Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-12-20
FLAYS
CITY COUNCIL
ASCOT AND LIQUOR MEASURES
CONDEMNED
Declares in Letter That Emergency
Clauses Are Continually involved,
as Though to Forestall
Public Opinion

In a letter from the Municipal league
read at yesterdays session the city
council was nayed for it's conduct and
misconduct.
-Four important reasons were cited
why the body was remiss in its duties.
The six members of the council pres
ent-Blanchard and Smith being alb
sent-listened attentively while Deputy
Clerk David Carroll read its contents.
as follows:
To the Honorable City Council Of the
city of Los Angeles:
The executive committee of the Mu-
nicipal league desires to express to you
Its determined protest against certain
acts of your honorable body taken last
Monday and also against the method
under which those acts were taken
Flrst-We protest against the repeal
of the two-thirds rule for the consent
of property owners in a block for the
location of q saloon and the substitu-
ton of a mere majority This two
thirds provision was adopted by your
selves after abundant experience show
ing the necessity of this protection to
property owners.
Second--We protest against the
breaking down of the distinction be-
tween the wholesale liquor dealer and
the saloon keeper by changing the
minimum from a fifth of a gallon to a
pint. This change helps to introduce
the sale of liquor at retail in all the
residence sections of the city where
these alleged wholesale concerns have
secured locations. We have a limit on
the number of saloons, which limit is
regarded as a matter of distinct ad-
vantage to the city by the great major
ity of our citizens, but we have no
limit on wholesale liquor establish
ments. Legitimate wholesalers will not
ask to be allowed to sell liquor by the
pint, and the wishes of the others need
not be regarded.
ure passed by your honorable body at
the request of the consolidation COM
mission that pool selling be allowed at
Ascot hereafter. We do not believe that
the attempted holdup of consolidation
by the Ascot people would have been
long effective in court. We do not con-
cede that there is any vested right in q
great wrong and one that exists not
because the people desire it-for they
have shown in every possible way their
wish that it should be suppressed
but merelf because three men in the
board of supervisors have, for some
reason, persistently refused to obey the
public will in this regard.
Fourth-We protest against the
InetnOQ now Delng used by your nom
orable body in the last days of your
existence as a council of passing all
important measures under the emer-
gency clause, alleging that they are
necessary 'for the immediate preserva-
ton of the public peace, health or
safety" whereby the referendum is at
tempted to be made effective, and or
6inances which would, under usual cir
cumstances, not go into effect for thirty
day are made immediately effective.
This process was used by your honor
able body for all the measures specified
above, and is also used for many ordi-
nances fixing salary rolls for the new
administration, matters which cannot
by any process Of reasoning be shown
to be necessary for the immediate
of the public peace, health
Or safety; and the inevitable impress
sion that such a course gives to the
public is that the purpose of your hon
orable body is to forestall the express
sion of the peoples will through a
Very respectfully yours,
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF
THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
j. o. Koephi, President.
c. d. Willard, Secretary.
Without word of comment Coun-
Gilman Healy moved that the letter be
fled, Councilman Houghton seconded
It and that buried the typewritten doc
lment