Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-15
TRUSTEES
ARE SCORED
BIG POLITICAL FIGHT ON
AT VENICE
CAMPAIGN LITERATURE is "HoT
STUFF"
Beach Chamber of Commerce Issues a
Pamphlet Accusing Legislators
of Trickery and
Worse
Snecial to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
OCEAN PARK, July H.-Campaign lit
erature embodyirfg nine specific charges
of incompetence against the city trustees
was distributed here today by the Venice
chamber of commerce. 1t is said to be
the first move in an active campaign to
be waged by the trade organization to
effect the disincorporation of the city
The alleged shortcomings of the board
are dwelt on at length and in every
instance are severely criticized. Charges
against individual members of the board
are adrotly made but in such wise as
to leave no doubt in the minds of well
Informed persons as to the trustee for
whom the shots were intended.
The arguments advanced include all of
the complaints against the rulings of the
board that have estranged 1t from the
community over a period of two years
and that had a beginning when the trus-
tees refused to accede to petitions from
the people praying that the use of the
Ocean Park septic tank be withdrawn
from Santa Monica, as the facilities had
become inadequate for more than local
needs.
The trustees are stated to have acted
in direct opposition to the wishes of the
people in more than one instance and
the charge is made that the board has
discredited and declared void a franchise
which 1t granted to Abbot Kinney per-
mitting him to utilize the ocean end of
Horizon avenue for pier and amusement
purposes. This act is criticized as being
"either for malice or for monopoly and
the help of interests in which some Of
the trustees are still personally inter-
ested."
Direct charges of sharp practice are
made against the trustees for their at
titude in the matter of saddlng the city
with sites for a municipal building and
fire house at locations in the opposite
extremes of the city and removed from
the business district They also are ac-
cused of having overstepped the law in
employing a special officer to usurp the
powers of the city marshal, whose office
is an elective one and who is vested
with absolute dominion over affairs in
his department.
Language Is Emphatic
Elsewhere the circular contains the fol-
lowing emphatic language: I'VE believe
the public taxes have not been wisely
spent" 1--WE disapprove of the secret
methods adopted by the board in the
discussion of public business" 1--WE de-
nounce the defense of the trustees by
attacks upon our men and women, and
upon the good name of our people and
our city"
In conclusion the reasons for wanting
disincorporation are summed up as fol-
lows:
THE great future before us should not
be held back or the time and energy of
our people wasted by the selfish and
oR tyranny of handful of malignant
"A or of foolishly led dupes. We want
- be relieved of board of trustees
which betrays our interests and in which
we have no confidence"
That today's widespread circulation of
dodgers containing the foregoing scath-
ing criticisms of their actions and of
themselves will be met by the trustees
with ammunition of a similar kind is the
opinion many persons expressed tonight.
Word has gone out officially that the
board at its meeting tomorrow evening
will take steps to set the date of an
election for voting on the question of
disincorporation, as the voters have re-
quested, and it is expected that this move
will be followed by the trustees launch
ing a campaign of their own to defeat
the dsincorporation element at the polls.
Every man on the board is acknowl-
edged even by members of the trade or
ganization to be a finished fighter.