Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-08
SAYS POLICEMEN
NEGLECT DUTIES
TAX COLLECTOR ANSWERS
MAYOR MAILER
cites Law Appointing All PatroInnen
Special License spectors-PIaees
Blame for Disregard Of Law
on other Department

Tax Collector E. T.. Johnson has
pointed out to the city's chief executive
that II there has been failure to col
lect taxes from lodging houses, board
ing houses and apartment houses It
is due to the neglect of the police Of
ficers who are regularly appointed IL
cense inspectors. A letter to this ef-
feet was sent Mayor McAleer yester-
day morning:
Hon owen McAleer Mayor of Los
Angeles-Your official communication
with list of hotels and lodging houses
accompanying received, and in reply
will say that after carefully checking
up said list | find that in all cases this
department is, and has been, collecting
licenses from owners of all hotels AMI
lodging houses noted in said list, other
than owners and lessees of five and SIX
room cottages. L find further in said
list that you have the names of the
Fraternal Order of Eagles, Jonathan
club, California club, turkish baths, Y.
M. G. A. and several religious societies
which are not now, nor ever have been,
subject to the hotel and lodging house
license.
Says Nearly All Collected
II find that the books of this office
show that the city clerk delivered to the
tax and license collector for the col
lection for the quarter beginning July
/, 1905, hotel and lodging house licenses
amounting to S446.25, of which amount
all but six dollars was collected.
THE quarter beginning January l.
1906, there was collected hotel and lodg-
ing house licenses to the amount of
$116050. For the quarter beginning
April 1. 1906, hotel and lodging house
licenses amounting to $1444.5O were cot
lected This shows an increase in new
business of $250.50.
Section twelve of the license or
dinance reads:
"Al police officers are hereby APP
pointed assistant inspectors of licenses,
and In addition to their several duties
as police officers, are hereby required
to examine all places of business and
persons in their respective beats liable
to pay license. and to see that such
licenses are taken out.
Must Keep List
"'Said police officers as such as
sistant inspectors of licenses, shall
make out once a month list of per-
sons, firms or corporations carrying on
business within their respective beats
and having no license, with their ad-
dress, and deliver such list carefully
and legibly written to the city clerk,
and also report to the city clerk the
names of all such doing business with
out a license, Immediately upon the
fact coming to their knowledge. Any
police officer failing or neglecting. for
more than thirty days to report any
person, firm or corporation not paying
the required license, shall be guilty of
neglect of duty and be either suspended
from duty or dismissed from the police
force in the discretion of the board of
police commissioners
II have directed the license inspector
of this department in his work, and in
cases of small cottages where owners
and tenants are renting but one, or pos
sibly two rooms, that the license, if
the ordinance contemplates collecting
from such, be not collected, and I
would ask il 1t Is your honor's wish
that payment for these be demanded.
Collections Hindered
II believe it would have been better
had your honor consulted with this
department in reference to the list fur
nished before giving out the same for
publication, for the reason that said
list does not contain, nor will convey,
a true statement to the public of the
business done under the head of hotel
and lodging houses, therefore having a
tendency to retard and hinder the en-
ployes of this department in the col
lection of licenses under this head.
I'm conclusion l will say that the tax
and license department is at all times
ready to receive assistance from your
honor in furthering the citys business,
and with 100 or more police officers be-
ing regularly appointed license inspec-
tors, and the two furnished this depart
ment, there should be no person over
looked who is subject to city license.
Respectfully, E. e. JOHNSON,
TAX and License Collector"