Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-17
Los ANGELES
MAY HOLD A
NEW ELECTION
City Officials Will
Lose Their Nice
Positions
Consolidation with San
Pedro Necessitates
Action
If Voters Favor Annexation, Council
men, Mayor and Others Will Have
If Voters Favor Annexation, Council
men, Mayor and Others Will Have
to Fight Another Battle
of Ballots

Ii the Los AngeleS-San Pedro con-
solidation carries at the election March
IA every municipal officer in the city
of Los Angeles as well as San Pedro
Will be out of a job. The consolidated
cities will be again plunged into the
throes of a municipal campaign.
Councilmen and other officers who
secured their seats merely by the skin
of their teeth and questionable vote
counting and who have been leaning
back in their comfortable seats blow
ing blue rings of cigar smoke at the
ceiling, will take their feet down off
their official desks in an unofficial hurry
and look nightly worried when they
learn this news, but it is authentic as
City Attorney Hewitt gave out an Off
cial statement to this effect yesterday.
Much energy and money were expend-
ed in the campaign recently closed
which landed the present officials JAN
l, because they felt certain they would
hold their jobs for three years. In
order to have the city election come on
an off year from that on which the
state election is held an amendment to
the city charter was voted about two
years ago. providing that after 1906
TIE IllulllClDdl GleCllOtl IlOl De
held until 1909.
Next Election in April
Now all must be gone over again, for
there seems to be little doubt that the
consolidation will pass. Both Los An
geles and San Pedro are anxious to be
united in one city and the present
city officials have not won such large
place in the hearts of the majority of
indIIpa them tn nnnCiHar
their representatives feelings. 1t is
probable, too, that the officers who have
shown themselves the most competent
will be returned to their places, while
some of the councilmen who have an
tagonized their wards will probably en-
joy but brief political career. Voters
who are interested in the civic i'm
provement of Los Angeles and who do
not like the way some of the council
men and other officers have been doing
municipal business consider this the
chance of their lives to make their rep
resentatives come to terms. 1t has the
recall backed into a secluded corner.
"All right, Mr.. Councilman, If you
don't be good you'll get yours in April"
Some time in April will probably be the
next municipal election, as the statutes
require a publication notice of an cleo
tion thirty days in advance.
Will Urge Consolidation
In spite of the cost that will be en-
tailed by another election and other
inconvenience attendant on introduce
ing new officers to the city government
when the old ones have barely had
time to get acquainted with the ropes,
President Butler of the consolidation
commission said yesterday that his or
ganization would urge the election and
the consolidation.
"Of course we have been cognizant of
this fact practically ever since the be-
ginning, and one of our objects in hav-
ing the legislature at Sacramento pass
the bill relating to the consolidation of
Incorporated cities which we worked for
so hard was to eliminate this feature
and permit the officers of the greater
city to assume the control of the lesser
city's municipal offairs until the next
regular general election. AS this bill
was defeated. the consolidation must
be held under existing statutes. How
ever, we will do all in our power to
insure the consolidation"
1.-THE statutes now i'm existence, and
under which the consolidation election
must be held March IA provide that
upon the consolidation of incorporated
cities an election for new municipal Off
GERS must be called at once" said City
Attorney Hewitt yesterday. This
means a general election in which new
officers, from the mayor down, must
be elected. OF course, those now hold
ing offices may be reelected, but they
will have to take their chances with
any other candidates who choose to
make the race"
Whatever influence this decision by
the city attorney will have on the bal
lots cast. the election must be held
All the preliminary arrangements have
been made. the date has been officially
set and nothing now can stop the cleo
ton