Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-21
SUBSTITUTE UTILITY
LAW TO BE VETOED
ALEXANDER nISAPPR0VES OF
SECOND MEASURE
BY Withholding Action as Long as
Legally Possible, Mayor Can Re-
strict Operation of Ordinance
to Three Days

i The public utilities ordinance paSsSV'
i by the council Tuesday afternoon Went
/ to Mayor Alexander yesterday after
noon As soon as the mayor received
j the document he had his secretary
stamp the date on the back SO lA@I ne
would know when the Ten days al
/ lotted him by law to hold t1e oI1l-
nance had expired.
The mayor said he would veto THIS
ordinance, but that his message would
be short and would probably contain
little more than that he WIaaeld MS
approval for practically the same rea-
sons that he had vetoed the hrSt or
dinanCe.
The council knew I would not sign
this ordinance when .r WaS presented
to me-" said the mayor yesterday.
Rv holding rhs ordinance the ten
days he is allowed by Law before tax
ing action on ir CcS council cannot
pass il over his veto even l- I1dL pod4
is SO inclined. until November :. Inc
ordinance cannot be published until
the morning OF November 4. and lt
will be thirty days after rhat time, or
December 4, before the ordnance can
become a law. The general election Is
to be held December :, and at that
time the people Will have an opportu-
nifty to vote on the ordinance present
ed by the Municipal league through the
medium of the initiative. If the peo-
pie vote for the ordinance presented by
the league the one passed by the coun-
ell is automatically repealed, and the
commission chosen by the council Will
only have three days in which to per-
form any of the duties assigned to 1t.
Difference in Measures
The essential points of difference be-
tween the ordinance passed by the
council is as follows: The council or
dinance provides for a commission of
five the Municipal league ordinance
for a commission of three; the coun-
ellis commission is appointed by the
council, the Municipal leagues by the
mayor, confirmed by the council; the
councils ordinance provides each of
the five commissioners shall receive
salary of $1,000 a year. the Municipal
league ordinance that none of the
commissioners shall be paid; the
council ordinance provides for a sec
retary at S2400 a year, the Municipal
league ordinance leaves this detail to
the discretion of the commission; the
council ordinance makes three of the
members of the commission experts,
the Municipal league ordinance en-
powers the commission to employ such
experts as it may need; the council
ordinance carries an appropriation OF
$4,000, all but $500 of which is immedi-
ately eaten up in salaries, while the
Municipal league ordinance carries an
appropriation of $12,000 which is to be
expended by the commission for such
services as may be needed; the council
ordinance gives the commission no
power over franchises except to keep
a record of those already granted. the
Municipal league ordinance requires
the council to submit applications for
franchises to the commission and
gives the commission the advisory
power to say whether the franchises
shall be granted.
1t is not likely that President Pease
of the council will vote to pass the or
dinance over the mayors veto, and it
is probable that Councilman Lyon will
not vote for it. Neither of these two
like the ordinance they voted for but
declare they prefer it to no ordinance
at all. Lyon has a compromise meas
ure that he may spring on the council.