Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22
ARE FOR THE
GOOD OFALL
INTERESTS
TWO ORGANIZATIONS OF MUNICH
PAL VALUE
CITIZENS INDoRsE CIVIC I'M
PRovEMENT
Favor Direct Legislation and Civil
Service-Many Plans Outlined
for the Coming
Year


ization of over 600 citizens and tax
payers of Los Angeles interested In
civic improvement. The league Is glad
to enroll new members ard Willingly
receives and considers suggestions.
Complaints against the city govern
ment of any Of its officers investigated.
Such are salient points of the modest
announcement at the head of Munich
pal Affairs" the monthly paper issued
by the Municipal league.
This excellent organization was
founded in September, 1901, but was
not fully organized until January, 1907.
During the first year the membership
and income were too small to admit OF
the ORGANIZATIONS doing much work.
From that time on 1t has prospered, and
has accomplished great deal for the
common good. To use an overworked
but II this case perfectly appropriate
term it has filled long felt want.
The secretary of the league attends
all meetings of the city council and
keeps a record of the important events
of the city administration.
Here are some of the channels of the
leagues usefulness and some OF the
good i, things things accomplished:
Assisting to establish and main
tain more than twenty-five important
associations in different parts of the
city.
Securing the two -mile-a-year wire
conduit ordinance.
Establishment of the municipal art
commission.
Special campaign for the civil SER
vice law.
Assisting to establish direct legisla-
tion.
Changing city elections to nom
political years.
Establishing permanent board of
public works.
Election of members Of the board of
education at large.
Accounting and examining the city's
bcoks-1904 resulting in important and
beneficial changes.
Independent checking of public work.
Helping to solve the garbage prob
lem.
Assisting in fthe election of non
partisan school board and opposing
unfit nominee for city offices.
Secured the passage of a law by the
state legislature submitting a consti-
tutionaI amendment by which the city
was enabled to get interest of its de-
posits of public funds.
Secured planks In the Republican and
Democratic state platforms in favor of
civil service.
Took charge in the county of the
agitation against race track gambling
Secured the readvertising of the out
fall sewer contract, saving 100000 to
the city.
The foregoing is only partial record
of the leagues work up to year or
more ago, since which time much more
has been accomplished. It's work in
behalf of an accident commission and
for traffic or nance are fresh in the
minds of the peopls
The policy of the league has been ad-
mirably conducted so that the city Of
ficials have come to recognize its real
value, and to regard 1t as help rather
than as h hindrance.
Charles Dwight Willard, who is splen-
didly equipped for just such work as
the league seeks to occomplish has
for several years been the secretary.
Several prominent public-spirited citi-
zens, have occupied the presidents
chair; the present incumbent is J. o.
Koepfii.
The City Club
The City club is another important and
useful civic organization, though its func-
tions are for the most part purely aca-
demic. 1t comprises over 800 citizens of
Los Angeles, of whom probably rs per
cent are under 40 years of age who meet
for luncheon every Saturday noon at one
of the local hotels. After the luncheon
those present are addressed upon some
topic. usually relating to municipal gov
ernment and allied interests by some
speaker previously selected.
The club has been exceedingly fortunate
in Its topics and speakers and great and
growing interest has been manifested, as
shown by the large membership. It is
significant of the growing interest In mu-
nicipal affairs and governmental topics
when several hundred business and pro-
fessional men take two hours from a
business day to attend the meetings of
the City club
The object Of the City club, as stated
in it's constitution, is ito bring together
frequently, in informal association, as
many Jas possible of those men who are
genuinely interested In the Improvement
by independent and disinterested meth
DDS of the political, social and economical
condition of the community in which they
live, to the end that, by friendly inter-
course, exchange of views, accurate in
formation and united activities, intelli-
gent and effective cooperation in the
work for good government in the city and
county of Los Angeles may be secured"
Officers of the City club are Lee c.
Gates. president; r. w. Camp, first vice
PRESIDENT Dr. w. A. Lamb, second vice
president; L. r. Wharton, secretary and
treasurer, and M. Lissner. l.. ID. Sale and
Marshall Stimson, governors.
The scope of the topics discussed and
the caliber of the speakers may be judged
from the record Of some of the past meet
ings.
S. A. Butler. F. w. Blanchard and
Hartley Shaw GOOD Roads," Milton X.
Young and Frank G, Tyrrell, "State
Division;" DR.. L., M. Powers "The Needs
Of the Health Department. DR.. Albert W.
Moore "Our City MILK Supply" Walter
]. Wren, ''The Receiving Hospital" Sena-
tor Charles W. Bell. Impressions of a
New SENATOR Edward A. Dickson. THE
Net Results of the Recent Legislative Ses-
sion;" United States Senator w. A. Smith
Of Michigan, "An Address," DR.. Titan ].
Coffey. Los Angeles Housing Condi-
tions;' c. A. Blackmar, "The OIL In
spector's Ofice;' Col. J. w, Eddy "The
Smoke Nuisance William Mulholland,
"Our Water System and the Owens
River Project" Charles f. Lummis,
Books, Business and Badgers;" Wiley J.
Phillips, "The Moral Condition Of Our
City, Mayor A. c. Harper and ]. A.
Anderson. jr., 1.-THE Owens River" Rev.
Dana w. Bartlett, "Clvic Betterment;" J..
y 7 T,innincott and w r. Matthew's ''rhe