Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-11
TO BAR COUNTY
EMPLOYESFROM
DOING POLITICS
Good Government Leaders
Want Civil Service
Rule Adopted
ASPIRANTS WARNED
"Pernicious Activity" by
Office Holders May
Be Curbed

d hEMANDlNG LHdl Llo CiNll ScINiSo
rules apply to the employees of the
n county as well as to the employees
of the city, the executive committee of
the Good Government organization at
a meeting in the new headquarters
31S Fay building, yesterday afternoon
adopted resolutions vigorously con-
demning the fpernicious political ac-
tivity" of the county's employees and
urging that incumbents of county Of
fees, seeking nominations under the
direct primary election law, be COM
PEELED to give public notice that in the
coming campaign such "pernicious ac-
tivity' will not be tolerated among
their employees.
The resolutions are the outcome of
careful dellberation on the part of
number of Good Government organiza-
tion leaders who were present at the
meeting yesterday and who discussed
extensively the deplorable political
conditions brought about by the fail
ure to apply civil service regulations
to county employees.
1t has been a notorious fact that
employees of Los Angeles county have
been allowed and in many instances
even expected, to neglect their duties
and promote" the political interests
of certain higher ups" including, of
course, heads of departm on whom
these subordinates and assistants de-
pend for their livelihood.
Employees "Do Politics"
The non-application of the civil
service rules makes 1t possible for
these employees, of which there are
several thousand in Los Angeles coun-
ty, to waste much of their time doing
politics." and their political machina-
tions and cajoleries 1t is asserted,
have contributed a powerful but dan
gerous-and frequently harmful-in-
fuence in county administrations.
1t is a notorious fact, also, that fire.
quently these employees have been
dupes and agents OF "the push" and
have worked hand in hand with S. p.
heelers and corrupt politicians. At the
same time they have In numerous in
stances performed important duties In
n slipshod manner and intrenched in
the strongholds of authority have been
able by corrupt methods to elect to
office men wholly untitled for their
responsibilities.
Such pernicious activity, rampant as
II is, and extending into every recess
of county government makes the work
of the Good Government organization,
which has just entered into its cam
paign for "purer politics. and a thor
oughly efficient and reliable county
administration, much more difficult
than 1t would be were it not for this
phase of the problem. The enforce
ment of civil service rules would ac-
complish many salutary results, 1t is
declared.
The action taken by the Good Gov
ernment committee yesterday is prac-
tically the first step IL the work of ar
ranging the county program. and is
considered an important move for the
betterment of the county administra-
tion. simultaneously the Good Gov
ernment organization is reorganizing
it's precinct clubs and establishing
leagues in every township in the
county, so that when the "better gov
ernment" forces are arrayed the de-
sired reforms viii be more easily ac-
complshed.
With the elimination of pernicious
politics from among the county en-
ployes will come other changes and
measures. it is declared, but which
will look toward the establishment of
a clean and competent county admin
istration in all its branches. Men who
are now squandering the time for
which they are paid high salaries by
the people and who are neglecting to
discharge their dtuies with any degree
of promptness, appreciation or effl-
cheney will be compelled to do their
work in the manner demanded by the
progressive policy, vast interests and
extensive development of county
recognized as the greatest in the south
west.
Resolutions Framed
ha
were framed after a lengthy discus
sion in which several prominent Good
Government workers participated in
. Guiding Marshall Stimson, Frank G.
Finlayson. A. M. Dunn. f. v. Owen,
r. b. Williamson and w. II. Work.
man. The resolutions follow:
Resolved, by the executive COM
mittee of the Good Government
organization that the principles of
civil service should apply to the
employees of the county of Los
Angeles as well as to the employees
of the city, to the end that county
employees should devote their time
to public business instead of doing
politics at the public's expense and
to the public detriment, as many
of them do at the present time
and have been doing in the past
Resolved further, that in the
opinion of this committee all can
didates for county office should
declare themselves in favor of the
application of civil service rules
and should not tolerate any actions
in their deputies or employees that
would be contrary thereto; and
Resolved, that incumbents of
county offices, seeking nominations
under the direct primary election
law, should give public notice that
in the coming campaign and In the
future pernicious political activity
as defined in the principles of civil
service will not be tolerated in the