38 September 2005 n City Employees Club of , Alive! w ww.cityemployeesclub.com

First CAO Sam Leask Comes Sought ‘More Service for by Hynda Rudd, Tales From the City Archives City Archivist (Retired), Alive! and Club Member Less Money’

rom 1951 to 1961, Samuel J. Leask Jr. the Director’s involvement with the Salary After graduation from Harvard School, he centralized direction and coordination…nec- Fbecame the first City Administrative Standardization Ordinance and the needs of attended school in Brussels, Belgium. Then essary to secure upper limit of efficiency and Officer for Los Angeles. But the institution of the City Council continued. with his dad and brother, Haswell, he toured economy of operation.” He continued, “Some administrative man- But the new Europe. The trip was cut short because of the mechanism had to be devised which would agement for the decade, the 1950s, onset of World War I. Upon returning home, bring the operating departments more fully City began back in abolished the Sam Jr. went to to train at an under central control.” September 1916, by Director position. upscale store for women. Once again, his Sam Leask Jr. maintained he was no politi- ordinance as the May 29, 1951, a mentors provided him with excellent practical cian. His primary concern was devoted to Efficiency Charter amend- knowledge of the trade and management providing more efficiency as to more service Commission. With ment created the skills. Sam remained at the quality store until for less money for the City of Los Angeles the 1925 Charter, position of the City his father called him home to solve executive and its citizens. With all this in mind, he also the office became Administrative staff issues that were causing major problems claimed that it was imperative “that one can- known as the Officer. The posi- in the Santa Cruz operation. Sam Jr., much not ignore the individuals in an organization Bureau of Budget tion duties were ele- younger then the staff, was able to ameliorate in an all-out drive for efficiency.” He contin- and Efficiency. The vated to having the problems. Samuel J. Leask Jr. was on his ued that it was necessary for employees to Bureau was under “administrative and management way. He then entered World participate in the new provisions. One of his the direction of a executive ability War I where he served as a lieutenant in the first recommendations was to increase the director appointed demonstrated by United State Cavalry. salaries of policemen and firemen to that of by the Mayor under five years of experi- When Samuel J. Leask Jr. entered the other employee groups within City govern- the civil service pro- ence at that level of world of Los Angeles city government as the ment. visions of the employment within first CAO, he brought varied and extensive He also believed in realigning the City’s Charter. ten years immedi- management skills that offered the municipal budget system from a “line budget” to Formal City ately preceding his organization new and pro- that of a “functional budget.” The func- management of Samual Leask Jr., the City’s first Chief Accounting Officer. appointment.” The found skills to this monu- tional budget was broad-based. It administrative affairs City Administrative mental position. would look at similar functions dates back to the City’s first Charter, mandat- Officer was appointed by the Mayor subject found throughout the City. ed by the State in 1878. Two important to the approval of the Council. The duties of For example, changes occurred. The first was when the the new position were monumental and ever swimming City Auditor became an individual office. changing. Samuel J. Leask Jr. became the first pools, where Prior to that, the president of the Common City Administrative Officer. better budget Council held those duties. This accounting When appointed to the new post of City control and official, elected by the Council, was in charge Administrative Officer (CAO) March 14, planning would of the City fiscal books, countersigned war- 1951, by Mayor Fletcher Bowron, become more rants, issued licenses and prepared fiscal esti- Samuel Leask Jr. had accrued a formi- efficient. mates for the following year. The second dable background as a government One of became a reality when department heads administrator and business executive the most were mandated to turn in an annual report of prior to his new position. He officially important actions occurring within in their domain for became CAO June 15, 1951, and served issues he dealt the prior year. in that position until June 30, 1961. His with was Another major step in the management of past responsibilities included employee administration came in the City’s first home- being Vice President of the May salaries. At rule Charter of 1889. For the first time, Department Stores from 1938- that time, 85 department heads were mandated to account 42; he held the same position percent of the for all purchases and expenditures within for the J.W. Robinson Stores operating budget their offices. Budgeting as a citywide proce- from 1942-51. During that time was dedicated to dure was in its infancy. he was also President of the salaries and In the new Charter of 1925, the