Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-02-25

Memorial to the Legislature.

1hC ioiioWAuS uAOhiOA AtsA h's' "SSh
presented to both Houses of the Legis-
lature and referred to the appropriate
Committees H &
The undersigned, your memorialists,
citizens of Los Angeles and San Ber-
nardino Counties, would most respect
fully represent to your Honorable
bodies, that they are engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits; that they represent
the farming interests of Southern Cali
fornia, being presiding officers OF
Oranges of the Patrons of Husbandry,
an Order established and maintained
by the farmers of the country for the
purpose Of advancing the interests of
agriculture and promoting the general
welfare of the farming classes. They
would further represent that there are
in the two aforementioned counties
tanning a membership of about one
thousand persons; that these Oranges
are scattered throughout the settle
ments of the two counties, and are
composed almost entirely of practical
farmers who make tilling the soil their
only business; and that the farming
population are rapidly enrolling their
names as members of the order that
in order to more effectually combine
their influence and cooperate for the
common good, the above mentioned
Oranges have organized District
Council composed of delegates from
each one of the Oranges in the District.
They would still further represent
that, in their opinion, a we'll regulated
Agricultural Fair can be made one OF
the most effective means in the hands
of the farmer to advance farming in
terests and stimulate the masses to
improve their present lack of system
in farming and stock raising; that at q
meeting of the above mentioned COun- /
Gil Held In the City OF Los Angeles on
the third day of January, 1874, resolu-
tions were adopted expressing an entire
lack Of confidence in the management
of the Southern California District
Agricultural Association, on the
ground that the entire energies of the
Society was devoted to horse racing
and pool selling, and that the interests
of agriculture were entirely ignored.
In proof of this state of affairs, we
would call the attention of your Hon
Orabie bodies to the last fair held by
the said so-called Agricultural Society
at their grounds near the City OF Los
Angeles, commencing on Monday,
November 10, 1873. At that Fair the
sum Of $3.50 was paid as premiums
for various horse races-the premiums
ranging from $50 to $500 each. At the
same time only $843 was paid as pre-
miums on all other articles entered for
exhibition, and so meagre was the list
of articles on exhibition that there was
practically no competition, there being
bot four articles on the entire list which
did not receive premium. Nor was
this the greatest evil. The entire ener-
gies of the Society seemed to be CEN
tered on the race-track, where fast
running and fast trotting horses, under
tho management of the Association,
continued throughout the entire week
to be the center of attraction. These
races were not run so much for the
trial of speed as for the purpose of
affofding facilities for pool selling,
which was carried on extensively un-
der the management Of the Society
the amount of pools sold during the
week reaching the sum of $24, 500. The
people see no reason why the State OF
California should encourage public
gambling under the guise of fostering
agricultural interests; and your memo.
rialists would most respectfully protest,
in the name of the farmers OF Southern
California, against extending further
aid to this Association, and would ask
that the State turn it's attention
fOxuo rdo foct oripr 1ouitinata apricuI.
tural pursuits.
Your memorialists would further
represent that at the meeting OF the
District Councilabove referred to 1t was
unanimously resolved to incorporate
under the laws of the State the Agri..
cultural and Mechanical Exposition OF
Southern California;" that the articles
of incorporation were duly prepared,
fixing the amount of che capital stock
at $4,000; the principal placesof bust
ness, Los Angeles; the time for which
the incorporation is to exist, fifty
years, and the names of the Directors
for the first year, as follows, to wit:
]. F. Marquis, of Los Nietos; J. J.
Morton, of Compton; ]. L. Nichols, OF
Los Angeles; l.. w. Wilkinson, of
Florence; John II. Gordon, of Azusa;
J. @. A. Stanley, of Los Angeles; J:
8, Thomson, Of Los Angeles; Edward
Evey, Of Anaheim; J. E. McComas, of
Compton, III. l.. Montgomery of Los
Nietos; A. B. Hayward Of Richland.
Your memorialists would further
state, that on the 9th day of January,
1874, the above named Directors assem-
bled in Los Angeles and perfected the
articles Of Incorporation, and had them
duly filed in accordance with the pro-
visions of the Civil Code; that por-
ton of the stock has been already sub
scribed, and that the balance will be
readily disposed of as soon as it is