Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-21
SOLID THREE

TN THE mind OF :he general public
there can be only one opinion as
II to the supervisorial situation and
the attitude taken by the indignant
members of the advisory committee,
who surely will think better of their
resignation and will remain on guard.
1t is the opinion founded on common
sense. The function of the members
OF the advisory committee is to advise.
The people intended they should be
taken into the confidence of the super
vlsors, should have an opportunity of
reviewing important matters of busi-
ness from the point of view of the pub
lic and should receive and transmit to
tire supervisors the views Of the public
on all questions concerned with the
handling and expenditure of the fund
of $9,5OOO0O provided by the public for
great public works.
Supervisor Tus Eldridge, spslIing for
the Solid Three, is reported to have said
the supervisors had disgraced them-
selves by having anything to do with
the advisory committee. This is equiv
alent to saying the supervisors had dis
graced themselves by having anything
to do with the public. But Mr.. Ed
ridge is looking at the matter from a
wrong point of view. The only dis
graceful element in the transaction is
the disgraceful reputation by the Solid
Three of promises made and pledges
given.
Members of the present board Of
supervisors promised to maintain the
same relationship toward the advisory
committee that had been held by the
previous board. AS far as the present
board is concerned, there was no new
deal when Its official life began. On
the contrary, its members bound them
selves to abide by the same old square
deal by which the former board had
been governed.
The position of the present board was
defined in the following resolution;
Resolved, That it shall be the sense
of this board of supervisors to advise
with the advisory committee on ALL
matters pertaining to the building Of
the highways as advertised, and CON
Z
former board of supervisors in so far
as the same does not run counter to
an honest discharge of our powers as
supervisors"
A possible explanation that may be
offered by the Solid Three when asked
to account for their apparent treason to
the public in letting important con-
tracts without consulting the advisory
committee, in appointing Messrs. Cal
vert and Marsh without consulting the
advisory committee, and In removing
Ray Chesebro. the highly efficient and
satisfactory secretary, and substituting
McCabe's man, c. E. Morton, a gentle
man with a political reputation, is that
If they had consulted the advisory COM
mittee before taking these important
steps they would have acted in man
ner that ran counter to the honest dis
charge OF their duties and exercise Of
their powers as supervisors.
But the mere statement of the only
possible excuse for the conduct of the
supervisors reduces it to an absurdity,
inasmuch as evident neglect to con-
suit the advisory committee on the va
rious important matters mentioned
produces the very impression which the
absurdly apologetic Three would have
an incredulous public believe they de-
sired to avoid; and the inevitable con-
clusion that must be reached by all
fair-minded judges of the official con-
duet Of the Solid Three is they acted
in a manner which ran counter to an
honest discharge of their duties and
exercise of their powers as super
Visors.