Vroman

This is an application for a writ of mandate to compel the respondent as secretary of the board of water and power commissioners of the city of Los Angeles to sign a proposed contract between the Department of Water and Power of said City and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The matter is submitted on a general demurrer to the petition.

From the petition the following facts appear :

The Department of Water and Power is an established charter department of the city of Los Angeles (Stats. 1925, p. 1094), and has charge, superintendence and control of works for providing and supplying said city and its inhabitants with electric energy for light, heat, power and other purposes. This department is the successor of the board of public service commissioners of said city (Stats. 1925, p. 1099), which in turn was the successor of the board of water commissioners created by charter amendment in 1903 (Stats. 1903, p. 555). The department is under the management and control of the board of water and power commissioners, of which the respondent is the secretary. The said works consist of hydroelectric generating plants, transmission lines and other facilities located partly within and…