Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-31
BREWERY BLOCKS
ALL LEGISLATION
HoUGHT0N ARM IN ARM WITH
AGENTS
Councilman shameIessIy Walks Away
From Chamber While Members
Wait to Pass License Re-
form Measure

Doc Houghton played lone hand at
the filibusterng game yesterday after
noon and succeeded in preventing the
council from passing an ordinance
compelling applicants for retail liquor
licenses to secure the consent of a
majority Of the frontage in the block
on both sides Of the street.
A special meeting for this purpose
was called yesterday afternoon, and
Houghton was needed for q quorum.
Houghton, however, wasn't there.
Senator Corney Pendleton, a recog-
nized brewery politician, had hold of
one of his arms. Fred Maier Of the
Maier & zobeein brewery had the
other, and Dan Childs, collector for the
brewery walked behind.
The special meeting was the direct
outcome of the granting of a saloon
license to T, P. Roberts for 22O South
Broadway, In the building adjoining
the city hall grounds.
Yesterday morning B. f. Coulter, G.
M. Stauh, C. P. Copp, ]. M. Schneider
and a number of other business men in
the block between Second and Third
streets on Broadway, called on Coun-
Gilman G.. A. Smith at his office and
told him the condition of affairs.
Smith Aroused
Its an outrage" said Mr.. Smith,
the evil the police commission has tried
to perpetrate on this community
In few minutes Mr. Smith had got
into communication with City Clerk
Lelande and City Attorney Mathews
and told them of the case. He learned
that while the police commission had
granted the license 1t had not been
issued by the city clerk, and Mr..
Mathews instructed Mr.. Lelande to
hold the license until he gave the word
to release it. Mr.. Lelande agreed to
do So
Councilman Smith then set himself
to work to call special meeting of the
council. The call stated that the meet
ing was for the purpose of passing an
ordinance making it compulsory for
all applicants for retail saloon licenses
to have the consent of a majority of
property owners in the block on both
sides of the street.
Mr.. Smith was the first to sign the
call. and after wearing his telephone
to splinters he succeeded in finding
President Summerland and Councilman
Ford and getting their names to the
call. This call was issued for o'clock.
Houehton Agrees, but
When the councilmen gathered at the
hall it was decided that a successor to
Committee Clerk Willard Goodwin was
Ileeueu, ana ana Il S6COHO call WAS IS
sued for 3:45 o'clock, signed by Smith,
Summerland and Houghton
Before issuing the second call Mr..
Smith explained to Houghton the ma
ture of the meeting and the ordinance
that was proposed.
Fright. perfectly right" said Hough-
ton with enthusiasm.
But when the council finally got to-
gether in the council chamber and the
call was read If Was discoVerad fhat
Ford was missing.
suspicion that Ford was trying to
dodge the issue after signing the call
took root in the minds of the other
councilmen present, especially as Ford
had been seen a few minutes before
talking to Fred Maier and Dan Childs
of the Maier & Zobelein brewery.
Ford was needed for quorum, as
only Smith, Summerland, Kern, Hough-
ton and himself had been present. The
council met and took a recess for fif-
teen minutes, to allow time for Ford
to return
Brewery ToWline Works
He was back in the building before
the expiration of the recess and was
again collared by Pendleton, Maier and
Childs. who by that time had Houghton
in tow and were talking hard to the
erratic councilman from the Sixth
Ford, however, resisted the blan-
dishments of the brewery crowd and
walked into the council chamber, where
he promised to support Smith in his
effort to put through the ordinance.
While Mr.. Smith was lining up his
votes Pendleton, Maier and Childs took
Houghton by the arms and coattails
and spirited him away.
The remainder of the council waited
until o'clock, and finding Houghton
did not return, adjourned. At 5:15
Houghton returned. brazenly walked
knew would be empty at that time, and
asked:
What did they do?"
Adjourned" was the short answer
of the committee clerk, who happened
to be in the room.
"Well here I wasted an entire after
noon for nothing" said Houghton, evil
IDENTIFY disappointed that some action
had not been taken without his pres
ence.
His MayoraIty Boom
But as far as wasting an afternoon
was concerned, those who are ac-
quainted with Houghton's aspiration
to be mayor, or anything else he can
get enough votes to elect him for, wink
very knowingly and declare that 1t was
the best afternoons work Houghton
ever did, as far as Houghton and his
aspirations are concerned-that he has
won the friendship of the brewery in
terests, which may be able to pull him
some votes. Dan Childs, the brewery
collector, is said to be the man who
secured Houghton's election to the
council.
Councilman Smith, however declares
he will hang on to his purpose to have
this ordinance passed If 1t takes until
the end of his term as councilman. His
fighting blood is aroused and his de-
termined jaw shows that he means
business
Another meeting will be called for to-
day, but every one predicts that
Houghton will find himself unable to
attend. Blanchard and Hitler, who
might be used for a quorum, are out of
the city, and Healy positively refuses