Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-05
AUTOCRAT HARPER

MAYOR HARPER's opinion Of the
WI public resembles that of old
Commodore Vanderbilt. The
mayor may explain or may use Ian
guage which is intended to fill va
CUM without furnishing a genuine ex-
PLANTATION, but his action in persisting
in appointing Mr.. Kern to the board
of public works places him ire
trievably in contempt of popular opin-
ion, and he furnishes another example
of the official frenzy which in the pride
of power and the self-sufficiency of
egotism says 1.-THE public be damned"
AS soon as citizen, whether public
official or recipient Of public favors and
franchises, reaches this stage Of pro-
gressive autocracy he is beyond reach
Of argument, though not beyond range
of censure. A correspondent whose let
ter was printed in yesterdays Herald
called attention to the fact that when
Kern was chairman of the board of
public works and chairman of the sewer
committee the committee wished to
make little change in the line of the
outfall while constructing the under
ground sewer.
The Inglewood Land and Water COM
pany, from whom the city had pur-
chased right of way, demanded $4,000
the line for mile and half! Mr..
Kern and his committee approved the
bill. and it was paid. But when the
Inglewood Land and Water company
presented bill for $751; 3 for making
q road around a brick block the non
partisan board refused to allow the
sum asked for and authorized payment
Of only 5000. This contrast between
Kern policy and public policy is given
in order that citizens may understand
what Mayor Harper and the gang are
framing UP for them.
There were many other cases in
which Mr.. Kern most obviously and
fagrantly supported the corporations
at the expense Of the public. Especially
and conspicuously censurable was his
action in reducing corporation assess
ments in defiance of the fact that
figures had been reached by the con-
scientious calculations Of faithful and
accurate public servants.
When officials of the Kern type
champion corporation rapacity, well
may taxpayers ask what is the value
CT the solemn obligation such officials
assume to defend the best interests of
the public. Well may they doubt
o111 e.
hend the meaning of their sacred and
inviolable undertaking when they swear
they will be faithful to the interests Of
the people and will protect this COM
munity from raiders.
Fortunately the public is not alto
gether defenseless. If the mayor makes
this most undesirable appointment the
council will have to approve it. Coun-
cilmen who represent the people Of Los
Angeles and believe public office is pub
lie trust will refuse to sanction the
frameup, and will bring to confusion
the plot against the people. But coun-
cilmen who believe corporation favor
is more to be desired than the approval
of the constituents they should repre-
sent will be reminded of the Importance
of doing their duty. The recall was
adopted to meet just such official emer-
gencies as that which confronts the
public.
BY taking advantage of the discip-
linary power Of the recall the people
Of Los Angeles should and probably
will show their Discrimination to be
vanderbilted and express the disap-
prevail of a transaction which menaces
The welfare Of the city.