Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-27
NO TIME TO SPARE, AS THE
ELECTION IS NEAR
one. Increases City Engineers Salary,
Another Exeepts Laborers From
Civil Service and Third Re-
duees School ouorums


pointed committee to pass on others
This committee is composed of A. b.
Cass, Oscar Mueller, A. G. Harper, c.
ID. Willard and A. S. Peterson. Coun-
Gilman Healy was anxious to add the
name of Robert Todd, but the conucil
had no assurance that Mr.. Todd would
accept the position.
This committee must do some pretty
fast work as every amendment that the
people are to consider at the next mu.
nicipal election I'm December must be
presented to the council for approval
not later than Monday.
This is necessary because sixty days
must elapse between the time the
amendments are proposed and the cleo
tion.
They must be published for twenty
days, and forty days after publication
voted upon. There will be but sixty
one days between next Monday and
December 3, when the election takes
place.
Smith Scores Mathews
Councilman Smith roundly scored
City Attorney Mathews yesterday for
not calling the attention of the council
TO the TACT that the time was so limited.
Mr.. Smith has from time to time pro-
posed several amendments that he is
anxious to have the people vote on.
One of these is the twenty-one-year
street car franchise and another the
questionable provilege of the street
railways carrying freight.
Smith has repeatedly said that he
would not vote to grant any railroad
FRANCHISE for street railway until the
people had had an opportunity to ex-
press an opinion on the freight carry
ing. A railroad franchise may be
granted for an electric railway and
this kind of a franchise provides for
freight carrying. These two amend
ments will be considered by the charter
committee.
The council adjourned Monday after
noon to meet yesterday afternoon, at
the request of the city attorney and
without being told what it was ex-
pected to do. They knew the monthly
payrolls had to be considered and were
Informed that some things concerning
the Owens river might come up.
Mathews Throws Bomb
1t was therefore with a ripple of in
terest that Mr.. Mathews was received
when he entered the council chamber
yesterday afternoon, and it was a small
bomb that he threw in the midst of the
council when he said that he would
propose some amendments to the char
ter, and that if any amendments were
to be put before the people December 3
the council would have to act on them
not later than Monday.
"If you knew the time was so short
why didn't you inform this council be-
fore?" asked Councilman Smith. There
are many important things that the
people should consider, but I am GER
tain that not one member of this coun-
Gil knew that we were UP against the
last day. We had expected to appoint
committee to revise the entire char
ter"
THE charter cannot be revised until
the state constitution is amended to
provide for cities having a freeholders'
charter such as the one under which
Los Angeles operates, making their
own charters. This will be passed on
by the people of the state at this gen.
eral election, and I believe 1t will car
ry" answered Mr.. Mathews.
Franchises and Freight
But there are at least two things
that the people of this city, especially
the business interests, are looking to
this council to put up to a vote this
fall" said Mr.. Smith. zone is the
twenty-one-year limit on franchises.
Since that law was passed not one sin
gle foot of street railway has been con-
structed inside the city limits, and
am certain that until it is repealed not
a franchise will be asked of this coun-
Gil.
Another is the freight carrying. Tho
consensus of opinion in this city seems
to be that the electric railways be al
lowed to carry freight, but it is pro-
hibited by our charter now. These
are fully as important as anything we
can ask the people to vote on"
"As to the franchise limit, that is
easily arranged" answered Mr.. Math-
ews. "A short sentence repeating the
charter provision would do very well,
and that can be arranged in a few min
utes AS to the freight carrying privi-
lege, I am not certain that any action
taken permitting freight to be hauled
on electric railways would not be in
conflict with the state law. 1t could
soon be determined however"
1t was decided that these two things,
as well as those wanted for the Owens
river enterprise, should be among the
charter amendments.
Presents the Amendments
Then Mr.. Mathews presented the
amendments he had proposed.
One of these is to increase the salary
of the city engineer from $4,000 a year to
$4,000. This was agreed to, but precipi-
tated a discussion in which every coun-
only the city engineer, but the city at
torney, and nearly every other head of
a department. should be advanced in
salary. All agreed that the salaries paid
by the city of Los Angeles were ridicu-
lously low
Mr.. Mathews declared this could not
be done and be effective for those who
will be elected December 8. The sala-
ries of all the elective officials are pre-
scribed by the charter, and the charter
also provides that none of these sala-
ries shall be increased during the term
Of office of the official to be benefited.
The amendment providing for the in
crease In salaries would have to go be-
fore the people for adoption at the
same time the incumbents of office were
elected and before the state Legislature
could ratify the amendments the Off
cials affected by the increase would be
in office.
For Higher Salaries
Mr. Mathews suggested that II the
amendment to the state constitution
providing for freeholders' charter is
adopted, the city provide an entirely
new charter. and in that document pro-.
vide for higher salaries
AS the city engineer is no longer
elective, but appointed by the board of
III lnr. kaa role