Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-25
MAYORS VETO
IS NO BARRIER
SOUTHERN PACIFIC SECURES
FIFTH STREET
Thoroughfare Finally Vacated by the
City Council for Benefit Of Ar
cade Depot, in Spite Of
McAIeer's Negative

The Southern Pacific won what 1t
wanted from the city council yesterday
in the vacation of East Fifth street
for its new Arcade depot, the measure
being passed after the mayor returned
1t vetoed.
The Date street spur track measure
was reconsidered when the veto came
and action was laid over till Thurs
day afternoons meeting of the coun-
Gil.
Mayor McAleer's letter in vetoiug
the Fifth street ordinance was terse.
He said
81 return herewith without my sig
nature a proposed ordnance passed
by your honorable body December 10,
1906, ordering that certain portion
of East Fifth street in the city of Los
Angeles be closed up, vacated and
abandoned as contemplated by ordi-
nance No. 1867 (new seres) of said
city
under date of June 2Sth, 1906, 1
vetoed Il proposed ordinance of inten-
tion covering this land in question,
and the reasons stated at the time are
applicable to this ordinance as fol-
| lows:
The Southern Pacific Railroad COM
| pany is, / believe, owner of all une
| lands fronting upon the portion of
East Fifth street proposed to be closed
up and abandoned by this ordinance
and therefore all the land in said por-
ton of Fifth street will become the
property of said railroad company up
on the completion of abandonment
proceedings
Of Great Value
1T is a matter of common knowledge
that the parcel of land in question is
of great value and will undoubtedly
be necessary for the proposed inn
provements which the railroad COM
pany contemplates placing upon the
present Arcade depot grounds.
Increased depot facilities are of
course to be greatly desired by the
public generally as we'll as by the
railroad company and public officials
should not manifest disposition TO
obstruct or unnecessarily hinder the
carrying forward of what might be
called and recognized as a public i'm
provement.
Notwithstanding this fact the fact
that a larger depot is greatly to be
desired by the public as we'll as the
railroad company, it is also true from
the very fact that construction of
larger depot and the increased traffic
and congestion of business that will
take place inevitably in the streets
Immediately contiguous to the depot
and particularly Central avenue, that
the public interests should also be
considered and protected by the widen
ing of Central avenue in front of the
depot grounds.
Advocates Widening
This should be done in order to
avoid as much as possible the evil re-
suits and liability to danger of and
| n bo
istence of a street already encumbered
with a double electric railroad track,
together with crossings and turnouts,
in front of the depot grounds and en-
frances.
"An effort will be made on the part
of the city to obtain from the railroad
company some consideration in ex
change for the highly valued piece of
land which 1t is proposed to by this
ordinance to vacate for it's benefit.
1T seems to me that the vacation of
the portion of East Fifth street pro-
posed by this ordinance should be post
poned until the officers of the railroad
company, by sufficient instruments, as
sure positively just what they will do
in return for the vacation of that part
of East Fifth street which they desire.
''It must be apparent to all that If
large depot is to be constructed on
Central avenue that street should GER
tainly be made wider, in front of the
depot grounds, at least, by adding
strip of land for street purposes on the
easterly side of Central avenue to rea-
sonably protect the public safety and
convenience.
Under City's Control
"Such a strip of land should, in my
opinion, be under the control of the
city and be so divided between the
roadway and the sidewalk on the east
side of Central avenue that both the
roadway and sidewalk will receive
such an addition as will provide for
public traffic.
"I refer, as to the street particularly
to express wagons, baggage wagons
and numerous vehicles that must nee