isolation cottages and
six family cottages, besides dining hall,
engine room, stables and two or three
other buildings that can be used. There
is also nice, comfortable administra-
ton building, where Dock Houghton
can sit on broad veranda and con-
template an old graveyard full of cacti,
that will delight his soul.
When he tires of contemplating the
cacti he can figure out how he can
spend that $3.50 month, another soul
delight.
For the last two years Dock Hough-
ton has been living on 500 a month,
the salary of councilman.
AS superintendent of the detention
hospital he will have his meals served
by cook employed by the city, and the
city will foot the grocery bills. His
linen suits will be laundered at the
laundry Of the hospital by a laundress
paid by the city. The city's servants
will take care of the administration
building. He will be privileged to use
the citys automobile, stabbed at the
detention hosnital In fact the citv