William M. Hughes was a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council between 1927 and 1929. He moved to that city in 1905 and became a "large property owner," living at 1827 South Harvard Boulevard, just north of Washington Boulevard in today's

Harvard Heights Harvard Heights is a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California. It lies within a municipally designated Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, historic preservation overlay zone designed to protect its architecturally significant s ...

."The Watchman," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 24, 1927, page B-2
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Career

Hughes was elected to represent the

4th District Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama ...

in 1927. At that time the district lay between Western Avenue on the west, Hoover Avenue on the east,

Melrose Avenue Melrose Avenue (sometimes referred to simply as "Melrose") is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Los Angeles, California, starting at Santa Monica Boulevard at the border between Beverly Hills, California, Beverly Hills and W ...

on the north and Washington Street on the south. His bid for reelection failed in 1929. As a councilman, he urged the council to encourage

conventions Convention may refer to: * Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct ** Treaty, an agreement in international law ** Convention (political norm), uncodified legal or political tradition * Convention (meeting) ...

to come to Los Angeles, saying in August 1927:

Decorate the streets, entertain the convention visitors. We need conventions. If the delegates enjoy themselves and are made to feel welcome, they will return to their houses praising Los Angeles. While they are here, they patronize our stores and hotels, and it makes business for our city.

Along with Council Members E. Snapper Ingram and Ernest L. Webster, he opposed an ordinance to prohibit bonfires on city-owned beaches. They said the law would be "just another 'don't' and that the bonfires and 'weenie roasts' do no harm to anyone and furnish harmless recreation for people who go to the beaches." Hughes lost his temper on two occasions during council meetings:

Like children with their new Christmas toys, members of the City Council yesterday were excited and delighted over selecting locations for their private offices in the new
City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
— all but Councilman Hughes, who became so angered over the method used that he called Councilman irgil A.Martin a "meddler" for the latter's effort to parcel out the rooms. In turn, Councilman Martin called Councilman Hughes a "liar." . . . "Don't you call me a liar or I'll knock your head off," said Councilman Hughes to Councilman Martin."

The second occasion prompted a ''Los Angeles Times'' reporter to label Hughes "Battling Bill" when Hughes threatened to knock the "snoot" off a spectator at a council meeting."Council Terror on Warpath," ''Los Angeles Times,'' February 29, 1928, page A-1
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References

''Access to the ''Los Angeles Times'' links requires the use of a library card.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, William Los Angeles City Council members Year of birth missing Year of death missing