Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-11
SHENK TO TAKE
HEW|TT'S PLACE
City Attorney Resigns to Become
Counsel for the Harbor
Commissioners
HAS SIX VOTES IN COUNCIL
E. R. Young Probably Will Be AS
SiStant to the Newly Ap-
pointed Official
HAS SIX VOTES IN COUNCIL

Leslie R. Hewitt is no longer city
attorney but special counsel of the har-
Dor bureau, and John w. Shenk, Mr..
HeWitt's assistant is head of the
| city's legal department.
The change took place yesterday af-
| ternoon at meeting of the city coun-
Gil when Mr. Hewitt presented his res
| ignation and the council Immediately
| authorized a contract with him as spe-
cial counsel for the harbor bureau and
the board of public utilities at salary
of $500 month, just double the amount
he received as city attorney.
Mr.. Shenk was elected to the position
of city attorney on the first ballot.
There were six votes for Shenk, two
for Guy w. Eddie, prosecuting at
torney, and one for Emmett H. Will
son, chief deputy city attorney.
Councilmen Andrews and O'Brien
voted for Eddie, Betkouski for Wilson
and the other six members Of the
council for Shenk. When it was seen
that Mr.. Shenk's election was assured
Betkouski moved to make it unani-
nous and he shows on the council
records as the unanimous choice.
LIKE MATHEWS CONTRACT
Mr. Hewitt's position as special coun-
sci for the harbor bureau is similar
to the position that w. B. Mathews
holds as special counsel for the aque-
duct bureau and the two contracts
are almost alike. Mr.. Mathews was
formerly city attorney and Mr.. Hewitt
was his assistant. When his term
expired as city attorney Mr.. Mathews
was made special counsel Of the aque-
duct and Mr.. Hewitt was elected in his
place at a regular election. He was
reelected last December but at the
time he accepted the position 1t was
with the understanding that he would
be made special attorney for the har-
Dor bureau as soon as plans for har-
Dor development had gone far enough
to justify the creation of the position.
About two months ago the board of
public works asked the council to con-
tract with Mr.. Hewitt as special coun-
sci for the harbor and the matter has
been under consideration ever since.
There Las been no hesitancy on the
part of the council in the matter as
far as Mr.. Hewitt was concerned but
as soon as he accepted the place he
would have to resign as city attorney
and his successor would have to be
chosen. The council was divided on
this question of successor and six
votes were necessary to elect.
sHENK FAVORED
While Mr. Hewitt made no effort
to influence the council in the choice
of a successor it was no secret that
he favored Mr.. Shenk. AS his assis-
/ tant Shenk has been very close tC
| Hewitt and is familiar with the prob
| lens that the city attorney must solve
He has shown his ability to fill the
| position efficiently in a number of the
| cases he has handled for the city and
in some of the opinions given the
council of which he has been the
author.
Some of the hardest problems that
Mr.. Hewitt has had to deal with as
city attorney have concerned the har-
Dor, for he has taken a deep interest
in that improvement. These matters
will not bother Mr.. Shenk for Mr..
Hewitt will continue to handle them as
special counsel for the harbor bureau,
leaving Mr.. Shenk free to take care
OF other matters that belong to his
department.
Mr.. Shenk said last night that he
was not prepared to say whether he
would make any changes in the legal
department but 1t is expected that E.
r. Young will be his assistant as he
was assistant to Mr. Hewitt. Mr..
Young has been one of the deputies
in the city attorneys department for
several years, Emmet Wilson will
probably continue as chief deputy and
it is not expected that any changes
VIII be made In the prosecuting
branch.
Mr.. Shenk was born near Bur-
lington, Vermont, and is thlrty-five
years of age. He is the son OF DR..
J. w. Shenk, now a member of the
California conference, who was the
founder and for ten years editor Of
the Omaha Christian Advocate. He
graduated from the Omaha high
school, where he won substantial
prize in oratory, w. ]. Bryan being
one of the judges. He afterward
graduated in the classical course at
the Ohio wesleyan university. While
student there the war with Spain
broke out and Mr.. Shenk promptly en-
listed. He saw service in Porto Rico
under Colonel Colt. On his return to
the Ohio Wesleyan he was elected
captain of the Ohio Wesleyan ca
diets. He subsequently took law
course at Ann Arbor, Mich, and, COM
ing to Los Angeles, began the prac-
tice of law with Morton, Houser &
Jones.