Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-27

exempt workmen on the Owens river
conduit from civil service. The COM
mission has declared that it is impera.
tive that the workmen on the big aque-
duct be not subject to civil service, as
all registration must be made at Los
Angeles and the laborers shipped into
the desert and valley to work on the
conduit.
Cuts Red Tape
1t is expected to draw from many
sources to secure competent labor. and
it would be next to impossible to send
all laborers to Los Angeles to simply
register for positions
Skilled workmen will also refuse to
go through a civil service examination
for the privilege of working on the
conduit at no higher wages than they
would receive without being put to that
bother on some private work. The in
tent of the amendment is to exempt the
work on the aqueduct from delay and
tedious red tape.
School Board Quorum
By another amendment the board of
educa ton will be permitted to consider
five votes of it's seven members as
quorum. The board has been badly
hampered in the past owing to the
charter provision that requires 1t to
have six votes for a quorum. The de-
mand for six votes has been conceded
to have been a mistake and out of pro-
portion to a quorum of other bodies
The council, with its nine members, has
quorum when six are present and can
transact any business not requiring an
expenditure of money with but FIVE
votes.
One of the most important of the pro-
posed amendments relieves the council
of responsibility in the expenditure of
the bond money for the owens river.
This will be put entirely at the disposal
of the board of public works.
Mr.. Mathews pointed out that 1t will
be practically impossible for the board
of public works TO come to the council
for every little thing that must be done
on the Owens river, as is now the case
This is in line with the way other
departments of the city government are
managed. The water board, the library
and the school board all have their own
funds, allotted by charter, and their
bills are audited and go direct to the
treasurer without going before the
council.
Jurisdiction Over Money
AS the bond money is no part Of the
general tax fund and is voted for spe-
cial purpose, Mr.. Mathews and the
board of public works believe the copn-
Gil should not have jurisdiction over
this money especially as the jurisdic-
tion that the council now exercises is
but nominal.
A disbursing officer is a new official
considered in one of the amendments.
When men begin work on the Owens
river it will be practically impossible
for them to come to Los Angeles once
a month to draw their wages, and some
one will have to pay them on the
ground. AS this cannot be done under
the present charter, way must be
made to provide for 1t, and while this
provision is being made an officer to fill
the place is being cosidered.
Leagues Heard From
The Municipal league, which usually
comes to the front when charter amend
ments are considered, had none to pro-
pose yesterday. C. d. Willard, secre-
tary of the league, stated that there
were so many things to add to the char
ter, and it was complicated enough
as it was now, that his organization
had deemed it best to wait until the
amendment to the state constitution
was passed and then make an entirely
new charter.
The Voters league, however, had sew
eral amendments to propose, and these
will be considered by the charter COM
mittee.
Among them is an amendment to sec
ton 2 adding a clause to the effect that
land owned by the city or any depart
ment of it's government cannot be sold
except by three-fourths vote of the
council and prohibiting its lease for
longer term than fifty years; giving the
council the power to create new wards
and fix their boundaries; giving the
mayor and heads of departments the
right to participate in the proceedings
of the council but to have no vote.
These amendments do not appeal
very strongly to the members of the
council.