Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-28
COUNCIL HELPS MAYOR WELD
OFFICIAL AK
CITY EXECUTIVES MESSENGER
ALSO LOSES JOB
Alexander Recommends Removal OF
Police Inspector of Licenses, but
Action is Deferred to Get
Auditors Opinion


his belt. Six of these were different
kinds of inspectors in the health de-
partment and one was the secretary of
the department In his effort to read
Just matters in that department he had
the unanimous support of the board OF
health. The seventh was the mayor s
messenger a position which the mayor
declared was useless, and he asked for
an eighth, James A. Craig, police in
spector of licenses, but the council
would not act on this proposal yester-
day, preferring to delay action a week.
The mayor in three messages to the
council yesterday declared he was &C
tuated by motives of economy. large
number of dead limbs had accumulated
on the governmental tree and the
mayor wants them Topped off. HIS
motive for dropping the classified in
spectors is to have all the work done
by sanitary inspectors. He believes an
inspector should be able to do any
class of work By the changes sug-
eested the mayor declared $4,000 a year
would be saved in the health depart
ment His message was as follows:
"After careful consideration of the
various branches of the sanitary de-
partment we find what is, in our
opinion, a needless number of subdtvi-
sions which seriously interferes with
and lessons the efficiency or this I'M
1--WE therefore unanimously recon-
mend the adjustment of the following
offices, to wit:
"Restaurant inspector.
Assistant restaurant inspector.
BAKERY inspector
Fruit and vegetable Inspector.
Lodging house inspector.
Garbage inspector.
To Use Sanitary Force
of
eral offices could be more satisfactorily
performed by the sanitary inspectors III
connection with their other work, the
sanitary inspectors to be held respon-
sible for the enforcement of all health
ordinances in whatever district they
may be assigned to by the board of
health.
"a satisfactory service of this kind
could be obtained by having eleven
sanitary inspectors and three assistants
the assistants to act as utility men,
said sanitary inspectors and assistants
to be assigned to any sanitary work
which the board of health may deem
"WS would suggest that a change he
made in the manner of taking care of
the detention hospital; and we believe
that a position could be created at a
salary of from $50 to $75 month, the
holder of such position to act as care
taker in times when there are no
patients in said hospital, and as COOK
when the hospital is occupied; thereby
saving the city in the neighborhood of
500 a month in the care Of said hos
pital.
I'm the matter of the office force we
recommend the adjustment of the Of
flee of secretary of the board, and in
its place the creation of position of
telephone operator, who shall be
stenographer and typewriter at salary
NOT IN axcapd S75 month.
"By the foregoing changes the city
would be enabled to save more than
$4,000 a year, and we believe the ef-
ficiency of the department Will be
greatly increased.
"AS far as possible we recommend
that the incumbents of the positions
abolished be given preference in the
matter of appointments to the adoi-
tional inspectorships.
''Realizing the lack of medical atten-
ton which exists among our worthy
poor, especially in the Second, Eighth
and Ninth wards, we would suggest
that a portion of the money saved by
the plan above outlined would be well
expended in the appointment of a
physician, who, while not giving his
whole time to the work, would be on
call for work in connection with the
health department and also in connec
ton with the district nurses work, said
physician to receive not to exceed 500
a month"
Report Adopted
This communication was at such
wide variance with the usual depart
ment demands which ask that their
forces be increased instead of reduced
that for a while the council was dazed
Dromgold was the first to recover, and
he Immediately moved that the report
of the board of health be adopted
This was quickly seconded by Wren
But voluntarily giving up jobs that
may be filled with henchmen did not
meet the approval of Yonkin or Lyon
or Blanchard, and Yonkin moved an
amendment that the matter be laid
wanted the opinion of DR.. L. M. Powers
the health officer, on the changes be-
fore any action was taken.
Dromgold pointed out that the report
was from DR.. Powers superior officers
and that it was beneath the dignity of
the council to consult an inferior when
the superiors had made recommended
ton. But the horrible thought of CIV
ing up jobs in this way obsessed Yon-
kin and he insisted on his amendment
The vote on the amendment was four
ayes and four noes Blanchard, Clam
pitt, Yonkin and Lyon voted for delay
and Dromgold, Wallace, Wren and
Pease for the report of the board. On
account of the tie vote the president
declared the amendment lost.
just as the roll was being called on
the original motion to adopt the report
Lyon left the council room and did not
vote, and on this account the majority
was in favor of adopting the report of
the board The city attorney will pre-
sent an ordinance in conformity with
this report next Tuesday.
Negro Messenger Goes
But the secretary of the board of
health, which position is now held by
II. M. Love, better known as Polly
and a few inspectors are not the only
heads the mayor is after. One of the
mayors messages to the council yes
terday asked that the position of police
inspector of licenses be abolished. The
mayor declared he believed the duties
of this office could be better performed
by the regular policemen on their beats
and he considered it an unnecessary ex-
pense. This recommendation was laid
over for a week in order that City
Auditor Mushet should have a chance
to say something on the subject This
position is filled by James A. Craig
and the position was created on the
recommendation of the city auditor. In
the past the auditor has commended
the work done by Craig, declaring that
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