Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-01-23
CAS- INSPECTOR
OUT OF OFFICE
CITY COUNCIL AB0LISHES THE
POSITION
Members of Municipal Legislative
Body Agree That Jordon Is Not
Competent and Decide to
Stop Salary Expenditure

Because he asked for additional
equipment at time when the city's
watchword is economy and failed to
spell the names Of the mechanical de-
vices he desired according to Webster,
Gas Inspector Jordon was voted out Of
office by the city council yesterday, and
the office was abolished.
The council agreed that while the
office of gas inspector was probably a
necessary one, Jordon was hardly COM
petent to fill the place and as he is a
civil service employee the only method
that could be used to get rid of him
was to abolish the office.
Mayor McAleer is held responsible for
Jordon'S appointment. When the office
of gas inspector was created several
months ago, the mayor named Jordon
as the emergency appointee for the
place. After his emergency appoint
ment Jordon took the civil service eX-
animation and, as it is claimed, he was
the only one who did, the civil service
commission certified him for the place.
Jordon was given a salary of $125 a
month and was assigned the duty Of
making daily tests of gas and inspect
ing meters for whoever cared to pay
the fee of 81 for inspection.
Consumer Is Sorry
His start was by no means an
suspicious one," said councilman
YESTERDAY. "A few days after he had
been in Office a gas consumer reported
that the little wheels in his meter
were going around faster than he be-
leved was warranted by the amount
of gas he was consuming and paid the
fee of 81 to have it examined. The gas
inspector examined the meter and de-
clared that instead of registering too
fast 1t was going slower than it should
and the gas company lost no time in
putting in another meter. Not content
with this, Jordon, who had formerly
been an electrical inspector, found fault
with the electrical wiring in the COM
plainant's home and reported this to the
electrical inspector, with the result that
the house had to be rewired.
when these facts became public 1t
was a long time before Jordon was
again called on to inspect a meter. He
found two or three which he declared
were not running fast enough and this
caused a rumor to be spread that he
was on friendly terms with the gas
companies.
This report and the fact that fee
of 81 was charged for every inspection
to be going too fast to endure their
ills rather than fly to those they knew
not of.
Consumer Wanted inspector
zone of Jordon's first acts when he
assumed Office was to ask for $500 worth
of instruments. This caused the city
legislators to gasp a little, but they
ordered the equipment. Last week the
council told the gas inspector to de-
termine the amount of sulphur in gas.
He yesterday reported to the council
that he did not have the necessary APP
paratus for an analysis OF this kind.
but that he had found 'sulphate' in
the gas. One of the members of the
council, who is a chemist, declared that
with a couple OF pieces OF glass tubing
and a spirit lamp the whole costing
less than 81, the test for sulphur could
be made. He further declared that
Jordon did not mean 'sulphate,' but
sulphide,' which he declares was a
distinction with a vast difference.
Largely on the distinction the gas in
spector was voted out of office"
That gas consumers are anxious for
an inspection of their meters was dem
onstrated when the council last week
reduced the rate of inspection from 81
to so cents, to take effect March l.
Persons who did not know the reduce
ton in rate would not go into effect
until March 1, flocked to the Office of
the gas inspector, demanding an in
spection of their meters at the lower
fee