Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-11-09
HIGH TRIBUTE
FOR WASHBURN
MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OUTLINES
PAST VALUABLE SERVICES
ACCEPTS RESIGNATION BECAUSE
OF RACE FOR COUNCIL
Fact Recalled That Candidate Was
First to Suggest Conservation
of Power Rights on
Aqueduct Line

In accordance with the policy adopt
ed by the Municipal league, the resig-
nation of William J. Washburn as
member of its executive committee has
been accepted inasmuch as he is a
candidate for election as councilman.
His service for the league has been so
signal and its executive committees
belief that his service to the city will
be of tremendous value have prompted
the committee unanimously to express
to Mr.. Washburn their appreciation
of his devotion to the city's betterment.
This was expressed in a letter signed
by every officer and member of the
executive committee of the Municipal
league addressed to Mr. Washburn as
follows:
Your resignation from the executive
committee of the Municipal league is
received. The reason which you give,
viz: That you have consented to al
low your name to go in for nomination
to the city council, is conclusive, and
we must follow precedent in accepting
the resignation. But we cannot allow
the occasion to pass without some eX-
preston of the profound personal re-
gard that we, who have so long worked
beside you, feel for you, and some rec
ognition also of the valuable nature
of your service with this committee.
Former Services Recalled
"You became a member of the league
shortly after it was started and you
were elected to fill a vacant seat i'll
this executive committee in Septem
ber 1903. You had then just concluded
four years of service on the board of
education during the period of the
cleanup of the notorious Webb
board This was an important epoch
in the history of our schools.
"You were a member of the first re-
form board 1899 to 1900, nominated by
both parties in your ward, and upon
reelection served as president of the
board. Thus your experience in pubic
life and in the service of the city made
your counsel of special value in the
work of the Municipal league You
continued to act with this committee
until you responded to the general call
of the business element of this city TO
enter into the first nonpartisan school
board in 1904, a notable board that
fixed new standard in the administra-
ton of our city schools and which en-
joyed a high degree of public conf |
dence. OF this board you ultimately |
became the president and you may
very properly be termed the father |
of the present nonpartisan admins
tration of school affairs.
Declining reelection to the board |
OF education In 1906, you came back
to the executive committee Of the
league and have been a member ever
sine.
Suggested Power Conservation
During the period of six years,
through which your total service with
us has extended the league has grown
up from a young. experimental, little
concern to large effective organiza-
ton, on which a considerable element !
of our people depend for active assist |
ance in civic matters. You have helped |!
with your wise counsel and clear un- |
prejudiced vision in directing the course /
of the league through many perpleX- |
ing issues. While displaying always |
the caution and conservatism that go |
with a thorough business training, you
are nevertheless bold and progressive |
where large civic interests are at stake.
You We're, for example, one of the ear
Hest to advocate that the initiative, |
referendum and recall should be in
dorsed and supported by the league,
and it was your own idea and first sug
gested by you to the charter commit
tee, of which you were a member, that |
the electric power to be generated by .
tn Owens river should be inalienable,
just as the water is.
I'm the league and I'm the chamber
of commerce you have been a jealous
guardian of all the rights of the city
in its great aqueduct work.
while we feel a sense of personal .
loss that we are no longer to have you
with us in our deliberations, we can at
the same time congratulate ourselves /
and our fellow citizens in the fact that
you are likely to be called to a much
wider and more important sphere of
usefulness in the city council of Los
Angeles.
with sincere esteem, we subscribe
ourselves,
1.-THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF
THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE"