Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-08
CITY OFFERED
HARBOR FRONT
At SAN PEDRO
Patriotic Men Make
Proposition
Options rendered Los Angeles to Be
Considered by City Authorities.
Governor clIlett May Veto
Savage Bill

sire to insure the preservation to the
public of at least a small portion of
the harbor frontage at San Pedro have,
prompted two Los Angeles men to Of
fer to sell to the city for about one
fifth of its valuation nearly 400 feet of
land fronting on the outer harbor.
A. S. Koyer and J. c. Willmon yes
terday filed with City Clerk Lelande
an option on the property which gives
to the city Of Los Angeles the privilege
OF purchasing within sixty days.
The land is described as the easterly
1S0 feet of the westerly 210 feet of lot
II, block 80, and lot and the west 30
feet of lot II, block 92, and which is
owned Jointly by the men who make
the voluntary offer.
Twenty thousand dollars Is the price
which the city is asked to pay for the
property, the market valuation of
which is placed at about 100000.
Municipal Railroad Possible
With the purchase of the land Los
Angeles also would acquire the right to
construct a railroad leading to the
land and to fill in the tide land in
front of the land to deep water.
Incidental with the purchase of the
land the city also would buy lawsuit,
providing Savage's bill to validate, the
Miner grant at San Pedro is signed
owners have been granted permission
by the United States government to fill
to deep water the tide land abutting
upon the property, belief is expressed
by the owners that the Savage bill, If
1t becomes a law, will be knocked out
by the United States courts.
Numerous efforts have been made by
men supposed to represent the Miner
and kindred interests to bly, the land
now offered to Los Angeles, but all Of
fers from that source have been re-
jected, owing to the desire on the part
of the owners to keep at least portion
OF the harbor frontage out of the hands
of corporations.
The land on which Los Angeles has
been given an option, together with
200 feet adjoining and less than 100
feet near the breakwater, will be all
that is left of the frontage of the outer
horbor, providing the grant of San
Pedro to Lieut.. Miner is ratified by the
bill passed by the legislature and now
in the hands of the governor.
Bill Severely Criticised
Much opposition to the Savage bill
has been aroused throughout the state
and the measure has been freely crit
icised by the press opposed to South
ern Pacific domination of state affairs.
A dispatch to The Herald from San
ment of the Chronicle anent the
measure:
This is bill to ratify and make
effective all leases of tide or submerged
lands made by any municipality prior
to January l, 1907. There could be no
more iniquitious Legislation. It is not
possible that members of the legisla-
ture should know what lands are af-
fected, but one thing each member is
sure of, if the bill were not intended
to accomplish secretly some wicked
purpose the particular leases intended
would be named in the bill or a pre-
arpble. The fact that they are not
named in the bill or in some way the
exact intent of the measure made
known, is conclusive evidence that
proponents of the measure do not dare
to make them known.
"In this Gaze it is known by outside
evidence that it is a Southern Pacific
measure intended to give to that con-
Germ the same control over San Pedroi
harbor that it processes to hold over
Oakland harbor. Presumably it af-
fects the lands in other harbors. The
provisions would cover any old for
gotten lease made years ago and never
utilized
"It does not confine the operation of
the act to leases within boundaries of
municipalities making the lease but
extends it to lands outside those
boundaries over which the municipality
was exercising defacto jurisdiction
whether lawful or not. No man can
become a party to the enactment of
such a law without thereby Demon
strating that he has sold himself body
and soul to some predatory corporation
in whose hands he is puppet."
Governor May Veto It
Strong pressure is being brought to
bear upon Governor Gillett to veto the
measure, and it is believed that the
chief executive will heed the urgent
demand that he take such action. The
measure is regarded as one of the most
open efforts of the legislature to do the
bidding of the Southern Pacific and it's
allied interests.
Mr.. Koyer, accompanied by o. p.
Widaman, attorney for Mr.. Willmon,
yesterday appeared before the board
of public works, to which body was /
submitted the proposition of selling
to the city of Los Angeles the property
described
The project received the commenda-
ton of the members of the board, and |
later the option and the formal offer of
sale were filed with the city clerk. Mr..
Koyer's option was as follows:
ITO the Honorable Council of the |
City of Los Angeles:
"Gentemen-The undersigned hereby
tenders to the city of Los Angeles the
accompanying option to purchase the
following described parcel of land in |
the city of San Pedro, in the county |
of Los Angeles, state of California,
more particularly described as follows |
1.-THE easterly 180 feet of the wester- |
ly 210 feet of lot eleven QD, block nine |
ty-two (92), of the city of San Pedro. |
"And the undersigned further here
by proposes that the said city of Los
Angeles may have sixty (60) days from
date hereof in which to determine
whether to accept or reject said option.
"A. S. KOYER."
March 7, 1907.
The formal agreement for the sale
of the property reads as follows:
LOS ANGELES, Cal, March t.
In consideration of the sum or one
dollar to me in hand paid, the receipt
whereof is hereby acknowledged. 1
hereby give to the city OF Los An