Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-11
RELIEVE COUNCIL
OF SOME DUTIES
VOT[e S' LEAGUE WOULD ADD
COMMISSIONS
Relieving lawmakers Of Some Duties
Would Command Services of AbIest
and Brainiest Citizens Is
Argument

IT, Voters league has laid before the
committee of legislation of the charter
commission suggestions reducing the
duties of city councilmen and giving
ore work to commissions to be created
for special purposes in the municipal
government scheme.
President Jesse F. Waterman and
Secretary William H. Knight of the
league, through Assistant Secretary j.
b. Irvine. sent a copy of the proposed
legislation to the commission, and the
committee to which it was referred will
report on the plan two weeks hence.
The statement Is:
LAS citizens interested in the welfare
of the city and wishing to do what is
in our power to aid in your difficult
duty of determining upon and drafting
a new charter for the city or amend
ments to the present charter, we ask to
submit for your consideration the fol-
lowing suggestions:
Would it not be possible to extend
further the principle exemplified in the
last amendments of the charter where
by the council was relieved of certain
of it's executive functions and made
more completely a deliberative and
legislative body; and if such change be
feasible would it not be greatly to the
advantage of our municipal organiza-
ton?
Separating Their Functions
1--WE suggest the consideration of this
matter, impressed with the idea that
the complete separation of legislative
and executive functions, If practical,
would result In a great saving of time
required of councilmen; that the duties
being thus substantially restricted to
the consideration of legislation for the
community the position of councilman
x..l Will md
moment as to appeal to and command
the services of more thoughtful and
ADLER citizens than are usually secured
under the present system, where
great part of the time of councilmen is
taken and where duties of uncongenial
and engrossing kind are required.
I'VE have discussed the matter with
a number of our citizens who are ia
miliar with the practical workings OF
our city government through experience
and close observation, and the further
our investigation goes the more we are
led to think that. by committing the
executive functions still remaining
with council to the present execu-
tive officers or commissions, or probably
to one or two new commissions,
simpler form of our city government
would be attained, with the results OF
greater efficiency, greater ease of locat-
ing efficiency and more ready placing
of responsibility in the executive mat
tiers, and of more careful and better
consideration of legislative enactments.
Increase to Fifteen
1--WE believe, too, that by making the
council a purely deliberative and legis-
lative body--which would probably i'm
ply its increase in number to not moro
than fifteenth would not ordinarily be
necessary to hold sessions oftener than
once a week and eventually perhaps
once in two weeks and that these seS-
sions could usually be held in the even
ing; that this would permit both the
business man and the workingman who
might be chosen to give attention to
thase public duties without undue en-
croachment upon his time or strength;
that this arrangement would result in
restoring the position of councilman to
one of honor and dignity instead of be-
ing a small salaried place; and that
these considerations would incline our
most active and public spirited citizens
to accept this position in the city gov
eminent, with the effect of elevating
the tone and inspiring with patriotic
energy the whole administration.
This change would save the salaries
paid councilmen under the present
plan and this saving would go to meet
the cost Of the executive duties which
would be given to the new commissions
zone or two additional commissions
would probabl be essential.
For instance, we think that the
heavy burden now borne by the council
in determining upon the income and
appropriate tons of revenue could be
largely relieved by placing these duties
in q commission of finance or revenue,
subject always to the approval or re-
vision of estimates by the council.
THE changes we suggest, While fun
damental, are after all apparently in
line with what has been the recent de-
yelopment Of our city government, and
hence would not probably be opposed
as radical.
1--WE are impelled to this action be-
cause from our consideration of the
matter and from. all the information
which we can gather we feel that the
gain of the city in the higher type of
legislator which this change almost
certainly assures would compensate
even if there were increased expense
attending the change; but so far as we
can Judge the change would be made
with economy in the direct expense,
aside from the indirect gain coming
from better legislation as well as from
more complete and stable. and there
fore more effective organization In the
several executive departments"