Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-04

city property can be made under com
petitive bidding, the one Offering the
highest rental securing the property.
The only change of consequence made
in the provision for the board of public
works is that the board is authorized
to appoint an inspector Of streets.
Under the terms of the present char-
ter one member of the board is dele
gated as inspector of public works.
That one member happens to be w. M.
Humphreys, and while he does not ac-
tually go out on the streets to locate
chuck holes and bad paving, much OF
his time is taken up with the work
attendant on the inspection.
A marked change is made in the
water commission, for 1t even loses It's
name. The water department is to be
known as the department of public
service and the commissioners as pubic
service commissioners. It's work is 10
be divided into two bureaus-the bu-
reau of water and the bureau of power
and light. Each of these bureaus is to
be under the control of superinten-
dent. The water bureau is to continue
the work the water department Is now
doing and the bureau of power and
light is to take over the electricity to
be developed by the aqueduct. This
bureau has the authority to make
contracts for light and power and will
have charge of the lighting of public
streets and buildings.
BONDED DEBT ENLARGED
The bonded indebtedness of the city
is fixed at IS per cent, the amount al
lowed by state law, with the provision
that not more than per cent OF the
assessed valuation of the city can be
bonded for other than revenue-pro-
ducing purposes. The citys bonding
o., Io, o. n
ducing utilities is limited now to a
fixed $5,000,00O. The new provision will
make it flexible and increase the
amount with the increase in assessed
valuations. At the present valuation
the per cent would permit bonded
indebtedness, for general purposes, of
about $4,000, 900.
The power of the municipality in pun
ishment for crime is increased. 1t can
now only assess a fine of not more than
$500 or infict Imprisonment for not
more than six months. The new char
ter will enable it to provide work
farms, warehouses;, detention homes
and paroles for minors.
The city is permitted to go into more
enterprises. In fact, there appears to
be no limit on municipal ownership in
the new charter. It can own steam
ships, railroads, telephone services, in
heating and power plants, elevators,
warehouses, coal bunkers, docks, fer
ries. marine railways, and regulate the
charges of vessels plying between Los
Angeles harbor and other ports. If
this isn't enough, there is a general
blanket clause that gives the council
the power to do anything else In the
same line that is for the public well
fare.
One amendment depends on leglslat-
i've enactment This is to give the city
the right to control health and quar-
antine regulations and suppress houses
of i'll repute for one mile outside the
city, and regulate commerce and navi-
cation for three miles outside the city.
Surplus water and power may be dis
tributed to consumers outside the city
under a schedule of rates to be fixed
by the council every two years. These
rates must never be less than those
charged to consumers in the city. The
paramount right of the city to use any