Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-04
RADICAL CHANGES
MADE IN CHARTER
Police and Fire Departments Are
Placed Under the Direct
Control of Mayor
BONDED DEBT is INCREASED
Power of Municipal Ownership Is
Extended to Cover AL
most Everything
BONDED DEBT is INCREASED
Continued from Page one,

weeks, and the commission has not
given. decision, although 1t is expect
cd to do so tomorrow night.
The provisions that apply to the po-
lice department in this respect are also
applied to the fire commission. which is
to consist of three members, the mayor
being one The fire chief is made the
real executive officer of his department,
as the chief of police Is of his, and
both are responsible to the mayor alone.
The board of health is to be no longer
a board under the new charter, but to
consist of one man, who shall be the
health officer. This officer is to be
known as the commissioner of public
health and safety. He will be appoint
ed by the mayor, but the charter will
provide that whoever is health officer
at the time of the charters adoption
shall be appointed commissioner of
health and safety.
The commissioner is given the same
administrative powers as are delegated
to the chiefs of the police and fire de-
partments, and in addition has the
power to make the rules and regula
tions for his department But when he
removes man he must file the rea-
sons for such removal with the civil
service commission, and the commits
sion is authorized to investigate, and
cause can order the person reinstated.
The number of commissioners that
shall constitute the park board has not
been definitely settled. The park com
mission wants the number to remain
at five, as at present, but the charter
commission believes it should be re-
duced to three, like the others. The
park commission is authorized to ap-
point a park superintendent who will
have the power of appointment and
dismissal, but Instead of the commits
sion investigating removals the civil
service board is expected to act in
such cases. The revision commission
makes this distinction because the
park commission is not as closely al
lied to administrative affairs as the
police and fire departments.
FIRAIER GRIP ON UTILITIES
The board of public utilities is made
a part of the city government and is
given enlarged powers. The board
now exists by virtue of an initiative
ordinance, creating the body, and is
not mentioned In the charter. The
board is given more latitude In fixing
rates of public service corporations.
1t will have the power to fix rates
subject to review by the council Any
one aggrieved at the rates fixed by the
board of public utilities has right to
demand a hearing before the city
rates are unfair the council, by ordi-
nance, can amend them,
Instead of fixing rates annually, as is
now provided, they shall be fixed at
such times as the council, by ordi-
nance, may declare. The board is
given the power to subpoena witnesses
and require their attendance at any
hearing. 1t has also the power to
make orders regulating public utili-
ties, such as requiring more cars to
be placed on a line, or the steps low
cred, and these orders shall have the
same effect as ordinances of the city.
Violation of them will be punished by
fine or Imprisonment. All applica-
tions for franchises, except wharf
franchises, must be submitted to the
board and the council cannot adVer-
tise them for sale until the board has
approved them, except by a two-thlrds
vote.
Similar powers are delegated to the
harbor commission on matters affect-
ing the harbor. This body, too, has
existed by ordinance for several years,
but under the new charter will be
made a part of the city government
TO RULE HARBoR BOND
The charter will provide that the
city engineer shall be the chief en-
gineer of the harbor commission, ana
the commission is authorized to en-
ploy assistant engineers, inspectors,
wharfingers, pilots and other persons
that may be necessary. The control
of all wharves, docks, piers, etc., Is
placed under the direction of this COM
mission. A provision Is made that all
bond money approved to date shall be
expended under the direction of the
board of public works. This is done
because the bonds were voted under a
law that placed the expenditure of
them with the board and to avoid all
question on the matter the board is
still to spend the money. The harbof
commission is empowered to issue or
ders affecting harbor matters that
shall have the same effect as city
ordinances.
Rates for pilotage, towage and other
harbor matters, with licenses, are to be
fixed by the board subject to review
by the council, and all revenues de-
rived from these sources are to be
turned into the harbor fund From this
fund the expenses of the commission
will be paid as far as possible.
Broader scope in making contracts Is
given to all departments The annual
budget made by the council will appor-
ton the funds to the various depart
ments, and the charter will provide that
only two-twelfths of the amount can
be expended each month. except IN
cases of emergency, when expenditures
for supplies or material amounting to
more than $500 can be made with the
councils approval.
The commissions and departments are
to receive bids and let their own con-
tracts. If this provision accomplishes
nothing more it will eliminate the an
nual squabble over the purchase of fire
hose that occurs in the council and that
has occurred in every council since fire
hose was first bought.
Twice the question of selling the city
hall has been submitted to a vote with
other propositions. and while the vote
for selling the city hall has always been
more than two-thirds of the votes cast
on that one proposition, it has never
been two-thirds of all the votes cast
at the election, because more than half
the voters did not ballot on that propo-
stion at all.
The real estate may be sold at auc-
tion or by advertising for bids. and no
sale or purchase of property can be
made an emergency ordinance, but
must take its full thirty days and be
subject to the referendum. Leases of