Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-03
WIPE OUT
WARD LINES
THEY ARE FRUITFUL SOURCE OF
GREAT TROUBLE
INTERESTS OF ONE INTERESTS
OF ALL
Des Mones Form Of Municipal Gov
ernment Offers Induoement to
Best Men to Stand for
Election
by c.B. DAVIS

BY C.B. DAVIS
It is hoped that the selection Of the
members of the charter commission will
be made without friction.
The results of the commissions delib-
erations will be fraught with too much
Importance to the city to permit at the
outset the Introduction of any discord.
Political differences and personal ambi-
tions should be cast aside so that when
the membership is finally determined upon
harmony will characterize Its delibera-
tions ard the electorate will be disposed
to appreciate It's efforts.
The councils approval Of the prelim-
mary commissions recommendation that
the committee should consist OF fifteen
members is a step In the right dlrection
One of larger size will be unwieldy and
will probably contain too many conflict
ing elements to do effective work. 1t is
not likely that any of those who are
prominent in the matter of selection
would advise a large committee for the
drawing up of articles of incorporation
+ private enterprise.
I What is needed is body of citizens
who are representative of the city's best
interests-men who enjoy high standing
In the professional and business world
men of character and integrity. 1t Is of
very slight Importance whether a certain
ward is represented or not In fact, the
quicker we forget all about wards the
better.
Wards Are Trouble Makers
They are nothing but >trouble-making
relic of early times, when an effort was
made to place power in the hands of the
people with the best device then at hand.
There may have been some excuse for
such an artificial division at that time,
but the progress in methods of transpor-
tation and Of other means Of communlca-
tion has destroyed all excuse for their
existence. A defective sidewalk, an un-
paved street, the absence of sufficient
light at this or that corner In an out
lying residence section may once have
+ had a peculiar interest for the adjacent
property owner, but in these days OF
rapid transit the citizen at the other
end of the line considers himself privi-
: legged to demand that these things be
righted. The interests of one are the In
terests of all.
In1S IDEA mas Deen CdTTleQ Stlli lur-
ther in the east. 1t Is insisted that the
city, instead of being an isolated unit,
Is an integral part of the state, subject
to active administration by the latter
In many respects. Los Angeles, for In
stance, will secure it's water supply 25C
miles distant from it's borders. This most
modern theory declares that the state.
which furnishes the water, shall have a
say in the management of the public
rIaot txntA cfc nf fnfn nQ or
\ the country surrounding them have be-
ecome so interviewer that no city can pre-
sumo self-suficiency. Los Angeles may
some day find itself placed in just this
position with reference to the state, but
until that time comes and so long as she
is left to take care of herself without
outside interference she will be wise to
divest herself of the provincial notion OF
local representation and to obliterate
ward lines.
Discard Undesirable Citizens
Let the council. which is the adminis-
trative board under the Des Moines law
be composed of freeholders who are big
enough as business and professional men
to command the admiration and conf
dence of the whole electorate. The spec
tacle of wards sending to the council a
man whose business interests are largely
confined to those Of a disreputable char
acter will not then be possible, as 1t now
is. We shall then have men whose cal
iber will measure more nearly equal tt
that of occupants of the mayors chair
and who will feel it a genuine honor tc
be city father instead of questionable
honor.
AT present it Is hard, with rare excep.
tions to get the best men to stand fol-
election as aldermen. An able man with
a reputation for probity and with q
sense of self-respect will not sacrifice
valuable time from private business tc
occupy a position where he knows the
vaccinations of constituencies WARD
heeler with an ear seldom for any Other
voice than the seductive one of sordid
selfish interest will make his efforts In
behalf of civic betterment go for nothing
1t is not foolishly contended that such
state Of affairs is the universal rule
but enough good men have been willing
to make the sacrifice of a vain but man.
full fight under the impelling force oi
civic patriotism and the earnest persua.
sion of high-minded citizens to show how
deplorably frequent such is the case
Wipe off of the municipal map all WARD
lines compel the unknown jack-in-the.
box who bobs up with effrontery with
an appeal for suffrage to stand the
searching examination of the entire cleo
torate instead of a small district where
personal alliance, possibly of doubtful
character, might carry him to success
let the present system be revised so thai
individual reputation. past record, abilit,
and integrity will be the qualifications O,
a candidate. and able men will respond tc
the call of civic duty and give Los An.
geles sound, thorough business admin.
istration
RESIDENCE PROPERTY IS