Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-06
Citizens Defend Rights


Major Henry T. Lee, who for over
thirty years has been prominently
identified with every project making
for the betterment of Los Angeles, and
who has been to the fore in all efforts
to establish, maintain and defend her
rights, as the second speaker discussed
the Owens river enterprise. "Since the
early pueblo days of this City Of the
Angels" he said, when the inhabi-
tants, after formally 'resoluting'
against parties in the San Fernando
valley who had erected a dam that was
depicting their water supply went out
with picks and Shovels and proceeded
to the offending dam, tore it down, the
citizens have defended as paramount
their water interests.
LAS the city grew it became appar-
ent that the water supply would not
be sufficient, and the Owens river
project was suggested and developed,
the people responding gloriously to the
scheme even to the extent of pledging
their property for the sake of the far
reaching and all peWasive blessings
attached.
1.-THE successful development of this
stupendous enterprise depends upon the
board of public works, upon the mem
bers of which will devolve an infinite
variety of detail, from the hiring of
the men to the expenditure of the
money, and the personnel Of this board
rests with the mayor, since in his
hands lies the appointive power.
Harper Made Propositions
''Now a word in regard to Mayor
Harper's attitude toward the board of
public works. In the early days Of his
mayoralty he approached the board
with certain propositions in regard to
committees, etc., was promptly turned
down, and after that this body was not
popular with him. When Mr.. Ander-
sons term was about to expire Mr..
Harper was approached by members
of the chamber of commerce, the Bar
association, the Merchants and Manu-
facturerS' association and the Municipal
league, bodies representative of the
business interests of the city, and re-
quested that he reappoint Mr.. Ander-
son. This he gave his solemn word to
do, but later announced that he was
relieved from his promise because he
had been so bothered by Anderson's s
friends. Later he appointed General
Chaffee, thank God, but On the retire
ment Of Mr.. Edwards, appointed Mr.
Kern.
Now between General Chaffee and
Mr.. Hubbard, Kern is harmless. He
is an efficient street superintendent, and
being of a sort that can segregate his
3
is Of untarnished reputation in business
affairs, but he is not safe man to be
on the board of public works. Three
times while he satin the council he
proclaimed himself a creature of cor
porate greed.
after Mayor Harper has made one
such appointment, what assurance have
we that at his next opportunity he will
not appoint a stronger and a more de-
fiant man, throwing this chance to
handle the immense sum of $23, ,000, 900
as a reward into the hands Of some
man who assisted in putting him into
office, or of one who will aid in keep
mig him there?
Not All Faddists
Il want to say one word in closing.
We are not all faddists, we are not
all pink sockists, but we, the people
of Los Angeles, are determined that
our mayor, his successors and every
public servant, shall understand that
they hold their office as a public trust.
The man who is at the head Of this
municipality must know that it is a
business organization and that he holds
the same relation to the people as does
the head of any business corporation
to the stockholders, and that he is
subject to removal in the same way.
"As member Of the board of public
works, Kern is a greater menace than
is Mayor Harper in his Office. My bat
tie cry is this: We don't want to swap
horses crossing the Owens river"
Judge Albert M. Stephens contributed
the third address to the mornings SYM
postum, and his words concerning the