Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-15
COUNCIL EAGER
TO GET ACTION
CHARTER AMENDMENTS GROW
SUDDENLY POPULAR
PROPOSED SALARY INCREASES
WORK REVOLUTION
City Attorneys Office to Work at
High Pressure-Meanwh Ad-
journment VIII Be Taken
from Day to Day

Facing the inevitable, the council has
changed from its dilatory tactics on the
charter amendments submitted by the
charter revision committee and will
now do all in its power to present the
amendments for popular vote in time
to place them before the state leglsla-
ture at it's session this winter.
The change of heart has been
wrought by an amendment the council
itself is anxious to present. This is to
increase the salaries of all elective city
officials, and, incidentally, of the mem
bers of the council. Some of those now
in the council expect to be candidates
again, and in the event of their cleo
tion want to get the benefit Of the in
creased salaries.
When the charter amendment petit
tion was first submitted it was found
insufficient. There was some question
whether or no supplementary petitions
could be added under the state law
which the charter revision committee
of the Municipal league had invoked.
In spite of this question the league sub
mitted supplements. The checking up
of these supplements was finished by
the city clerk Tuesday, and the petition
as a whole has now sufficient sigma
lures Of qualified electors. City Attor-
ney Hewitt said yesterday he was pre-
pared to advise the council Monday
that the petition is sufficient, and that
it is mandatory on the council to sub
nit the amendments to a vote.
Finding It cannot escape submitting
the amendments the council has as
sumed an attitude of anxiety to have
them submitted as soon as possible,
and to that end will call a special cleo
ton as soon as the legal machinery can
be put in motion. The minimum time
is sixty days, and City Attorney Hewitt
said yesterday it would probably be
more like seventy days before the cleo
tion can be held, as a great amount of
work must be accomplished in his office,
although he is prepared to turn his
force loose on the amendments alone
and work on them day and night
Adjournments In Order
Councilmen Pease, Blanchard, Drom-
gold and Lyon held a conference with
the city attorney yesterday morning
which lasted until long past noon. AS
a result the council this week will ad-
journ from day to day until additional
amendments can be prepared by the
city attorney. AS soon as these addi-
tional amendments are prepared and
approved by the council that body will
invoke the election machinery, and, If
all goes well, the amendments will be
ready to present to the state legislature
the first of February.
At the conference yesterday nothing
definite was done, but Mr.. Hewitt was
told to go ahead on at least two propo-
sitions.
One is to increase the salaries of
elective officials, the mayor to receive
$4,000 or $1,000 and counoilmen $500
month, while other elective officials Will
have q horizontal increase in salaries.
These salaries are fixed by the charter.
The charter was adopted at time
when Los Angeles was in its Infancy,
and when the $3.50 and $500 a month the
city officials receive was considered
adequate compensation. All who have
discussed the matter are agreed that
the salaries paid Los Angeles officials
are too small and that 1t is next to
impossible to get man to run for office
who has not a private fortune, as the
demands on public officials take more
than they receive as salaries.
The second proposition Mr.. Hewitt is
considering, which promises to be
legal tangle, is the borough system.
This system of local government
is to be held out to the smaller cities
surrounding Los Angeles as an induce
ment for them to annex themselves to
Los Angeles for the purpose of getting
a water supply and water frontage.
Can Find Mo Precedent
Mr.. Hewitt declared yesterday that
there was no precedent for such a sys-,
TEN, and he foresaw difficulties in ar
ranging it. He has agreed to do all he
can to provide plans for such govern
ment While New York city is under
the borough system it is different from
what that proposed for Los Angeles
would be. There the entire city is di-
vided into boroughs, and no one
borough supersedes another in i'm
portance. Here Los Angeles Would be
y, and the
nexed cities would be subservient
I'VE should have had an entirely new
charter, with the borough system pro-
vided for in It," said Mr.. Hewitt yes
terday. Under such a government Los
Angeles would be a borough San Pedro
a borough, Wilmington borough and
all other cities annexed to Los Angeles
boroughs, with the same powers as the
main city. Then a general government
could be elected to serve all the
boroughs. AS a matter of amendment
it will be difficult, but I believe it can
be accomplished"
The amendments contained in the
original petition submitted by the Mu-
nicipal league deal largely with the
Owens river and the harbor
One of the suggested amendments is
to give Los Angeles the privilege of
selling water to individuals and corr
porations and to furnish power de-
Veloped. The harbor amendment pro-
vides for acquiring land, building
municipal docks, wharves, warehouses,
transportation lines and other con-
veniences in connection with the
harbor.
The amendment contained in the petit
tion which will be most vigorously op-
posed is one abolishing ward lines and
electing all councilmen at large. No
increase in the number of councilmen
is suggested.
Each amendment is to be voted on
separately, and opposition to one is not
likely to jeopardize the carrying OF
another.
In order to get the matter started
as soon as possible the council will
meet Monday and adjourn from day
to day until the city attorney is ready
to report the alternate and additional
amendments.