Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-03
HOUCHTON TALKS
LONG AND LOUD.
KEEPS COUNCIL IN SESSION
FIVE HOURS
Sixth Ward Representative Becomes
Angry Because He Is Unable to
Have Lunch Sent to
Chamber


In the art of which he is a past master,
Dock Houghton kept tired, hot hun
prv council IN its seats from 2 o'clock in
the afternoon yesterday until o'clock
at night. because the council was enx-
ious to submit some charter amend
ncnts to the people of the city TO De
voted on December 4. and there were
enc or two that die not meet With
Hcughton's approval
Tt happened that a prize light was
scheduled for last night, or 1t is prob
able that Houghton would have at
tempted to keep the council until aiter
midnight and thus make It illegal tol
submit the charter amendments to the
people at the next municipal election.
Councilman Hitler. president pro tenn,
was censured for not invoking the coun-
ell rule which prohibits any member
from talking more than five minutes on
any one subject.
Would Order His Lunch
At one stage of the game Houghton
was so incensed that he threatened TO
make n two-hour speech. He wanted
amendments that had been presented by
the Voters league considered in the
same ordinance IN which. the amend /
ments proposed by the regular amont-
mGnt committee were embodied. InlS
was about $3.50. He asked the sergeant
at-arms to call messenger boy, as ne
wished to oeder his dinner and eat 1t
during the intervals. The seargennt-at-
arms laughingly refused to call the
messenger and Houghton, In anger
threatened to bring charges against him
before the civil service commission
When the amendments that Houghto1
was so anxious to have considered were
introduced By the Voters league he was
the first ono to declare that he would
have nothing to do with them, and he
moved that they be referred to the next
charter revision committee.
Amendments Rejected
1t developed that most of the amend
ments the Voters league suggested
were but half digested. Some of them
were exactly similar to those that are
now i'm the charter and others could not
be accepted in their present form.
These amendments were as follows:
Sec. H. Change to read as fol-
lows: There shall be a city council
which shall have full power and
authority, except as otherwise pro-
vided in this charter, to exercise
all powers conferred upon the city,
subject to the veto of the mayor,
as hereinafter provided. Inc
council shall act in relation to the
affairs or business of the city only
by ordinance or resolution, and all
ordinances or resolutions, except
ordinances making appropria-
tions, shall be confined to one sub
ject, which shall be clearly ex-
pressed in the title, and ordinances
making appropriations shall be
confined to the subject of appro-
nriations. Action of the council
with reference to its opinions, pro-
ceedings or Internal affairs may be
by motion. Also amend sec. 81 to
read as follows: Every ordinance
or resolution which shall have been
passed (etc. etc.)
Sec 81. Add: In case an ordn-
ance or resolution of the council
shall appropriate money, the
mayor may approve one or more
of the items in such ordinance or
resolution and disapprove the 9TH
erS. III such case those which he
shall fail to disapprove shall be-
come effective only if again passed
as herein provided.
Sec. A. In case of the absence of
the mayor from the city or his
sickness or inability to perform his
duties and also of the absence,
sickness or inability of the presi-
dent of the council. the president
of the board of public works shall
act as the mayor of the city. Each
of these officers while acting as
mayor may also perform the du-
ties of the office to which he was
elected or appointed.
Sec. 43. Change to read as fol-
lows; The city auditor shall have
general supervision and control
of alf the fiscal affairs of the city,
TO be exercised in the manner
which may be prescribed by Or
dinance. He shall also act as the
general accountant and fiscal agent
of the city (etc., etc.)
Sec S. Change the salaries Of
certain officers as follows;
The mayor shall receive $4,000 per
annum.
The president of the council shall
receive $1,000 per annum.
The city clerk snail receive $4,000
per annum.
The city auditor shall receive
$4,000 per annum.
The city assessor shall receive
$4SQO per annum.
The city treasurer shall receive
$4,000 per annuIn.
The city engineer shall receive
$4,000 per annum.
The city attorney shall receive
$4,000 per annum.
The chief of police shall receive
$4sOO per annuIn.
The health officer shall receive
$4,000 per annunl.
Sec. 14S. Board of public works.)
Amend as follows:
(a) Each of said commissioners
shall receive an annual salary of
NNANsi
Also amend (e) so that the secre-
tary shall receive AN annual sal
ary Of $24O0 (etc., etc.)
(h) Change with reference to the
city engineer as follows:
He shall receive a salary of
$4,000 olive thousand dollars) per
annum (etc.. etc.)
Sec. 223 Amend to read as fol-,
lows: Said city shall not become
indebted for any purpose or In any
manner to an amount which. in
Guiding existing Indebtedness, shall
exceed three per eentum OF the
assessed valuation Of the property
within said city subject to taxa
tion as shown by the last preced-
ing assessment for city taxes; said
indebtedness shall be exclusive of
any that has been or may be here
after incurred for the purpose OF
acquiring or establishing a system
of waterworks (ete., etc, the same
as In existing charter).
Sec. 239- (In article of charter on
civil service regulations amend, by
adding In the list OF those exempt
fran . tI.l mIar4. - 4