Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-15
PROBE THE
GAS FIGHT
FIRE BOARD WILL DEFER ACTION
ON PERMITS A WEEK
SYNDICATE OBJECTIONS ARE
sILENcED BY AN OPTION
Mayor Harper Declares Works Should
Be Built Inside Los Angeles
Limits, but viii Urge
Postponement

Because of the many protests and
counter petitions filed at the city hall in
connection with the gas plant location
it was practically decided last night by
the board of fire commissioners to delay
action on the application Of the City Gas
company for a permit to erect its es-
tablishment In the Santa Fe avenue ir-
dustrial tract another week.
The case comes up this morning
Two important developments late in
the day were the announcement that the
City Gas company had taken an option
for SIS. 900 to buy the tract owned by
Willard Goodwin and friends, thus re-
moving their opposition, and that the
mother sup ,rior of the convent in Boyle
Heights had withdrawn her objections
and decided to maintain a neutral atti-
tude
The nuns several days ago asked At
torney Isadore Dockweiled to appear be-
fore the board and protest against the
plant, but yesterday they rescinded this
Their petition of protest is on file, how
ever. The convent property is mile
away from the proposed site,
If vote had been taken last night 1t
is probable that the board would have
unanimously voted to grant the permit
Mayor Favors Granting Permit
Mayor A. c. Harper came out strong
last night in favor of granting the per-
NIT
''Tonight am fully convinced that the
permit should be granted, but rather
than be accused of acting hastily will
urge that the case be laid over for a
week." said he
"I think. that plant should be built in
Los Angeles. The company will spend a
million dollars at the start and 1 would
like to see this city get the taxes. The
company will get its revenue from this
city.
'I am earnestly convinced that it will
not be nuisance-that it's fifty-seven
stockholders, men most of us know, Will
keep their promise to make it smokeless.
They say they will burn oil and make
the gas out of oil,
1.-The district is one of the worst if not
the worst in the city for looks. Small
shanties that ought to be burned UP as
eyesores, a refinery from which oil seeps
in all directions, a carpet beating plant.
which is far from being an ornament,
and worst of all the city crematory from
which the odors are fierce, occupy this
section.
City Needs Gas Facilities
''How a gas works can hurt it fail to
see 1t is land irreclamably destined for
tories ne~r the old gas works that seem
to be doing well.
1.-The City Gas company stockholders
have fifty cars of material and pipe here
and the delay at Vernon is costing them
big sums for demurrage, as the freight
is on the cars and they are held on
tracks Even another weeks delay will
be expensive.
my brothers own a pipe works right
y af- ell httt hay
have no objections to a gas plant there.
\ 1--WE need these gas facilities. as, the
feeople will realize this winter. and !
want to see new industries and new
money come into Los Angeles.
''I am assured that the company will
buy adjoining property if necessary to
silence objections; in other words they
will do the right thing"
The mayor was asked if the Elder
company's permit in the southeastern
end of the city would be considered.
"'Chief Lips tells me 1t is outside of the
city limits, hence we have nothing to do
with it, said the mayor. When we
looked over the gas plant site yesterday
we intended to drive down there, but
when we found it was outside OF our
jurisdiction we dropped it,"
Fire Chief Walter Lips said yesterday
that he hoped the fire commissioners
would grant the permit to the City COM
pany.
Fire Chief Favors 1t
"That is a good place for a gas works
because it is wholly given up to indus
trial interests" said Chief Lips.
1.-THE place is full Of oil sump holes.
there is an incinerator there and as a
gas works must be located somewhere
the place for it is where it will do the
least harm
City hall attaches say that much of the
opposition to the granting OF the permit
to the City Gas company came from
Willard L. Goodwin, formerly clerk of
the council, who laid out an industrial
tract near by. These lots are directly
opposite from the gas company's site
The Goodwin property is the syndicate
holding bought at the time that the