The herald., 1897-11-23
THE H1rcH1Na ORDINANCE
A Letter From the Secretary Of the
Merchants and Manufacturers

A Letter From the Secretary Of the
Merchants and Manufacturers
The following letter. received from
Secretary Zechandelaar Of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers association,
will be found of interest as express
ing the attitude Of that body toward the
anti-hitching ordinance:
To the Editor Of the Los Angeles
Herald: In view of the fact that the
attitude of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' association to the present
hitching ordinance has been msunder-
stood by certain people, am instructed
by the board Of directors Of this asso-
citation to ask the use Of the columns OF
your valuable paper to explain to the
public its position in the matter.
About two years ago the ordinance
allowing the hitching of teams on the
public streets for period of not longer
than thirty minutes was passed by the
city council at the request of this asso-
citation 1t was. however, found to be q
dead letter and was never enforced
thereby creating a public corral and sta
BILE for the convenience of people who de-
sired to use the main thoroughfares of
this city as such, not only creating u
nuisance, but interfering with the legit-
innate transaction of business. The at
tention of the chief of police and the
police commission was called to the
failure to enforce that ordinance, but the
chief OF police stated at meeting of the
police commission that it was impossi-
BILE to place the ordinance in operation.
The congestion of vehicles, the inter-
ruption of traffic. the many runaways
and the filthy condition of the main
streets became SO obvious and obnox-
ious that this association was repeat
edly requested to ask the city council
to enact an ordinance that could be en-
forced and that would place our busi-
ness portion on metropolitan footing.
This association has for its object
the promotion of all measures tending
to improve the commercial, industrial
and municipal conditions of Los Ange-
les: and it has no desire or intention to
ask the enactment or enforcement of any
law that would injure or work hard
ship to any citizen CT that would reflect
upon this city in any manner whatever.
In response to many requests this as
sociation was asked by the city council
to prepare an ordinance, and our attor-
ney. c. c. Wright, Esq.,. submitted one,
following in the main features the or
dinance now in force in San Francisco.
When that ordinance was submitted by
this association 1t contained a clause
all persons actually engaged in
the receiving or delivering of goods
would be exempt from it's provisions;
that Is, they would be allowed sufficient
time to transact their business without
police interference.
But the main object of the present or
diuance is to prevent people coming into
town and hitching on the main business
for an unreasonable time,
for an entire day. ENd that
clause been inserted in the present or
dinance much annoyance would have
been avoided, the merchants and general
public would not have been molested in
the carrying out Of their legitimate busi-
ness and calling, and no objection could
possibly have been made; but, unfortu-
nately, the ordinance has been enforced
in the strictest sense of the letter and
has undoubtedly worked hardship on
many people.
This association points with pride to
q large number of public movements
luhuSuraIeQ ana successfully carried
out by it. 1t is now engaged in a cam
paign to build up the industrial and COM
mercial development of Los Angeles and
Southern California, and it will not in
sist upon the enforcement of any ordi-
nance that would tend to injure any of
the city's interests We therefore ask
that the city council, will only use its
best judgment before the ordinance is
repealed. as we believe that If 1t is mod |
fled as originally presented, and If the
police will act according to the spirit of
the ordinance and not carry it out to the
letter. 1t will prove to be wise one and
Of vast benefit to this city.
If the merchants Of Main street. ac-
,ording to their petition. desire to have
The ordinance repealed as far as that
street Is concerned. this association will
not object to anything that will
satisfy these merchantS. But inasmuch
as no protests have been received from
the business men on Spring street or
Broadway, we believe that the present
ordinance in its modified form should be
given a further chance before It e. ah-
solutely repealed.
Certainly during the few weeks that
ne ordinance has been IN existence tho