The herald., 1896-11-28
CHANGES OF STREET NAMES
The Matter Before the City
A VIGOROUS PROTEST FILED
Against the Proposed Wholesale Change
of N ames
A Commission to Be Appointed by the
Mayor to Take the Matter in
Charge-City Hall Notes.

An adjourned session of the city coun-
Gil was held yesterday morning to con-
slider the proposed change of the names
of certain streets, as published in the
Herald some days ago. Immediately
after being called to order the council
went into committee of the whole, when
the following petition, which was very
largely signed, was reaG:
While we admit the need of adjust
ing and disentangling the present con-
fusion in the names of the city streets
a confusion largely due to the fact that
changes have been so often made by
successive councils, on petition of To-
oality and without reference to the rest
of the city, we seriously object to an
hand, sweeping change of the names
Of some hundred streets, without re-
gard to the convenl ence of the city as
whole. We believe Los Angeles is
now mature enough to go at such a bus-
ness in a businesslike way, and to be-
gin a system ins lead of a patchwork.
We doubt If it is good business to
name two sets of thOrOughfareS in the
same town by the same numbers, as II
would be confusing. We are mt sure
that it is good taste to dignity as ave-
nues' roads sixty feet wide and thou
sand feet long.
There is no question that duplicate
names should be removed and that con-
fusion should be cleared up. There Is
no question that every section of the city
is entitled to system of street names
which shall be convenient and easily un-
derstood-but this should be subject to
the convenience of the whole city.
I'VE ask your honorable body to re-
quest and empower the mayor to appoint
a commission on street names, to be
composed of representative citizens
non-partisan in politics and fairly divid-
ed between the different sections OF the
city. and we respectfully suggest that
as part of such commission be appoint
ed a member of the Historical society of
Southern California; one from the
chamber of commerce, one from the
Landmarks club and one from the
Good Government league. The city engi-
neer to be a member eX-officio; said
commission to serve without compensa-
ton; to revise the street names of Los
Angeles as a whole, removing duplicates
and systematizing the whole list for the
greatest public convenience.
1.-The commission should be empow-
cred to receive the petitions and pro-
tests of properly owners, and to endeav
or to arrange disputed questions.
'Our only wish is to settle creditably
and reasonably, once for all, matter
which has been the cause of dispute, in
convenience and confusion ever since
Los Angeles became a modern city"
Charles F. Lummis, as the represen-
tative of the Landmarks club, then adj
dressed the council at length in support
of the above petition, and was followed
by members of the council. After
thorough consideration of the subject, the
committee arose and Councilman Stock
we'll reported to the council as follows
"Your committee recommend that the
mayr be requested to appoint com-
mission of seven representative citi-
Zens, to have charge of this mater with
out compensation, to receive petitions
and protests. and to endeavor to arrange
disputed questions: to revise the names
of the streets of Los Angeles as whole.
removing duplicates and systematiZrg
the whole list for the greatest public
convenience; and thereafter report the
same to the city council for incorpora-
tion in an ordinance"
The report was adopted.
The street superintendent was in
structed to drain the storm water at he
east end of the Downey avenue bridge.
The City Water company was directed
to place a fire hydrant at Eight street
and Maple avenue.