Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-13
RECALL,
MACHINES PLAN
DELAY OBTAINED AFTER FIGHT
IN COUNCIL
HARPER's coMMis ssioNERs ARE
READY TO RESIGN
Chief of Police Broadhead Reported
to BE Slated to Hand In Res
Ignatlon Within Few
Days
ICON tinued from Page one,


for delay In order to give the city at
torney's Office time for further consid-
Grafton. He considered 1t would be
wiser to postpone action until City
Attorney Leslie Hewitt returns from
Sacramento, so that the city's legal
bureau might have an opportunity to
crack some of these hard legal nuts.
Wallace Advises Caution
1--WE must be very cautious" said
Mr.. Wallace. "There Is possibility of
so tying up affairs as to jeopardize the
interests of consolidation and large
owens river contracts. While l do
not pretend to answer Mr.. Meserve's
suggestion as a lawyer, yet to me, a
layman. it does not seem possible any
appointment we can make or any ac-
ton we can take can IN any may IN
fiuence the result of the recall cleo
ton. The people have demanded this
election, and 1t is not possible the coun-
ell can supersede the people. If we
should elect a man today we could not
put him in a better position than the
man whose place he takes. He cer-
tainly cannot be mayor for any longer
than A. C. Harper could have held the
position"
with enthusiasm by the crowd.
Wren Seconds Motion
Mr.. Wallace moved action be delayed
until Monday morning at 10 O'Clock,
and Mr.. Wren promptly seconded this
Dromgold pointed out this would be
the wisest course, as there was not a
full council present, Lyon being in
Sacramento, and concurred In the de-
mand for delay. This divided the coun-
Gil equally. Pease, Wallace, Wren and
Dromgold for postponement, and
Blanchard, Healy, Yonkin and Clam
pitt for immediate action.
Healy voiced the sentiments OF the
four push members when he said, be-
fore the vote on postponement was
taken:
Let us appoint q mayor and let the
courts decide the question"
This was greeted by storm of
Noes" from the crowd, and when the
vote was taken all voted for postpone
ment.
But from conversation heard around
the city hall yesterday 1t is the legal
technicaIity of the 'unexpired term"
on which the "gang" bases its hopes of
defeating the objects of the recall elec-
ton. 1t is the push plan to have the
council appoint Smith for the unex-
courts. When elected to the office of
mayor March 26 Mr.. Alexander will
have to get q mandamus to take his
office, and this will be contested to the
supreme court, according to the ma
chine politicians. Before the court can
decide the question the unexpired
term, whatever 1t is, will be over.
Commissions May Resign
The police, fire and park commissions
find themselves in peculiar situa-
tion. The charter provides these COM
missioners shall hold Office for two
years. When the charter was amend
ed to allow OF the present three-year
term which Mayor Harper was serv-
ing, and which was arranged to throw
the city election on an off year from
the state election, nothing was said
about changing the term Of the COM
sionefs. AS a result, the terms of all
the commissioners on these three
boards, except that on Judge Dillon,
who was only appointed about ten days
ago, and e. B. Tufts, appointed last
October, expired the first of this year.
This will not affect any of the other
commissions, such as the library, water,
civil service and others, as these MEM
bers are appointed for the stipulated
term of four years and do not resign
at the end of the term of the mayor
who appointed them as is the case with
the three boards of which the mayor Is
ex-officio chairman.
Broadhcad May Quit
Chief of Police Thomas Broadhead,
whom rumor has credited with intend
ing to resign, said yesterday he would
neither affirm nor deny the report. He
said that statements credited to him
by a morning newspaper yesterday
were not his statements at all and that
he did not speak the words accredited
to him.
At the city hall yesterday afternoon
1t was currently reported that Chief
Broadhead had resigned, and that his
resignation was then in the hands of
one of the official of the police depart
ment. At the city hall 1t Is believed
that IL Broadhead resigns as chief he
will not return to his former post as
captain but will leave the department.
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