Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-07
WILMINGTON CASE
TO Be SETTLED
SUPERVISORS WILL DECIDE IN
CORPORATION QUESTION
New Charter for Little City May Have
Effect Of Stopping Federal Acs
ton on Free Harbor, Say
Members of Commission

one of the bitterest fights in the
history of Los Angeles county will be
terminated today, when the four mem-
hers of the county board of supervisors
Will decide whether a new incorpora-
tion will be made Of the town of Will
mington or the advice of the district
attorney will be followed and Whining
tC n declared to he a city of the sixth
Gle IS by virtue of it's original incorpora-
tion.
The fight for the incorporation of
Wilmington has been waged by repre-
sentatives of the town and of the big
corporations for the past four months.
Time after time the proposition has
been taken over for investigation by
the board until at last attorneys repre-
stnting the Banning company and the
Salt Lake road appeared before the
&C unity supervisors ard demanded an
inc corporation of the town.
The entire difficulty hinges upon the
repeating OF the charter of Wilmington
in 1887 when by special act of legisla-
ture Wilmington was declared to be no
longer a city.
Since that time Wilmington has been
treated as town. It's roads have been
kept in trim by the county officers and
n county rate of assessment has been
made. The tide lands have been sold
and the corporations have been allowed
to buy an almost entire control of the
harbor frontage.
The difficulty now is as to whether
the act repeating the charter was con-
stitutional The district attorney, in
an opinion recently filed with the su-
pervisors, cautions them to deny new
petition for an incorporation as the act
of repeal was unconstitutional and as
Wilmington is now and always has
been city.
"Incorporation Necessary"
The corporations declare that they
will not be benefited by any such state
1nent, because nothing could be done in
the case toward securing municipal
government and that new incorpora-
tion is absolutely necessary.
On the other hand, the members OF
the free harbor commission of the
chamber of commerce are against the
proposed incorporation because, as they
allege, it will put the entire control OF
the harbor and the franchises to the
harbor in the hands of a small body OF
men who will be controlled absolutely
by the Bannings, the Salt Lake and the
Southern Pacific railroads.
They further allege that If such in
corporation is allowed the government
Will TelISS " SAptllu ctIly IhOi = iiiNiiNS
on the harbor when all the advantages
of the improvements will be going to
three corporations.
Supervisors Alexander, Patterson
Wilson and Graham will settle the
proposition once and for all this morn
ing. 1t will then be taken out of the
hands of the supervisors and any
~ further action will be in the courts.
Supervisor Alexander has already de-
clared himself in favor of a positive
denial of the petition for Incorporation
Upon the decision of the other three
supervisors the question hangs.
Capt John Z. Brady, the newly ap-
pointed supervisor from the first dis
trict, presented himself to the boaro
yesterday. took the oath of office and
filed his credentials. He will secure
bend of $4,000 and qualify during tho
week and will be a regular member OF
the board at the next regular meeting
He stated yesterday that he would not
have a chance to vote either way or
the Wilmington proposition.