Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-28
SITE OFFER
VETOED BY MAYOR
NORTH MAIN LOCATION IS
TURNED DOWN
Effort viii Be Made to Pass Ordinance
Over Chief Executives Head.
Smith Still Leads the
Minority

After a lengthy consultation with
City Attorney Mathews and Assistant
City Attorney Goudge, Mayor McAleer
last evening vetoed the ordinance,
passed by the council nearly two weeks
ago, accepting the free city hall site
on North Main street. Contrary to
the expectations of those who were in
tereSted in the acceptance of the site,
the mayor did not advocate that the
question be left to vote of the peo-
pie but in his message advanced the
same arguments that had been given
by Judge Silent, Niles Pease and 9TH
ers who have been active in urging
the veto of the proposition
Councilman Healy stated yesterday
that an effort will be made next Mon
day to have the council pass the meas
ure over the mayors veto, but did not
express sanguine hopes of effecting
this. 1t would take seven of the nine
votes to make the ordinance a law
without the signature of the mayor and
the measure passed the council by six
ayes" and three noes. Those Vot-
ing no" were Smith, Hitler and Hough-
ton. Smith stated emphatically yester-
day that he still is the leader of the
minority and Hitler as emphatically
stated that he would stand pat" in his
refusal to allow the city hall to go
out OF his ward.
Failing in an effort to pass the meas
ure over the veto, the council will
probably demand that it be submitted
to popular vote and Councilman
Healy predicts that the councilmanic
vote will be unit on this proposition.
Mayors Veto Message
The message of the mayor is as fol-
lows
II return herewith, without my ap-
proval, an ordinance adopted by the
council on October 18th, 1905, entitled
AN ordinance authorizing the acquisi-
tion by the city of Los Angeles of a
certain parcel of land as a site for a
new city hall, and authorizing the ac-
ceptance of a deed therefor by the city
clerk in the name of the city, and
authorizing the sale of the present city
hall
Living in the First ward, my first
inclination is for the acceptance of the
North Main street site for the city
hall Not only is this my inclination,
but that of a majority of my constit-
uents in the First ward and of my
many friends north of Second street.
The location of the city hall, however,
is a question which affects every citi
zen of the city of Los Angeles, and
inasmuch as a majority Of the popula-
ton of the city is south of First street,
L have felt it my duty to weigh care
fully the objections urged to the North
Main street site. Careful considera-
tion has led me to the conclusion that
the city hall should not be moved to
the proposed site.
1.-THE reasons which have led me
to this conclusion, and which consti
tute my objections to this ordinance
are as follows:
THAT there is a probability of the
consolidation of the city and county
government, which, when brought
of the city hall with the court house.
Until this question of consolidation of
city and county government is set
tied, It is unwise to move the city
hall from its present location.
"That there Is an increasing senti-
ment among the people that the city
library should be moved from the city
hall. If this is done, the rooms now
occupied by the library will afford
and make the present city hall adequate
for our requirements for several years
to come.
THAT the proposed acceptance of the
North Main street site would involve
a sale of the present city hall site on
Broadway. This, in my opinion, would
be unwise, as the city hall building
would be OF no value whatever for
commercial purposes, and if the city
did sell the site, it would get nothing
for the building, which for municipal
purposes is worth at least a hundred
thousand dollars.
again if the city should sell it's
present site it would sacrifice not only
the value of the building, but also the
future increase in value of the site,
the amount of which will probably be
very great.
THAT the city hall is now within
convenient walking distance of the
greater portion of the present business
center. The proposed site on North
Main street is some blocks away from
the business center, and the majority
of taxpayers and citizens would be
put to some inconvenience and loss Of
time in going to the proposed new site
on North Main street.
1.-THE argument in favor of grouping
all the public buildings in our city is
a weighty one, and l would be heartily
in favor of scheme which would bring
about such grouping, but the proposed
site on North Main street is nearly as
far north of the court house as the
city hall on Broadway is south of it,
The acceptance of the North Main
street site would therefore not result
in the grouping of said buildings.
"I therefore return to your honora-
BILE body the ordinance without my sig
nature"