I went back to the street and told the inspector that he must not interfere with my men any more, but, if he had complaints to make, to make them to me. He got impudent, and I requested him to take off his spectacles (in California and some other states it is a most serious offence to strike a man with glasses on his nose); he dashed off to a telephone and sent for the street superintendent; I went to another telephone and sent for Arthur. When they both arrived on the scene the inspector stated that I had threatened to assault him for doing his duty. I told the street superintendent that the man was interfering with my men, contrary to rules, and had been abusive to me. The upshot of it was that the superintendent told me that if I could not get along with the man from his office he would “Call me off public work” (the law gives this power to the street superintendent, and any man called off can work on no further public work in that city). During all this Arthur sat in his buggy and never said a word. After it was over I went across to him and offered my resignation, but he asked me to stay on till the job in hand was through. CHAPTER XXIV Bribery and corruption—The Good Government League—Servant problem in California—The climate and its effect on wages—Off to Guadalajara. My resignation being refused, I decided to stay and finish up the streets we were on. Of course after this the inspector had it all his own way, and he certainly led us a dance. I continued to look out for other work, and one day the chief sewer inspector told me that he could give us all the repaving work in connection with the sewers if there was anything in it for him. I reported this to my superintendent, and was told to give the inspector ten per cent., and the cashier told me the same thing. Arthur, I knew, would not have allowed it had he known it, but I was ordered not to report to him. The barefaced bribery, robbery, and swindling that went on in Los Angeles, in fact, in any town I knew anything about in the United States, was really surprising. However, I understand that so far as California is concerned all this has been changed since the prosecution and conviction of Reuff and Smidt, Mayor of San Francisco, and the formation of the Good Government League. A contractor was at the absolute mercy of the city officials and dared not say them nay; it was not that he wished to bribe but it was forced upon him if he hoped to remain in business at all. The same applied to his superintendents and foremen; if they were not ready to supply cigars and drinks for the inspectors their work would turn out so unsatisfactory that they did not hold their jobs long.