Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-18
COUNC|LMEN HEAR
PLAN FOR CHARTER
Many Amendments Discussed
and Only Minor Changes Sug-
uested at Joint Session

Section by section the city council
and the charter revision commission
went over the proposed charter amend
ments yesterday morning. Although
| the task is a most difficult one, the
council wants to complete 1t in time
so that it can pass the ordinance call
ing the election next Tuesday.
Not half of the proposed amend
ments have been considered by the
council and a meeting will be held at
o'clock Monday morning at which the
consideration will be resumed. Then'
If it is found necessary, the conference
will last all day and far into the night.
Councilman Andrews said he was will
ing to work twenty-four hours straight
to get the amendments into shape.
When the conference adjourned yes
terday at noon the amendments well
down into article had been con-
sidered and adopted with hardly a
change in any of those proposed by
the charter revision commission. The
only change of any consequence at all
was that the ballots shall determine
which members of the council and of
the board of education shall be elect
ed for four years and which for two
years.
ELECTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS
At the first election after the adop-
ton of the new charter the five MEM
bers of the council and the three mem
bers of the board of education snail
he declared elected for the four year
term and four members of the council
and four members of the board or ed
ucation next in order for the two year
term. AS the amendment was pro-
posed the matter of terms was TO nave
been decided by lot.
Radical departures from the powers
of the city as outlined in the present
charter, which have been approved by
the council, are:
To acquire telephone and telegraph
systems, street railways, railroads,
interurbans, steamships, steamboats,,
sailing vessels, ferries or any other
means of conveyance by land or
water and operate them to points out
side the city and even outside the
| state.
To collect water rentals from va
cant lots that are not supplied by
water if there is a main in the street
in front.
To own stock in any street or in
| terurban railway.
To enforce health and sanitary reg
ulations for one mile outside the city
| limits.
FRANCHISES FOR SUBWAYS
| 10. grant IrdnCHlS6S lOI LOll JCeii .
for subways and elevated railroads,
provided that such franchise is au-
| thorized by vote of the people and
| on the condition that at the expira-
ton of twenty-one years the city may
take over the property by paying a
| fair valuation.
The Los Angeles river bed is pro-
tected by an amendment that prohib-
| it's the sale of any portion of it, or
the granting of any franchise on any
part of it to a private corporation, but
requires the whole shall be kept for
municipal purposes.
The mayor, the city attorney, the
city assessor, nine members of the
council and seven members of the
board of education are to be elected
| for four year terms. instead of for two
years, as now. The city clerk, city
treasurer and tax and license collector
are to be appointed instead of elected.
The mayor is to make the appoint
ments and the council confirm them.
| With these important measures were
| included others that are not such great
changes from the powers of the munic-
| ipality that now exist. 1t required five
or six columns OF very small type to
carry the amendments that far and
every one had to be passed on by the
council.