Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-24
SOLID THREE
AGAIN ACCUSED
Observation-Disclosures ARE
QUESTIONED
NO BIDS ASKED ON STEEL PIPE
FOR cULVERTs
District Attorney and Perhaps the
Grand Jury Asked to lnvesti-
gate Alleged Peculiar
Transactions

Following the hubbub aroused over
the misuse of the automobile purchased
for the highway commission year
ago in September and traded off Tues
day for a secondhand machine, an
other matter bobbed up yesterday
which the supervisors may be called
upon to explain. This is the purchase
without calling for bids of $4,000 worth
of steel culyert pipe by certain mem
bers of the board and used, it is said,
in the districts represented by the
solid three" p. J. Wilson, 5. L. El-
bridge and c. E. Patterson, the boards
chairman.
Supervisor Alexander knew nothing
about the purchase until later, and G.
D. Manning, in whose district there are
plenty of places where the pipe could
be used, received none of it, according
to report.
All the pipe was purchased about the
same time from Henshaw, Buckley o.
Co. 335-337 East Third street, but the
demands for it came in from large
number of different road districts. The
number of these demands finally caused
some comment and led to an investiga-
ton.
They were punched together and sent
to the district attorney, who is expect
ed to pass opinion upon the legality OF
regular manner. 1t is not improbable
that the matter may even go before the
grand jury, together with several other
similar transactions in connection with
read work.
oil Contracts Questioned
Not the least important of these, 1t
is said, is the question of contracts LOT
furnishing oil for road purposes. Per
haps 100000 a year for oiling the
countys roads is large sum ana out
of all proportion to the necessity Tor
the work, yet this is the amount that
is said to be expended annually out of
the eounty's treasury in this way
The bill for Coroner Hartwells au-
tomobile togs was still held up by Au-
ditor Dow yesterday, with no more
prospect that it will be passed by him
than on the day it was approved by
Supervisor Eldridge, countersigned by
Chairman Patterson and sent to the
auditors office.
The contention that a precedent was
established for the purchase OF these
things when automobiles were bought
for the use of other branches of the
county's government is denied. The
warrants. however, could not be
reached yesterday, every employee of
the auditors office being overwhelmed
with work owing to the before Christ
mas payment of salaries.
While these warrants may not show
items such as those contained in the
bill for the eoroner's effects, the APP
parently abnormal amount expended
for repairs may, it is said, cover ex-
penditures in other directions.
A member of the highway commits
sion stated yesterday that nothing had
been expended in connection with the
machine used by that body except for
repairs The machine was in use about
Eliminating the 0eDre-
citation in value, figured on the basis
on which it was traded for the second
hand car the cost of maintaining IL
was about $1,000, or about S13S month.
With the blowing out of cylinders ana
general breakdowns the factory that
manufactured the parts evidently could
not supply the abnormal demand MADE
by the county and went out of ex"
Sheriff Hammel said the greatest
economy has been exercised in caring
for the machine used by him. This au-
tomobile is almost as good as on the
Law it was purchased, November 4, 1907
The only money expended has been
for necessary repairs, said the sheriff,
and no incidentals, such as those IN
cluded in the coroner's bills, have been
purchased. Even in this case the COST
of maintaining the machine has been
exceedingly large. Tires and OIL 1t is
this expense.
Fredericks Explains
District Attorney Fredericks, who,
when the highway commissions ma
chine became a pile of junk, recon-
mended the swap for the secondhand
machine secured by the supervisors
Tuesday felt called upon yesterday to
defend the expenses incurred in the
operation of the automobile used by
II nIo inc fl1a ma nh {
paid for its5f three times over.
The automobile, says the district at
forney. cost $4,000. 1T was a $3.50
machine and with it was thrown in
$500 worth of accessories, he contin-
ues
The report of the work done with
the automobile since the beginning of
the fiscal year in July, or six months,
shows that $5362 has been collected by
its use, says Capt. Fredericks, while
enough cases are pending to make
$4,000 for the six months.
Continuing, the district attorney
says: "There has never been month
when we had $3.50 expended on the
machine and the $500 for the years
work is in no sense for repairs, but for
gasoline, tires etc. This office is en-
gagged exclusively, almost, in the de-
lection, prosecution and prevention Of
crimes in this great county, the great
est county government west OF chi
cago, with 100000 more inhabitants
under our jurisdiction than San Fran
cisco city and county has, scattered
over an area of about 200 miles each
way.
'This entire territory, outside of in
corporated cities, is policed by the
secret service force of this office by
the use of this little Locomobile. 1t is
on the go day and night, especially at
night"