Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-04
HALT CALLED ON
IMPORTING MEN
ANGELEN0S WANT THE FIRST
CHANCE AT CITY JOBS
Provision Found In the Charter That
Officials and Appointees Must Be
Qualified Electors Of
Los Angeles

What is termed by politicians and
others an unseemly desire on the part
of certain recently elected city officials
to go out of town for deputies may be
curbed by the city attorney.
There has been considerable criticism
in some querters over the announced
intention of at least one of the new Of
flcials to select a personal friend liv-
ing in another city as his chief deputy
and to the action of the water commits
sion in selecting a Southern Pacific en-
ploye living in San Francisco as the
auditor of the owens river aqueduct.
AS a result of the discussion there
has been close study of the Los An
geles charter by those interested and
there have been discovered provisions
which, ii Is claimed, will prevent the
appointment oe non-residents to posi-
tions of trust in the city government.
Must Be an EIector
There is a provision which requires
that every person elected or appointed
to position in the city government
shall have been a qualified elector at
the time of his election or appointment,
and 1t is claimed that this will apply
to deputyships in the various city Of
fees, by reason of the fact that while
such positions are not designated di-
rectly by the charter they are positions
which have been created by the coun-
Gil and therefore are city offices within
the meaning of the charter.
City Attorney Hewitt's attention yes
terday was called to this provision of
the charter, and it is believed by those
who discussed the question with him,
the city attorney will hold, should the
problem come before him officially,
that all such appointments come under
that provision.
Mr.. Hewitt, later in the day, was in
conference with one of the new city
officials. who has expressed his inten-
tion of electing as his chief deputy u
personal friend who is not resident
of Los Angeles, with the result, 1t is
fill the position.
In the case Of the auditor for the
Owens river aqueduct there has arisen
a peculiar situation. This position is
under the civil service rules, but under
the provisions of an ordinance the posi-
ton could be temporarily filled, pending
the taking of civil service eXamina
tions.
Southern Pacific Man Imported
Some time ago the water board en-
ployed a San Francisco man and an
employe of the Southern Pacific to act
as aqueduct auditor, and he has been
Appointees to positions included in the
civil service regulations are compelled
to be qualified voters at the time OF
| the taking of the examination, and a
vague suspicion exists in the minds of
| those who are opposed to going out
side of Los Angeles for any one to oc-
cupy any position connected with the
municipal government that the civil
service examination may be postponed
| a sufficient length of time to enable the
| imported men now assuming the
duties to become a qualified elector by
reason of having lived in the city the
required number of months.
| Both of the positions involved re-
quire the services of expert account
ants, but it is claimed by those con-
versant with the facts that there are
in Los Angeles just as competent ac-
| countants as can be found in any other
city on the coast and that in justice to
them they should be permitted to have
| the first chance to fill the positions.