Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-10
ARE IN FAVOR OF ELECTRIC
FREIGHT LINES
OPPOSE COURSE OF MAYOR
Business Men Declare Intention Of
Making Fight to Maintain SUBJ
urban and lnterurban
Car Service

Ine business men VINO signed the pc
tition to the council, asking that the
electric railroad companies be allowed
to carry freight into and out of Los
Angeles, have decided to take up the
fight In favor Of the car lines.
These business men, who pay large
percent of the city's taxes, declare that
to prohibit the carrying of freight by
suburban and interurban lines means a
heavy loss to their business. over 900
of them petltioned the council and
mayor to keep hands off.
Mayor McAleer started a war on the
street car companies when he assumed
office and declared that he would make
them all toe the mark laid down by
law. The law does not allow the grant
ing of freight carrying franchises, co
the first opportunity was seized to
force the interurban companies to cease
the business.
The officials of the Los Angeles In
terurban company were arrested anI
charged with committing a nuisance b.
running freight or express cars ard
bringing berries, milk and other pro-
duce from outlying truck farms.
Many prominent business men have
declared their intention of testifying
when the case comes up in the superior
court, and doing anything else they
can to show that the operation of such
;. hi 4
necessity to the business interests
and development of the city.
Last week interested men, well known
in business circles, called at the city
hall to discuss the situation with Of
ficials there and several informal con-
ferences were held.
Views of Business Men
A we'll known Los Angeles street
wholesaler said yesterday:
Every interest of the city demands
that these interurban and suburban
companies be allowed to handle freight.
When all is said and done, it must be
admitted that Huntington, with his
many lines to outlying points, has
greatly benefited the city and why he
should be blocked at every move l do
not understand.
"These electric cars run directly
through the dairies and farms and
bring in every morning the milk, fruit
and vegetables consumed In the city.
All of these products are handled but
once, when shipped in this way and
arrive fresher, cleaner and in all-around
better condition than when hauled to a
country depot and shipped in by steam
freight, then unloaded onto drays and
there again.
aside from this, the handling of
light freight by the electric companies
is great convenience to all shippers
in the CITY, 1t enables us to supply our
customers in the suburban towns
almost a day earlier than we could do
otherwise.
when we presented the petition to
the mayor and council, we hoped that
the question would be allowed to rest
until such time as 1t would be possible
to change the law. That petition was
signed by upwards of 900 business men
owning property in Los Angeles and
doing business here, men who paid
more than half the taxes of the city.
but in spite of this the mayor has re-
fused to abandon his course and is still
after the freight carriers. This forces
us, who want the railroads to continue
to carry freight as in the past, to take
up the fight as If we were against the
city, while in reality we are simply
opposing the course Of the mayor"