The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-16
ISLAND CITY NEWS ITEMS
Sentiment Does Not Favor the Levi West
end fIst BILL
Mastcr Plunsbcrs Are 20 Meet This
Wcck-vocabuanr or indians
10 BE Complied.

Galveston, Texas. January Is. IA gen.
tleman who has served his people in the
upper branch OF the Texas legislature was
In the city today on his way home from 4
I trip to Austin. Being friend TO Gall
weston and to the coast country, he took
some pains TO ascertain the feeling of the
members OF the Legislature toward what is
generally known as the West End fats
matter; that is the proposition to grant
| to the City Of Galveston title to large
amount OF water front. He found the sem
timent to be very antagonistic to such a
scheme. One department official went so
far as to say that il it is vacant land II
belongs to the school fund and therefore
Ii beyond the power OF the legislature to
dispose OF. Former Attorney General
Crane is also quoted Ms being against tho
proposition.
Another thing the gentleman observed is
/; tendency among many members TO be
"agin'' anything Huntington or the South
ern Pacific people may want. That being
true. the concessions Huntingdon VIII ask
the State for at Galveston may be reluc-
family granted. II ut all.
So far as local sentiment is concerned,
1t has undergone II complete change with
reference to the West End flats matter. II
was il year ago that the city council en-
tered into a contract with Mr.. Leo n.
Levi, as special counsel, to appear before
the legislature and ask 1t to pass title from
the State to the City of Galveston TO all
that water front lying between Thirty first
street west to the La Porte bridge. Al that
time there were no Indications OF the
Southern Pacific coming to Galveston any
time soon. The council believed that this
port requires additional wharf facilities.
and above all ii believed that the port
stands in especial need of wharf compete
ton. So the people applauded the idea OF
the Levi contract. They saw in IL good
thing for the city.
But few brief months have seen a COM
plete change in public opinion. Since then
the Southern Pacific has not only begun
but closed negotiations for ten blocks of
water front at Galveston to be used for
terminal and wharf purposes. BY his COM
ing the city council and the people Will
have achieved all they desired when the
Levi contract was entered into. The ten
blocks Mr.. Huntington has bought are en-
braced in the Levi contract and as long as
IL is in the way the development OF the
property Is likely to be embarrassed. There
is no question but that Mr.. Levi has q
binding contract with the city. but the IN
dications are he Will have to fight his battle
before the legislature without the aid OF
council and citizens.
The Levi bill will be In charge of the
Galveston county members, Messrs. Nolan
and Wheless. When introduced 1t will no
doubt be referred to the committee on pub
lie land and land office Both Nolan and
Wheless are on that committee. They will
thus be in good position to further its
passage But legislator, as a usual
thing, responds very promptly to the sem
itment of his constituents and they are
likely to listen to great many protests
against that bill before 1t ever gets out Of
committee.