Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-01
MORE EVIDENCE
{ AGAINST LICENSE
MEN SUBMITTED
! jGRAVE OFFENSES HINTED AT
BY OFFICERS
CHIEF OF POLICE PROMISES TO
HELP MAYOR
( Charged that Inspectors, in Contra
Vention to Law, Collect Fees.
Industries Permitted to
Go Unlicensed

ssas%ss ss:ssd sss9'' e 'i he
\ subIfitted to Mayor Alexander yes
terdhy. Already there is stack
OF reports from police officers
showing where these inspectors
have been derelict in their duty
and some of the reports hint at even
more serious complications than mere
oversight or neglect. 1t Is expected
that some startling testimony will be
produced when the council hears the
{charges preferred by the mayor Tues
fday, July 20.
Chief of Police Dishman gave more
tevidence to the mayor yesterday MORN
Hng when he made his daily visit and
promised there would be still more be-
fore the case was tried. But the mayor
will not rely on the reports he has in
hand to make his case. Witnesses will
I be subpeonaed and City Attorney
4 Hewitt will personally conduct the case
! for the mayor He consented yester-
day afternoon to take the case.
Tax Collector Johnson, on behalf of
y his men, is expected to plead differ
4 ent construction of the license ordi-
y nance from the one put on it by the
prosecuting attorney. But Mr.. john
Asons plea of his own construction of
the ordinance is not expected to bear
much weight as he should have had
fthe city attorneys opinion on what busi-
nesses were subject to license where
he had any doubt. His doubts on the
matter are said, by the mayor and by
City Auditor Mushet, to have cost the
city thousands of dollars annually in
loss of license fees that would other
wise have been turned into the city
treasury.
inspectors Collect Fees
In a number of the reports in the
hands of the mayer. there are COM
plants by police officers that many
persons subject to pay license fee not
only do not pay these fees but have no
permit to conduct the business in which
they are engaged.
But one of the most serious of the
cfhrges is that the license inspectors,
" L. are that and not collectors, have
to& persons subject to the license law
tFkait for them to visit their places
d business and collect the license
m.ey. Some persons, wishing to COM
e" kv*Nith the law in letter and spirit,
Rive visited the tax and license col
! 1s|fctor's office in the city hall to pay
NAeih license fees as the ordinance
5ecifically requires them to do and
s,slere have been told to return to their
sah ces of business and await the conf
In of collector.
xyil'here are no license collectors The
Ta license inspectors in Johnsons Of
are supposed to make it their busi-
fcss to see that persons subject to the
Sense laws have permits to do their
,rk and receipts for their license fees
N id at the city hall. Under the ordi-
ance defining their duties they are
LOT expected to handle any money at
iii.
These inspectors have also told the
.ersons with whom they deal to pay
40 attention to patrolmen. The license
ordinance makes every patrolman on
a heat a license inspector and requires
him to see that all businesses on his
beat subject to payment of license has
a receipt and a permit to do business.
These license inspectors have been
thorn in the fech of City Auditor
Mushet ever since he took the office.
Il ne soon learned that the city's revenues
were not what they should be from
licenses and traced the trouble to these
inspectors He called the attention of
the council to the state of affairs exist
ing in the office of the tax collector,
but nothing was ever done about 1t.
councIImen Side With Mayor
IN sheer desperation he induced A. c.
Harper, former mayor, to recommend
to the council the creation of the posi-
tion of police license inspector to be
attached to the police department and
< the adjustment of the positions held
by the men in Johnsons office. Harper
made the recomm endation and the posi-
tion of police license inspector was
created. The police commission ap-
pointed James A. Craig to the position
and he produced good results. But the
six men in Johnson's office are strong
politically and the council could not be
induced to abolish their position.
few weeks ago Mayor Alexander
. and the police commission recommend
ed the office of police license inspector
be abolished and sergeant of police
appointed to superintend the license
inspection of the patrolmen on their
heats and that the positions held by
Johnson's men be abolished. The coun-
/cil abolished the Office of police inspect
or of licenses but refused to pass an
ordinance for the sergeant of police to
have control and again refused to abol-
ish the positions in Johnson's office.
But matters have been coming to
head rapidly. With the aid of the city
auditor and the whole police depart
ment, the mayor has accumulated
evidence that he Is sure will cause the
council to take action and abolish the
unnecessary positions In the office of
fine tax collector Councilman Wallace
said Tuesday that he was prepared to
vote to abolish these positions at once,
as ne had seen enough evidence to con-
vince him that the six inspectors of
licenses were not only unnecessary but
nositiye detriment to effective work
in license inspection
Yonkin declared that If half the
mayor had charged was true the six
men should be fired bodily. The mayor
contends that not only is it half true,
but that half the truth has not been
presented.