separation of powers, were too weak and fragmented to prevent machine control of government (DiGaetano 242).
Political Development in Los Angeles
In the 1870s, city government in Los Angeles was characterized by fragmented authority (Deming 9). A wide range of city officials were elected directly·down to an including some department heads and commission members. There was an absence of clear lines of administrative authority, and personnel systems were haphazard (Svara 324). There was a continuing concern about the problems produced by separation of powers as well as a desire to strengthen the city council. The major problems of this time, in addition to fragmented authority, complexity, and conflict within city government, were "limits to democratic accountability, corruption, low-level and poor-quality services, and a lack of competence and public service commitment among municipal staff" (Svara 325).
The factors that most shaped and characterized political development in Los Angeles from 1870 through 1939 were (1) the development and control of water resources, (2) the development of the railroad system in California, (3) the movement for public ownership of infrastructure facilities and utilities, and (4) the development of the labor movement (Fogelson 205-272). Each of these factors was heavily enmeshed with patronage politics at both the state and local levels of government (Erie 519-554). It would be difficult to state that one of these factor was more significant than any of the others to the political development of Los Angeles from 1870-1939 (Sitton 365-387). In the remainder of this examination, however, the development and role of the labor movement in Los Angeles during the 1870-1939 period provides the focus of the discussion.
The years from 1870 to 1940 marked the period in which the California labor movement grew to maturity (Kazin 374). During this period, skilled workers organized themselves int...