Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-12
WOULD PREVENT
SCHOOL BONDS
BEING ISSUED
ACTION BEGUN TO OBTAIN IN
JUNCTION
FORMER HOSTILE INTERESTS
RENEW FIGHT
Complaint Urges Various Arguments
In Favor of Claim That Citizens
Could Not Vote Intelli-
gently

Seeking to thwart the desires of Los
Angeles citizens who, in the proportion
of more than three to one. voted in IA
vor of increased school facilities Janu-
airy 6, an action to restrain If possible
the county board of supervisors from
issuing $240,000 worth of common school
bonds, voted at that election, was filed
in the superior court yesterday by Will
liam NJ. Hiatt and Edward H. Sefby OF
the firm of Hiatt & Selby, attorneys.
The name of 4. j. Spencer appears al
the head of the complaint as plaintlft,
Behind the action, which has for its
purpose the frustrating of the wishes
of the citizens of Los Angeles, are sup
posed to be interests that strongly OPP
posed the plan to issue school bonds
from the time the proposition was first
advanced
Irregularity is charged, notwith-
standing the fact that Dillon & HUB
bard OF New York, a firm whose decis-
ion In bond matters is generally re-
garded as final have passed on tEe
question of the legality of the bonds
and announced belief in their genuine
ness.
The complaint takes up about fifteen
typewriter pages, the issuance of the
bonds being opposed on every possible
and impossible ground: That the Vot-
ers of Los Angeles could not vote in
telligently on the proposition is one
reason given why the election should
be declared illegal and the issuance or
the bonds unauthorized.
Main Objections Stated
The principal objections are contained
in paragraph of the complaint, which
alleges that no register was used at
the election, and that the original af-
fidavits of registration for the terri
tory constituting the special election
for the consolidated election precincts
at the preceding general state election
were not present at the polling places.
That no supplements showing addi-
tional names of persons who by regis
tration since the general election had
become entitled to vote were used, and
that the ballots were not bound in
stub books of 100 ballots each, or bound
at all, are further objections. The abb
sence of booths where the voter could
be screened from observation is also
urged.
Almost every provision of the elec-
ton laws, it is claimed, was violated
at the election, and the returns IN
numerous instances are alleged to
have been defective because they were
not signed or certified to by the elec-
ton officers.
Statements Ambiguous
The statement of the purposes and
objects for which the bonded indebted
ness of $240,000 was proposed to be
incurred, says the complaint, evidently
referring to the provisions for vote
on both high school and common schoo
bonds at one election, was so am
biguous, unintelligible. uncertain, in
definite and incomplete that the voters
OF Los Angeles city school district
could not vote intelligently on the
proposition as to whether bonds were
desired to be issued for those purposes
Then follows the specious plea that the
voters could not know what portion Of
the indebtedness was to be incurred
for each of the several purposes stated
in the resolution of the board of edu-
cation, prepared December 4.
The time for the opening of the bid:
for the $240,000 common school bonds
is set for next Tuesday at 2 o'clock
The usual course when an injunction
is demanded is to apply for tenn
porary restraining order Immediately
on tile filing of the action. This steI
was not taken yesterday, and it wa!
stated by the attorneys representing
Spencer that no such application
might be made until after the bids arr
opened The reason for this was no
stated.
rs it a bluff" Mr.. Hiatt was asked
mo; we expect to get judgment,
he replied.
Other than that Spencer is prop
erty owner, living on the east side,
no information was given about thu
plaintiff in the injunction suit.
Besides the board of supervisors thu
defendants include the Los Angeles
city school district, the board of edu
cation of the city, C. C. Keyes, count.
clerk. and H. G. Dow, auditor of thu
county.