Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-08
DISCUSS PLAN
Of ANNEXATION
LONG BEACH TO CONFER WITH
Los ANGELES
Consolidation Scheme Finds Defenders
In Mass Meeting Held at the
seashote city--commlt.
tee Is Appointed
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
LONG BEACH, Dec. 7.-As the re-
suit of a mass meeting held this after
noon for the purpose of a full dis
cussion pro and con on the question
of consolidation with Los Angeles a
committee of nine prominent business
men will be appointed who will meet
with u Los Angeles committee to learn
in detail what the larger city has to
offer In the way of inducements toward
such move.
An effort was made at one time to
secure a vote by those present on the
matter but an adjournment was taken
without this having been done. There
were probably 500 persons present at
the meeting, many of whom were
women. That a large number were in
favor Of the project was apparent.
speeches in favor of consolidation were
made by 9. L. Hoge of the Los Angeles
Dock and Terminal company, John
Wager another realty dealer, and
Fred Lee.
1t Is probable that those who COM
prise the committee of nine to be ap-
pointed, all, or nearly all, will be men
opposed to consolidation. An amend
ment was offered that the committee
be increased to include ten men and
that they be divided half and half
between those favoring and opposed
to the plan. This was defeated by a
close margin.
Opposes Los Angeles
Rev. e. w. Thornton, pastor of the
Christian church, was chairman of the
meeting. DIR. l.. A. Perce, president
of the chamber of commerce, was the
first speaker He is opposed to an
nexation or consolidation at present.
He thought the water supply of Long
Beach would hold out indefinitely and
fIs,E lxA rerIa aerG
from the Owens river to make a no
ticeable increase therein If the river
is brought to Los Angeles. However,
he said, Long Beach gets her water
more from seepage from the Pacific
ocean than from the water from the
mountains. DR.. Perce did not believe
Los Angeles could procure terminal
rates for Long Beach and that to the
rate charged into Los Angeles proper
there would always be added switch
ing charge which would keep the Long
Beach rate up to it's present amount.
He told of how Long Beach blocked
the. effort of Los Angeles to secure
annexation by legislative enactment.
DR.. Perce said he favored the con-
solidation of San Pedro, Wilmington
and Long Beach and that, later on,
consolidation with Los Angeles might
be deemed advisable.
Prof. Jacob Hill, who followed
| thought Los Angeles had never done
very much for Long Beach and that
the favor of joining with the larger
city now should not be granted.
G. L. Hoge. a prominent realty deal
er, declared that Los Angeles had done
much for Long Beach and Southern
California when Stephen M. White was
elected to congress and secured the
appropriation for San Pedro harbor.
| Hoge thought the cooperation of Los
Angeles would help to improve these
harbor facilities in the future. He be-
| lieved consolidation would result in
many advantages to Long Beach,
among them reduced car fare between
the cities and the construction of a
boulevard leading from Los Angeles
to the harbor. Hoge's remarks were
strongly applauded and there were
cries of You're right"
John Wager the next speaker, stated
| that there were several reasons urged
why consolidation would not be adj
visable, among them being the ex-
pense of assisting in the Owens river
project, the idea that Long Beach
would lose her identity and the fear
that Los Angeles would "gobble" Long
Beach's water frontage. He then pro-
ceeded to give figures showing the
actual small expense that would be
incurred to the taxpayers of this city
in the Owens river project He then
went on TO ueIlOnStrdte lldI boiS
Beach would not lose her identity by
consolidation as she might by annex
alton and that Los Angeles could not
"gobble" the water frontage here any
more than any other outside power.
Rights to the water frontage are vested
already, he said, and it would be I'M
possible for them to be affected.
Fred Lee followed explaining how
the consolidation of the cities should
resI1lt in the DEVELOPMENT of q great
metropolis.
The motion that a committee be ap-
pointed by the chairman to take up
the matter in detail with the Los An
geles committee was offered by DR..
Homer o. Bates, who limited the num-
ber to five. Upon the motion of j. B.
Heartwell the number was increased
to nine.
Coronado for the best climate.