term California Retailers HYNDA RUDD wants to get into all the fun that wages. He Auditor changed to Controller. Also, the Association. His government Alive! readers are having with our contests. designed a program of above mentioned Efficiency Commission involvement included a state So starting this month, Hynda will ask a trivia scientific appraisal of became The Bureau of Budget and appointment to the new Unemployment question related to the City. The first person to workloads. He claimed Efficiency. The 1955 Master’s Thesis of the Insurance Program and a federal posi- send us the correct answer will win a $25 Vons that standards be set for future Los Angeles Harbor General Manager, tion in the Advisory Council of the U.S. grocery card, courtesy of the Club. measuring work accomplished. Fred G. Crawford, noted the duties of the Employment Service in the 1930s, and But, he realized that in an Director of this Bureau were“[to] investigate during World War II he was the organization as large as City the administration, methods, standards of Southern California Director of Price Here’s Hynda’s question for this month: government not all functions efficiency, and duties of positions in various Administration. THE FIRST VOLUNTEER POLICE FORCE FOR THE CITY met basic criterion. He, too, departments of the City, and …to make rec- Sam Leask Jr. was born March 5, OF LOS ANGELES WAS ORGANIZED IN WHAT YEAR? managed these issues as he did ommendations to the Mayor and the Council 1894, in Santa Cruz, Calif. He grew up others. that would result in improved economy and in a family of retail merchants. His Here are the rules. Have fun! Samuel J. Leask Jr. efficiency in the conduct of City govern- father, Samuel Leask Sr., born in 1. Anyone can enter, but only Club members with a valid remained as the City’s “busi- Club number are eligible to win. ment.” Scotland, was a tradesman in the wool 2. The prize will go to the first person with the best, most ness manager” under the aegis In 1928, a Charter amendment added a and garment business. Sam Jr. worked complete answer. of Mayors Fletcher Bowron Special Salary Committee, of which the for his father from the time he left gram- 3. The correct answer will be according to the City and . He Archives. That’s a good enough source for us. Director was to become a member. New mar school in 1908. Leask Sr., who resigned when 4. The contest is all in good fun: The Club is not responsi- duties were added to the Salary owned a Santa Cruz department store, ble for delays in delivering the newspaper to you, or in came in to office. Their Standardization Ordinance in 1945, where the Seaside Store, gave Sam Jr. the your answer getting to us. philosophies differed, and the Director was to receive copies or recom- impetus for his understanding of sus- 5. Deadline: The 10th of every month. Leask felt it was time to leave 6. Send your answers to: mendations from the Civil Service tained, proper management skills. The [email protected] (use Archive Trivia in at the age of 67. According to Commissioners to the City Council. The store was so viable it remained in busi- the subject line). Or you can mail your response to us a Los Angeles Times article care of: Archive Trivia, City Employees Club, 350 S. Director’s staff researched the recommenda- ness for 81 years. Figueroa, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90071. Sorry, but dated Jan. 7, 1963, upon his tions and reported to Council, as well as any Young Sam, under the tutelage of his the Club cannot accept answers by phone. retirement, Governor Pat other assignments given by the legislative father and other staff members, was Brown appointed Leask to a body. trained to learn the trade of merchan- health and welfare post with a During that decade other additional duties dising. From Sam Jr.’s book, The Work salary of $25,000, and then to for the Director included making “an annual of a Lifetime, he notes, “In line with a 10-year term on the State survey of salaries and wages paid in a repre- his viewpoint on career develop- Personnel Board. sentative sample of business establishments ment, my father decided that it Samuel J. Leask Jr. passed and governmental agencies in the Los would be good for me to pursue my store In his away at 96 on May 8, 1990. Angeles…area” that had comparable posi- training for two or three years before going to book, Leask Jr. He had hoped he would live tions. Also, an “amendment required requests high school…he [then] installed me as a made the observation about his impending as long as his father, who passed away at 102. for new or additional positions to be referred Buyer for Linens and White Goods at age responsibilities as CAO. He concluded that In his obituary it was noted that his proudest to the Director for report[s] and recommen- fourteen.” In 1911, his formal high school City administration had the same problems accomplishment was helping to bring the dation[s] to the Personnel Committee of the education continued at the famed Harvard he witnessed when he joined the J.W. Brooklyn Dodgers to the City of Los Angeles. Council.” Other amendments to fine-tune Prep School in Los Angeles. Robinson Company. Both suffered from “less