Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-30
CALIFORNIA AND ARIZONA
MAY BE JOINED TOGETHER
An Ontario Visitor Suggests Pro-
gram That is Not New, but
Very Attractive

very AItTdCtiNC
ONTARIO, Cal, Jan. 27.-(Editor
Herald) /: To visitor to California.
having no material interests in either
California or Arizona, and no political
interest or affiliations in or for either,
aside from a patriotic attachment for
the whole Union and pride in the
grandeur and prosperity of all the
states, it appears singular that no one
has publicly suggested as a solution
the division of Arizona territory, the
southwestern or southern portion to
find shelter, protection and abiding
prosperity with and as a part of Cali
fornia. This, instead of the whole
territory being unwillingly yoked with
New Mexico, or brought into the
Union to struggle forever, another
Nevada, with small population, with
burdensome taxation, and as the prob
able victim of senatorial barons.
1t occurs to me as free from doubt
that the commercial, business and So
cial RELATIONSHIP relations except
those purely political-already estab-
lished and promising to be permanent
between the people of Southern Cali
forna and those of southwestern Ari-
zona vastly outweigh in extent and
Importance such relations existing
between the people of that section and
those of the balance of the territory.
If 1 am right in this, then the people
of southwestern Arizona, with the pos
sible exception of ambitious and pros
pective politicians of the section,
would favor the suggested solution of
the pending difficulty and future un-
certainties, while California should
most certainly take kindly to the prop
osition.
Of course the division of the terri
tory and the annexation of part of
it to California would require concur
rent action by the general government
and the state of California. What, in
such case, would become of the re-
naming portion of the territory would
be for congress to determine. 1t is
to be presumed that upon the division
or at a later period and when the
further development of the section, the
| building of new lines of railroad and
the establishment of new business re-
lations with one of the adjacent states
(New Mexico or Utah) shall have de-
termned the choice of the people OF
both OF the political communities con-
cerned, no difficulty would be encoun-
tered in establishing a political union
between the two.
AS to proposed new divisions, they
might be indicated by the extension
in a southeasterly direction of the
present northwestern and southeast
ern boundary line between California
and Nevada to the southeast corner
of Arizona; or perhaps by due east
and west line intersecting the Colorado
river near the Needles.
However, it is realized that straight
lines and regular boundaries must
often yield to the topography of the
country, lines of travel and traffic
already tablished-sometimes to the
private interests of influential parties.
| When the time comes for the di-
vision of California into two states OF
the Union the possession by her of
| the added territory on the southeast
will also materially help to round out
the boundaries of Southern California,
making her great homogeneous ana
prosperous commonwealth.
Hoping that you will pardon the
suggestion of an "outsider," sir l
have the honor to remain
HORACE AUSTIN.