Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-04
CONGRATULATIONS

people of the best city on earth--upon
the fact that their votes on the most
vital amendments submitted at the re-
cent charter election have resulted in
adopting those amendments over
whelmingly and in again proving that
the great majority of the people of this
fair city are uncompromisingly devoted
to the cause Of decent and honest gov.
ernment
The success of amendment No. 1 as
sures the city in the permanent possess
sion, and the best utilization, of the
most magnificent heritage that any
city Of the world will be able to boast
Of, to wit: The Owens river water, the
great electric power which will be pro-
duced by that water, and the free har-
Dor, whose control by the city of Los
Angeles Is only question of time.
Amendments Nos. 2 and strike a
death blow at the influence Of the cor
rupt Southern Pacific political machine
in the city government Of Los Angeles.
Hereafter the citizens, setting aside
this pernicious influence which in the
past has done and at present is doing
SO much injury to the city, will manage
and control their own affairs by directly
nominating and all electing the mayor
and councilnen to whose hands will
be committed the. responsibility and
honor Of governing this great city.
Amendment No. clears the way to
the possession and control of the har-
Dor for the development of which our
citizens have for years striven so stren-
uously; and it will shortly result in Los
Angeles taking her position as one of
the great commercial cities Of the
world, served by harbor second to
none in its capacity to safely and con-
veniently accommodate a worlds COM
merce.
The Herald is sorry that the amend
ments for increasing the salaries Of city
officials were defeated, because it be-
lieves that the city government of Los
Angeles is, by the adoption Of amend
ments l, 2, 4 and z, to be soon made
into a great business organization. and
1t hoped to see salaries provided some-
what commensurate with the RESPONSE
bilities of the officials who are to man
age this great business enterprise and
which would enable the city to ac-
quire the services of men Of ability
sufficient to manage a business interest
of such magnitude as is involved in the
government of such a city.
AT the same time, the overwhelming
defeat by a vote of something like
three to one of the proposed increase
In salaries carries with 1t a lesson
which should be Of present and future
value to city officials
There is no doubt that the unfavor-
able result Of these amendments must
be taken as a distinct appraisal on the
part Of the people Of the value Of some
OF the present officials connected with
the city's government.
How can people be expected to vote
in favor Of raising the salary Of
mayor and councilmen Of this city in
the face Of such record as has been
made by our present chief executive
and by the present city council, who,
eight out Of nine. voted for the con-
f1rmation of one Of the most shameful
acts ever perpetrated by a mayor of
this city, to wit: The appointment of
ex-Chief Of Police Ed Kern to a posi-
ton on the city's most important
board?
The fact that deserving city officials
will not hereafter be better compen-
sated for their services must be
charged to such acts of some Of the
public servants of this city as we have
just specified.
However, The Herald hopes soon to
see mayor at the head of our city
government whose intelligent, honest
and patriotic devotion to its affairs will
be such a living and ever present ex-
ample to our citizens of the value of
having such man as the city's chief
executive as will induce them to submit
to the next legislature charter amend
ment which will provide adequate COM
pensation for the head Of our great
business organization-the city.
And it also trusts that the provisions
Of charter amendments 2 and 4, recent
ly adopted, will result in the city at
the next election securing a council
whose members, by their honesty and
efficiency, will demonstrate to the city
the value of having men of character
and ability in that body, in a way that
the city has never been shown before.
While The Herald had no objection
to any Of the proposed amendments
and would have rejoiced at the adop-
ton of some Of those that were de-
feated, yet it's JOY is so great over the
victory Of the cause of good govern
ment in the adoption Of the four
amendments which were of immensely
more Importance than all the others
together that we do not permit our
rejoicing to be disturbed with any re-
grets.
And The Herald esteems it precious
privilege to have been permitted to call
the attention Of it's readers to the fact
that the four amendments which were
adopted were the ones in which the
city and its people were most vitalIy
interested.
Again, good citizens of Los Angeles,
our congratulations!