Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-29
MAYOR VETOES
ARCADE MEASURE
SOUTHERN PACIFIC FAILS TO
GIVE CITY BENEFITS
Railroad Refuses to Widen Central
Avenue in Front of Depot in
Return, Hence Sanction
Withheld

The ordinance passed by the city
council about ten days ago granting to
the Southern Pacific that portion Of
Fifth street between Central avenue
and the Arcade station, was yester
day vetoed by Mayor McAleer.
In his veto message the mayor makes
the same recommendations that We're
made by the board of public works
and utterly ignored by the council in
passing the ordinance.
The mayor believes that the South
ern Pacific should widen Central ave-
nue. in front of it's property and deed
strip of land to the city for this
purpose.
The ordinance proposes to give away
Is, 900 square feet of land worth $50, 900
and the Southern Pacific has steadily
refused to give the city anything in
return.
The Veto Message
The message of the mayor is as fol-
lows:
To the Honorable, the City Council
Gentlemen: / return herewith, without
my signature, a proposed ordinance of
intention, passed by your honorable body
at your meeting of June lS, l9O6 to close
up and Vacate for street purposes that
portion of East Fifth street lying be-
tween the easterly line of Central avenue
and It's present terminus between Central
avenue and Alameda street.
The reasons which have impelled me
to this action are the Following:
The Southern Pacific Railroad company
is, L believe, the owner OF all the lands
fronting upon the portion of East Fifth
street proposed to be closed up and
abandoned by the ordinance referred to,
and therefore all the land In said portion
of Fifth street will become the property
of the railroad company upon the COM
pletion of the abandonment proceedings.
1t is matter of common knowledge that
the parcel of land in question Is of great
for the proposed improvements which the
railroad company contemplate placing
upon the present Arcade depot grounds.
Increased depot facilities are, of course,
to be greatly desired by the public gen
orally, as we'll as by the railroad COM
pany, and public officials should not
manifest a disposition to obstruct or un-
necessarily hinder the carrying forward
of what might be called, and recognized
as, a public improvement.
Mountaineering the faet ihat a larger
Mc as well as the railroad company, 1t
is also true, from the very fact of the
construction Of a larger depot and the
increased traffic and congestion Of busi-
ness that will take place inevitably in
the streets Immediately contiguous TO
the depot, and particularly Central ave-
nue., that the public interest should also
be considered and protected by the widen
ing of Central avenue in front of the depot
grounds. This should be done in order
20 avoid as much as possible the evil
results and liability TO danger and acci-
dent that wfl follow from the existence
OF a street already encountered with
crossings and turnouts, in front of the
depot grounds and entrances
An effort has been made on the part OF
the city to obtain from the railroad COM
pany some consideration In exchange for
II Is proposed by this ordinance 10 vacate
for its benefit But such efforts have
thus far failed 10 secure any definite on
positive statement from the represents