Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-13

missions is hard and at times requires
the commissioners to devote many
hours per week of their valuable time
to the service of the city. 1t gives me
pleasure to commend the splendid, con-
scientious work that most of these
commissioners are doing, and I consider
it an honor to work with them. As
each department is required by the
charter to make a separate report, 1t
remains for the mayor merely to pre-
sent in a condensed form something
of what has been accomplished by the
city during the past year.
1--WE have abolished eleven or twelve
positions, the holders of which either
performed no services or performed
services that could as well be per
formed by other employees of the city.
BAD ELEMENT
"The bad element in the police de-
partment is being gradually weeded
out, more than fifty men having re-
tired from the department in the last
year, most of them for cause.
"EXtravagant expenditures for real
estate for fire engine house sites have
been stopped, in one instance the fire
commission saving on one lot the sum
of $12,500
I'VE have created a board of public
things accomplished by that board is
a reduction in the electric light rates.
Its work in securing data as to the
physical value of the properties of the
public utility corporations will be of
gpeat value to the city in the fixing of
proper rates and in the regulation of
those corporations.
The political power of the brewer
les over the liquor dealers has been
Naraa n
sharks on city employees has been loos-
ened. The day laborers are now paid
by the week instead of by the month.
TAX COLLECTION
THE cost of collection of taxes has
been reduced nearly 20 per cent and
the license taxes are more thoroughly
and more promptly collected than ever
before in the history of the city.
I'VE are facing a crisis in the aque-
duct enterprise. A bond syndicate has
an option on the aqueduct bonds, by
the terms of which the city has agreed
to sell it the aqueduct bonds in annual
options of $4S96,OOO, deliverable in in
stallments of $4,000 substantially eV-
cry sixty days until the remaining
bonds are sold the bonds to be taken
at par, accrued interest and a pre-
MUM of one-half of one per cent un-
til February l, 1912, and thereafter at
par, accrued interest and l per cent
premium.
This is a mere option and does not
compel them to buy. The work pro-
crossing more rapidly than estimated,
the syndicate accepted bonds faster
than required by the schedule. The
contract does not contemplate such ad-
vance deliveries, and the action of the
syndicate in taking them ahead OF
the schedule was purely voluntary on
it's part and without prejudice to the
right of the city to require the syndl-
cate to conform to the scheme of BIZ
monthly deliveries specified In the con-
tract; but the syndicate claims that 1t
cannot be compelled to take any more
bonds before December l next. The
city has given notice to the syndicate
to make the payment scheduled for
August l and Elm the meantime the
work on the aqueduct has of necessity
been retarded.
POWER BONDS
1--WE recently voted $3,5OO000 for the
establishment of the aqueduct power
system. The sum of $2,200,000 will
build one unit of this system, with a
transmission line to the city capable
of carrying nearly all the power that
con be developed along the aqueduct,
which is conservatively estimated at
900 horsepower. This unit will de-
velop a peak load of 30 600 horsepower
of an average load of 1000 horsepower,
which is so per cent more than all the
electricity used in the city at the pres
ent time, other than that used by the
railways. If we develop but one unit
at this time we will have $1,3OOOO0 to
be applied toward a distributing plant
in the city.
I'VE have also voted $3,000,0O0 Of
bonds for harbor development. Several
members of the bond syndicate have
large interest in the stocks and bonds |
of the local light and power companies. /
It is safe to assume that the old hght |
of the Southern Pacific against the free |
harbor at San Pedro will extend to the |
sale Of the harbor bonds, and that the |
influence of that corporation in tinan- /
cial circles will be used against the !
sale of those bonds.
THE above facts should be borne in |
mind in considering the following pro- |
Dosals which have been made by the |
bond syndicate in response to the |
eity's request for more funds at once; |
SYNDICATE OFFER
"First-We (bond syndicate) take
at once $3.50, 900, from which the
city is to purchase $780, 900 four to
thirty-six year bonds at cost, and
agree to cut down the work to
S25O,OOO to 100000 per month. In
consideration of our taking the
bonds at this time in advance or
agreement under our contract, our
taking the bonds is not to be con-
sidered as exercising our option
on any additional bonds, but to give
us the right to take additional
bonds at any time when and as
we may desire earlier than the
monthly dates specified in our con-
tract at par and interest; and, as
a further consideration. we are to
have the RIGHT for three wears to