Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-21
JOB ATTEMPTED
BY SUPERVISORS
NAILED TO MAST
SECRETARY BLANCHARD TELLS
HOW WORK WAS DONE
GOOD ROADS PLEDGE TO PUBLIC
VIOLATED AT EVERY TURN
Advisory committe Official Explains
How Attempt to Fool the
People May Result in
Boomerang
GGTHEY'RE trying to job the
advisory committee. and

advisory committee, and
Il they're jobbing the peo-
ple," declared Secretary F. w.
Blanchard of the good roads adj
visory committee, on the eve of
his departure for a short camping
trip in the mountains, last night,
speaking of the words and actions
Of ''Tus" Eldridge and his sup
porters on the board of super
visors.
They're in a tight place, and
they know it," he went on.
They're trying to sidestep.
That's all there is to it. When
Eldridge talks of informing the
advisory committee of their inten-
tions in the matter of appoint
mencs to the highway commits
sion, and waiting for us to make
recommendations, it's simply his
bluff. Why, it is not in our prov
ince to make recommendations.
Listen to this. It's clear
enough. Eldridge understands it,
no matter how much he may try
to dodge, to humiliate the advis-
ory committee and try to save
himself"
Pledge Tells the Story
Earnestly with a trace of suppressed
| excitement, accentuating each distinct
clause with a thrust of long foret1n-
rN,.I z1rif
he were stabbing to death, one by one,
the bubbles of "Tus" Eldridge, Mr.
Blanchard read from the pledge of the
supervisors, so shamefully broken:
"'This board of supervisors pledges
itself, and each and every member
thereof pledges himself, to take no ac-
ton in the matter of letting contracts
tor road improvement, in making ap-
pointrnents to positions connected with
such road Improvement or in .fillin9
any vacancy that may occur upon the
Los Angeles highway commission, un-
less the same shall be approved by the
said advisory committee
There it is They were pledged 70
submit to u.s. for oul advice, everything
they contemplated in the way of
changes on the highway commission,
and anything in connection with the
good roads enterprise.
1--WE we're to advise, not to dictate. It
was not for us to demand that they
mako certain appointments. They
would like to have betrayed us into
violating the letter and spirit of our
agreement, as they have done with
theirs, but we would not do II.
Supervisors Have Dodged
"They have refused to do business
with us, in a business way. They have
| lodged. Look at that affair of the Sec
| oft a ma
of confidence in Chesebro! Then to
force him out to make way for a man
who has not shown the efficiency
which was so clearly recognized in the
man he was to replace.
/ 1.-THE appointments on the highway
| commission? Why, clearly, the super
| visors were bound by their pledge to
the people, at the time the bonds were
voted for these good roads, to prepare
a list from which appointments might
be made and submit it to the commit
tee They knew very well that II, on
inquiry we found that the men they
chose could and would serve the inter-
ests OF the people, we would approve
the appointments. They didn't do 1t,
They must have felt that the only way
tC get the men they wanted was to ig-
more their pledge and appoint those
j men without regard to the advisory
committee.
Calls Action Bluff
"What is it EIdridee says of US? That
the supervisors waited for US to do
something until they got tired, and
I then acted. Yes And he says that
the supervisors told us they were go
ing to make changes and asked us
j whom we wished them to appoint.
WeI, the last part of it is true; spoke
OF that before, but it was a bluff. They
knew very we'll, then, whom they had
in mind for appointment. lf they had
any intention of dealing with the peo-
pie fairly on a business basis, accord
ing to their pledge and ours, and our
NJ mutuaI duty to the people, who voted
the bonds, they certainly would have
submitted their choice to us instead OF
trying to lead us into assuming func-
ton which we were not given authority
} tc perform"
4 Mr.. Blanchard waved his hand, with
| every finger limp now, in gesture of
Il WEAKNESS and detection, and for mo-
ment he stared blankly before him, as
i il he could find in his own mind no So
\ luton of the problem of obstruction in
the way of the good roads for which
the people of this county voted the
| bonds
Sacramento Doing Honest Work
at is not what the people expected
he said, at last, with plaintive note in
his voice, when they voted the bonds.
Every cent was to go for that one spe-
cific purpose, for good roads, and ev-
erything done in connection with the
enterprise was to be calculated for that
| sole end.
"They are doing it in Sacramento
| county, with less money, far less, for
each mile of road than has been ap-
propriated here. There the super
visors act in perfect harmony with the
advisory committee, and the work is
going ahead. Why can't we do it here?
IT know the people of Los Angeles
county have confidence in the advisory
committee. I know they never would
have voted the bonds If they had not
Continued on Page Five)