Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-19

and county should be as follows: A
mayor, presiding over all boroughs;
city attorney, engineer, treasurer, au-
ditor, clerk, assessor, tax collector,
sheriff, who shall be ex-officio chief Of
police Ito the end that all police regu-
lations be undeR the control of one
responsible head) and such other Of
ficers as those who frame the charter
deem necessary.
"These officers should have resident
deputies in each locality to peform the
duties of the Office therein.
Each borough should have a presi-
dent, elected by the voters in that ter
ritory, and a commission also elected
by the voters therein, the number of
the commissioners to be in proportion
to the population. The commission of
each borough should have jurisdiction
over matters purely local, such as
street improvements, the regulation Of
the liquor traffic, etc.
Legislative Bodies
1.-THE Legislative powers should be
vested in a common council divided
into two chambers, one consisting of
the presidents of the boroughs, and the
other the borough commissioners. Some
of the advantages to be gained by di-
viding the common council into two
chambers were clearly set forth by
William C. Dewitt, who was chairman
of the committee that drafted the first
charter of Greater New York for the
first commission, in the words follow
ing: 8sm 81
ION the other hand, how clear is
the proposition that If the number Is
to be necessarily the same, the double
house is imperatively advisable. You
get a different constituency for each
house; a different form and method OF
election: a different class of men; all
the checks against hasty and incon-
siderate legislation; more publicity and
discussion. upon each measure; more
dignifieN body as substitute for the
legislature of the state, at no greater
cost and by no larger intrusion unon
the jurisdiction of the coordinate
branches of government
"The administration of the city gov
ernment should be divided into such
departments as the public service may
require.
Government by Commission
"That it may be understood that
the commission has considered the
question of city and county government
from other points Of view, we desire to
call attention to the fact that there
is strong movement for the govern
ment of cities by commissions. The af-
fairs OF the city of Washington are so
administered, and Nashville has passed
the experimental stage of such govern
ment. Galveston, Houston and Dallas,
Texas, have recently established such
commissions, and so far the system
has given satisfaction in these locali-
ties, and it is predicted by students OF
municipal government that the move
ment in time will be general. How
ever, this plan has not been applied to
the problem of governing as large
city in area and population as would
be the proposed city and county of Los
Angeles, but is worthy of serious con-
sideration by future charter makers.
Advantages Of conso Ildatlon
"The fundamental principle under
lying consolidation has been tersely
and aptly expressed by Mr.. Dewitt as
follows:
"'Any governmental system, there
fore, to be agreeable to the genius OF
our institutions, should yield to each
distinctive community an appropriate
measure of home rule while CONSOLE
dating 1t into common association,
however large, whether imperial or re-
publican. This organic principle by
which large states are made up or
small states-imperium in imperio-
wheels within wheel, sustaining and
not conflicting; a galaxy, not solid:
each orb moving IN its sphere, yet all
revolving around central sum
quite as appropriate to the organization
of great cities and is just as indispen-
sable to a proper distribution of their
municipal powers as it is to states. 1t
is not an appurtenant to land. 1t is
an attribute to liberty. 1t was not
made applicable to any city, by the
master builders of our republic, be-
country when the constitution was
formed
Question Of Taxation
"The consolidation of the city and
county of Los Angeles will reduce
taxation because the expenses of the
administration must necessarily be
less. The expenditures per annum for
all purposes for the conduct of the
county government of Los Angeles and
the present city of Los Angeles Is over
seven millions of dollars, and this does
not include the cost OF governing other
cities and towns BY the cutting off
of numerous officials and employees, by
having one set OF officers to conduct
the fiscal affairs, by having the police
department and all police regulations
under one control and having one
main jail instead OF two. the school de-
partment under one system and one
control. and by other economics which
the consolidated city would permit, It
is estimated that from fifteen TO twen-
ty-hve per cent Of the total cost OF
administration could be saved to the
tax payers. The total savings by con-
solidation are necessarily difficult to