Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-11
Before the City Club of Los Angeles Saturday. April 10

caucuses, primaries and conventions
in the CITY of Los Angeles by the adop-
ton of what is regarded as one or the
best direct primary systems for NUM-
cipal elections ever proposed.
Should Have Raised Salaries
1t is to be regretted that the amends
ments for salary raises proposed by
the councilman themselves did not
pass, but the councilmen have only
themselves and the machine to thank
for their rejection. The people lacked
confidence In a council which had de-
clined to give them an opportunity TO
express their will until compelled to
do so under the mandate of the law,
and many voted against the salary
amendments on that ground; while on
the other hand the orders which went
out from the machine headquarters
just before the election to vote against
all the amendments all along the line
in order to defeat amendments 2 and
for council large and direct pri-
maries, helped to swell the negative
vote on the salary amendments.
believe that municipal officers
should be well paid. The city has no
business to expect capable men to
work for 1t for less than such men
can obtain from private corporations
near future Los Angeles will be pay
ing her city officials salaries commen-
surate with the Importance of the
city's business and the ability re-
quired. / voted for every one of the
charter amendments except the
amendment providing for the extern
sion of corporate franchises from 81
to SIS years.
Too Many to Be Elected
Too much must not be expected of
our municipal direct primary, in its
first tryout, for the reason that the
system adopted here Is more partic-
ularly adapted for q scheme of gov
eminent where the number of elective
offices is small. We must remember
that we still have twenty-three Off
cials to elect and in my opinion 1t
should be "23" for some OF the offices,
so far as their being elective is con-
cerned. ! can see no reason why such
officials as the city treasurer, the tax
collector and the city clerk should be
elective. Their duties are purely min
isterial, as are those of probably some
other of our city officials, and / favor
as great as possible a reduction in the
number of elective officials. Undoubt-
eddy the council, which will be elected
this fall under the Eat large" system,
will be quite willing to call an election
for freeholders in time so that a new
charter may be passed on by the citi-
zens of Los Angeles and presented to
the next Legislature; and l hope by
that time the experience Of other cities
where what is known as the commits
sion plan" is now in practical opera
ton will have demonstrated the prac-
ticability and advantages of that sys-
tenn.
/, for one. would like to see elected
as councilmen a few high grade citi-
zens who would devote all their time
to the ctty's business; who would be
paid good salaries: who would be mu-
nicipal experts and each one of whom
would have general charge and super
vision over an important department
of the city's affairs under the general
direction of the whole council. In
other words, cannot see why the
business of great municipal corpora
ton could not DE successfully conduct
ed along the lines adopted in great
private corporations where a small
board of directors, carefully chosen for
their ability and integrity, are given
run control of the corporations af-
fairs.
Safe Under the Recall
I think that with the recall in oper-
alton, which of course will never be
geles. no matter how many charters
we may adopt in the future, we are
perfectly safe in electing a small num-
Der of city officials and giving them
large powers
want to say also, in passing. that
1t is my firm conviction that no matter
how many charters we may prepare
and adopt in Los Angeles we will
never give up the initiative and refer
and rrra nj until
ward system of electing councilmen or
to the old convention and party boss
system of making nominations.
From the time when Magma Charta
was wrested from King John the peo-
pie have never surrendered what tools
OF democracy they have taken. But
they sometimes allow the tools to rust.
Senator Thompson warned you last
Saturday that the state direct pri-
mary law will not be effective unless
the people intelligently use it, and I
must give you the same warning about
our local direct primary law. 1t won't
work automatically, but there must be
organization to back it up to secure
the best results.
1t seems to me that must apologize
every time I make reference to a re-
form movement in Los Angeles, be-
cause 1t is so recent. This observation,
paign which has cleared our local
atmosphere so that am sure we all
breathe more freely, feeling that the
city Is safe, and has resulted in the
election of one of the very best mayors
that Los Angeles ever had.
Praise for Alexander
The character of the appointments
made by Mr. Alexander assures a sane,
,-of Qd
ministration.
One important lesson has been
learned from this election, and that is
that organization counts. Without the
organization behind the recall and the
candidacy of Mr.. Alexander the 1900
plurality in his favor could easily have
been switched to the opposing candi-
date.
This demonstrates that If we are to
continue to keep in office good men in
our city government and to keep ma
chine politicians out we must continue
and make permanent, If possible, the
organization which has worked SO we'll
up to the present time. And do not
think, gentlemen, that the organiza-
ton which carried the election for AL
exander was built up in day, or in
the few weeks prior to the election.
That organization has been three years
in the building. It started with the
first non-partisan campaign in Los An
geles. 1t grew and was strengthened
during the Owens river bond election,
the school bond election, the charter
election and, most inpor-
tant of all the Lincoln Roosevelt Re-
publican league campaign, and 1t was
the organization. built up from the
ground, you might say, during all of
that time that was ready to back up
the Municipal league and recall cam