Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-29

Sugar and Oil Stock
Soon after the beginning of Mayor Har-
per's administration rumors. to the
league that an effort was being made to
market the stock of several corporations in
which he and members of his police COM
mission larger holders and promoters
among the people whom that commission
was authorized by the charter to regulate
and control Something a year ago
exact details of many of these transactions
were submitted to the officers of the league
by city official.
These revelations have since been given
in full detail in the Los Angeles Herald, and
have not at this writing been disputed or
denied They confirmed to the league
by responsible and informed individuals.
They go to show, speaking in general terms,
that sugar stock with par value of $780,
900 and oil stock with a par value Of S2OOUO
was sold to keepers of saloons and to brew
cry owners, who control or own saloons to
keepers of combination saloons and assigna-
tim houses, and to exploiters of prostitu-
tion. To cover UP some of these transact
tions the stocks were placed in the names
of others than the original purchaser. The
control of these companies lay with the
mayor and a majority of the police commits
sion who regulate" saloons and lodging
houses.
Outside the Law
Why did not the league go before the
grand jury with these facts? Most of them
have been laid before that body, but If no
dictment is possible. To come under the
letter of the statutes the mayor must have
gone to Frank Goings, for example, who
keeps saloon and lodging house at Seventh
and San Pedro streets, and who subscribed
for a large block of shares, and said in the
presence of witnesses: Nov Frank, if you
will put up this money will see to it that
the police do not interfere with your estab-
lishment" We cannot prove that anything
of this sort happened, and we do not al
lege it.
Every intelligent man knows that there
is a borderland outside of actual graft where
the law does not reach. At the present
writing the mayor has offered no defense
of explanation. When it comes, it Will
probably be that he knew nothing of these
transactions, and that the stock sold repre-
sented actual value. The stock market Will
answer the latter point, but we see no need
of answering the former. Those to whom
such a proposition sounds reasonable will
probably believe in it,
The Municipal league is not satisfied, nor
are many intelligent business men to whom
the case has been submitted. That mayor
should appoint two police commissioners
(making with himself a majority of the
board), who were with him large owners
and original promoters of these various cor
porations and that nearly a quarter of
million dollars par value of the stock should
be systematically marketed among the very
people the commission charged to regu-
late and control is enough, in our judgment
to justify his removal from office by any
available process.
A "Wide Open Town"
That we have had during the past two
years what is known as a wide open town."
that gambling has existed unchecked for
long periods of time; that certain saloons
and lodging houses have been allowed to do
about as they pleased, while others have
been held rigidly to the law; that thuggery
and use-breaking have been carried on to
an intolerable degree-these things follow as
the inevitable consequences of the situation
described above. 1t is no consolation to Us
to be told that our city is better behaved
than San Francisco or New York or Chicago
if know that it is much worse than it
has been in former administrations. We
have the citizenship here for well-behaved
town-not a ''closed town.
We not for prohibition, but for decent
well-regulated saloons and a full compli-
with city ordinances The honest
liquor men are ready to obey the law, and
they object to being held up and made to
pay thousands of dollars for stocks" And
believe that when a new mayor occupies
the chair they will eagerly cooperate with
the police in running out of town the horde
of bad characters that now infest it.
Danger to the Aqueduct
The board of public works has the entire
aqueduct enterprise, in which the city will
invest about $25, 900, 900. 1t also handles
several million dollars per annum of tax
and special assessment money. The makeup
of that board, whether it be of politicians
under corporation influence or efficient and
responsible men, is a matter of vast import
ance to taxpayers. Every counts in a
board of three, and each unfit appointment
is a menace.
If either General Chaffee or Mr.. Hubbard
should be too i'll for service Mayor Harper
could fill the vacancy and pay another poll
teal debt. Every devoutly hopes that
may be able to serve out his term, and that
General Chaffee may keep well, as he now