Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-24
SUNDAY DANCE
HALLS CLOSED
REFERENDUM PETITION FILED
DAY TOO LATE
PLAN TO KEEP PROPOSAL OFF
BALLOT DEC. 7 FAILS
City Attorney Springs 5ombsheII in
Council Chamber and Solomon
Wastes Anger on Empty
Room

All the money spent by r. II. Sol
omon and his co-conspirators in the
dance hall referendum was wasted Tor
the well-laid plans Of the dance hall
men to hold up the operation of the
Sunday closing feature of the dance
hall ordinance were thwarted by City
Attorney Hewitt yesterday, who told
the city council that the referendum
petition was not valid and the dance
hall law'was in effect.
Solomon's plan was too well laid.
He intended to take all the time the
law allows in such cases so that the
referendum could not be placed on the
ballot at the next general election, De-
cember Z, but would have to wait until
the general election of 1911 and during
the two years the dance halls could
run unmolested by the Sunday closing
law. In his anxiety not to be too
early he was just one day too late
in filing his petition, and as result
the petition has no legal standing.
Whether City Attorney Hewitt knew
that the petition was fled too late
at the time or just discovered that
fact yesterday is a point t. city at
torney does not tell. but it is believed
that Mr.. Hewitt himself was not aware
of the fact.
Not Filed in Time
The dance hall ordinance was passed
by the city council October 5, APP
proved by the mayor october 16 and
published October 10. The petition,
bearing per cent of the number of
votes cast for mayor at the last cleo
tion, must be filed within thirty days
after the referred ordinance is ap-
proved by the mayor. Solomon filed his
| NnXpnh =
lieving he had taken only the required
thirty days. But there are thirty-one
days in October and the city attorney
held yesterday that the petition was
not filed within" thirty days as re-
quired by law.
Although, as the petition was filed
a day too late it was not incumbent
on the city clerk to check up the
names, the petition was checked and
Monday night was found to be suf-
fcient. 1t is understood that Solomon
intended the first petition should be
short, as petitioners are allowed ter
days in which to amend after theiI
petition has been declared insufficient
| If Solomon took the full ten days tc
amend, as he probably would have
done, the checking of the petition coulo
not have been completed until aftei
election day and that would be positive
assurance that the question could not
be placed on the ballot December Z.
City Attorney Prepared
| But City Attorney Hewitt Was pre-
lpared to meet this emergency. The
law permits any citizen to circulate a
petition to amend and Hewitt himself
had circulated such petition with
enough names to insure that the pc
tition would be made SUFFICIENT In time
to be placed on the ballot.
He was ready to file these names
with the city clerk If it was found
Solomon's petition was not sufficient.
Yesterday the clerk reported to the
council that the petition bore the nee
essary number of signatures to re-
quire the council to put the ordinance
on the ballot December Z.
But that will not be necessary,
calmly declared City Attorney Hewitt,
II have discovered the petition was
not filed in time to give it legal stand
ing"
Solomon. who was in the council
chamber at the time, jumped on the
floor and violently protested against
such a ruling, but the council laughed
at him and adjourned in the midst or
his protestations.
AS the matter now stands, the or
dinanee the council mas been trying
TO make effective for more than year
is effective, and dance halls and dane
ing academies must close their doors
on Sunday as well as observe other
stringent conditions.