Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-12
CIVIL SERVICE
PLAN ENDORSED
GOOD GOVERNMENT MOVE IS
STRONGLY FAVORED
BUSINESS MEN OPPOSED TO PER-
NIcIOUs COUNTY POLITICS
Recent Redistricting of the City Makes
a Reorganization of the Precinct
Clubs an Immediate
Necessity

Good government precinct organizers
kept things nummlng at headquarters
in the Fay building yesterday.
About fifty or sixty leaders in the
movement called to pay their respects
to the new officers and assured them
of their deep interest in the expansion
of the municipal and county organiza-
tion.
In addition to these no less than fifty
or 100 prominent business men called
in person or by telephone to express
their appreciation Of the resolutions
adopted by the executive committee
Thursday afternoon, in which it was
demanded that "pernicious politics" be
eliminated from county offices.
Many of these men stated that while
they are heartily in sympathy with the
Good Government movement, they do
not belong to the organization, yet
realize it has wrought incalculable
benefits for the city, and since the
fairs felt they should cooperate more
actively, and spoke of their desire to
fall into line"
The consensus of opinion expressed
by all the many business men who in
dorsed the resolutions yesterday was
that the application of civil service
rules to county [ -lployes was the only
county can be properly conducted.
The Good Government organization,
founded and strictly maintained on
absolutely non-partisan lines, can ac-
complish this reform, it was agreed,
where all other organizations would
fail signally, and this because the or
ganization has the confidence of all
parties alike, and is composed of lead
ers from almost evory important po-
litical faction.
81 believe the application of civil
service rules to every department of
the county government will give us
the cleanest and most efficient county
administration possible" said one
prominent merchant yesterday during
a personal visit at the Good Govern
ment headquarters. You can rely on
my assistance, morally and financially.
What the Good Government cause has
done for the city of Los Angeles 1t
can do for the county. The interests
of the two are aim ost identical, and
so vitally interviewer it is absolutely
necessary that the Good Government
Cerberus should stand at the door Of
the court house as well as by the city
hall"
Among precinct workers who visited
headquarters were many whose clubs
have become disorganized because of
the change in precinct lines. There
were formerly 230 precincts, but under
the new lines there are but 200, and as
the organization had club in almost
every precinct, there are now a num-
ber "out in the cold"
The men who called at the office
yesterday represented several of the
old precinct clubs, and explained they
were anxious to get to work to perfect
the ramifcations of precincts.
There is considerable work involved
in the maintenance of the movement
and the reorganization will progress
slowly until other more important mat
ters have been taken up.
Several employees of the county who
for obvious reasons could not permit
their names to be used yesterday con-
fidently expressed their satisfaction
with the step to eliminate pernicious
politics. These men, several of whom
owe their positions to their connection
with Good Government work in the
city, admitted the existence of power
full and deleterious political machine"
among county employees which many
of the employees deem necessary, ii is
claimed, to protect their superiors, and
therefore to protect themselves, be-
cause of the ftilure to apply civil
service rules.
This failure makes it easy for a
county official to swing into line a
large vote, and retain office despite his
inefficiency. The men under him, who
in many instances may number sew
eral hundred, are afraid to work
against his reelection and must work
for him to retain their jobs, while at
the same time each one of them con-
trolls number of other votes. and by
cajolery. promises and implied threats
there results a political tyranny far
reaching and dangerous in its effects
This also means that the several
thousand rlen employed by the county
may, and in countless instances do,
neglect their work. discharge their du
ties carelesily, and leave undone thou
sands of important details of govern
ment.
The application OF civ il service rules,
it is agreed, will make this condition
impossible it will effectually pre-
vent political activity among county
employees, and will insure the county
far more reliable and Efficient admins
tration.