Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-14
Report Is Prepared by
the Consolidation
Commission
Recommends That Ex-
penses of Body Cease
Next Month
Declaration Is Made That Work Cam
not Be Completed as Long as
Southern Pacific Controls
Legislature


Dreams of q Greater Los Angeles are
not to be realized until legislature
meets at the state capital which is not
dominated by railroad interests"
Upon it's own recommendation the Los
Angeles city and county consolidation
commission will, If report just pre-
pared by that body is adopted by the
city council, go out of existence April 1.
The commission, composed of repre-
sentative men named by the city coun-
Gil, the board of supervisors and civic
bodies and Of which S. A. Butler Is
president, has been in existence for
about year. during which time the
members have devoted much time to
the consolidation project, has declared
it's inability to successfully complete it's
task.
Failure Of It's plans is laid at the door
of the Southern Pacific, which is
charged with working in the interest of
San Francisco and against Los An
geles.
The commission prepared final re-
port, which was submitted to Mayor
Harper for his personal perusal before
| it's formal adoption by the commission,
but owing to a misunderstanding at
the city hall a. copy of the document
was placed in the hands of newspaper
men.
Not Yet Adopted
I,a 1>xv
,, the commission until tomorrow. 1t is
as follows:
"The following document will be
addressed to the various civic and
municipal bodies that created the COM
mission.
"In a report heretofore rendered
your honorable body on the eight
zenith day of August, 1906, by the con-
solidation commission of the city and
county of Los Angeles the advantages
Of consolidation were set forth.
"That report, 1t will be remembered.
was divided into two sections:
"First-A general plan showing what
it was hoped would be ultimately ac-
complished in the formation of city
and county consolidated government.
"Second-A plan showing what 1t
was considered advisable to do with
out delay as a stepping stone to the
ultimate object sought.
Opposed by Two Cities
1--WE urged that consolidation Of city
and county governments would bring
about a great reduction of taxes on
account of the change from a dual
system of government to one man
aged by single set of officers. 1t was
generally conceded that two sets of
officers performing practically the
same duties, such as two assessors
two tax collectors, two auditors and
so forth were unnecessary.
"The cities most vitality affected were
Los Angeles, Pasadena and Long
Beach. The sentiment of the city of
Los Angeles has been practically in
favor of consolidation of these various
offices. The residents of Pasadena,
however, when appealed to, evidenced
no disposition to obviate the unneces-
sary expense of our present cumber-
some system of city and county gov
ernment. The voters Of Long Beach
indicated that question of increasing
or decreasing of taxes was not of suf-
ficient interest to warrant it's con-
solidation with Los Angeles by the
adoption of freeholders' charter.
"In the early investigations of the
commission 1t was deemed extremely
advisable for the cities of San Pedro,
Wilmington and Los Angeles to be-
come one great municipality so that
the harbor could be managed by the
consolidated city with unexcelled pres7
tige and influence.
"The consolidated city could secure
numerous improvements for the har-
Dor, such as Notifications, the build
ing of dry docks, necessary dredging,
erection of wharves and numerous
other advancements to make San
Pedro one of the worlds great ports
of entry.
Los Angeles Ready
"The commission, therefore in it's
6rst report to your honorable body,
recommended that the territory lying
between Los Angeles and Wilmington
and San Pedro be annexed to the city
OF Los Angeles to the end that con-
solidation of the cities of San Pedro
and Wilmington may be had with the
city of Los Angeles under existing
laws
pursuant to this recommendation
the necessary territory was annexed
to Los Angeles and the cities of VIII
mington and San Pedro and Los An
geles are now contiguous.
after this annexation the present
consolidation act was found to be de-
fective in many particulars and 1t was
doubtful II the city of Los Angeles, |
having a free holders charter, could |
consolidate with the city Of San Pedro |
"a city Of the sixth class. Thereupon |
the law committee of the consolidation |
commission and the city attorney OF
the city of Los Angeles prepared an
act which would permit the voters of
contiguous cities TO vote upon con- |