Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-23
MAY TIE UP SAN
PEDRO FRONTAGE
ANOTHER "BATH HOUSE" PETl-
TIoN PRESENTED
RESEMBLES KELLYS REQUEST
Property Owners Assert That II Bears
the Earn1arks OF an Attempt
to Get Something for
Nothing

What bears the earmarks of being
another bold water front hold-up at
San Pedro resembling the now famous
attempt of Luke Kelly and others
couple of years ago to gain possession
of a million dollars worth of property
for nothing, according to property own
ers of the harbor town, is in the shape
Of an apparently Insignificant petition
filed by Frank D. Foot with the trus-
tees of that municipality, asking for
certain bath house" and resort" priv
ileges.
Those who have given the question
special attention assert that the Foot
petition is in substance the same as
that presented by Kelly, which caused
members of the Los Angeles chamber
of commerce and other local CONNER
cial bodies to raise a most pronounced
denuncia ton of the scheme, labelling
it as an attempt to effectual1y tie UP
the last remaining portion of frontage
over which the people held the control
ing hand.
"The only difference between the Foot
and Kelly petitions, as 1 can see 1t, =
declared a prominent San Pedran last
night, '1s that the former asks for a
ten years lease on about 600 feet of
4ba lott RI
gain possession of 2500."
The fact that the Gould system Ia
said to be looking for an outlet to the
orient on this coast is believed to have
instigated the new petition. In the
event that such railroad should seek
an outlet at San Pedro within the next
few years, it is argued that a lease
granted upon the property sought by
Foot might euchre the treasures of the
city of San Pedro and Los Angeles
county out of hundreds of thousands of
dollars. Besides, it would take from
the control of the people most val
liable strip of frontage-the better por-
ton of that which the public may lay
claim to--and place it in the hands of
private llilcEeSLS, oO lHdI II WOulu Uc
practically worthless to this section for
the next ten years. unless, of course,
the people saw fit to pay the price set
upon 1t by the lessees.
The petition presented to the San Pc
dro trustees by Foot Is as follows:
Having made arrangements to in
stall pleasure resort, thereby utiliz-
~. Co. oiI;t -~f DnI,.
both for residents and transients, 1
hereby make application for a lease Of
that portion of the city of San Pedro"
etc.
Property Very Valuable
The document then gives a descrip
tion of certain properties, principally
in the outer harbor, commencing from
a point, it is said, near the inner har-
Dor line and extending approximately
600 feet, 1t is said, on the frontage to
the outer harbor. This strip of land
is regarded as one of the most valuable
of all the frontage that has not been
previously gobbled up by corporate in
terests, and stands pre-eminently as an
available approach to the outer harbor,
it is said
]. c. Willmon, who owne valuable
property on the high bluff overlooking
the beach propery sought by the petit
toner, has forwarded a protest to the
San Pedro trustees against the grant
ing of the Foot lease. Mr.. Wilmon
said yesterday:
II am satisfied the city of San Pedro
does not own the property sought to be
leased. and if such lease is granted it
will be void from the beginning. l
shall most certainly decline to counte-
nance any such thing even If have
to take the question into the courts.
AS far as l can see, it is simply repe-
tition of the Kelly petition for a lease
of 250O feet of water frontage, covering
some of the same tracks, two years
ago.
In his protest to the trustees Mr.. Will
mon cites the fact that the lease asked
for by Foot does not provide any for
feiture clause for non-fulfillment of any
of it's specified conditions.
1t is probable that the Los Angeles
chamber of commerce will investigate
the Foot petition and take such action
as will successfully block it.
S~%
MpC MhpX MEDhAnDE