Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-24


our confidence or support"
In a like strain ii is avowed that
THE dissatisfaction with the trustees
is general and profound.
THE wishes and interests of our people
are disregaroed and traversed by the
trustees and our citizens individually and
collectively have been treated with con-
tempt and insult"
Specific charges are that the rate of
licenses imposed in all business enter
prises is greater than in the old city OF
Santa Monica; that business enterprise
near the Venice Windward avenue CEN
ter is impeded and handicapped by or
ders of the trustees; that the trustees
have discre lifted a twenty-one-year fran
chise granted Abbot Kinney for a bath
house at the foot of Horizon avenue, in
Venice; that they ordered the tearing
down of the structure concerned in TINS
franchise, the cause as intimated being
that members of the board are interested
in the rival bath house at Ocean Park.
1t is then claimed that the city hall
and the fire department have been To-
Gated at the two opposite sides of the
city, in most inconvenient places for the
populace, who protested in vain against
the sites being selected. The protestants
refer to the appointment of Charles Fos-
ter, a special officer in the city of Los
Angeles, to the office of chief of police
Oh ocean RaTR as an act contrary 10 law
and accuse Foster of circulating reports
derogatory to the welfare of the city
employing him.
The closing of the Venice dance hall
for immortality" is attributed to the
trustees and Foster but it is pointed
out that in the meantime the Pier Ave-
nue. Casino, in which certain trustees
were interested, was allowed to flourish.
Ocean Park Orderly
'"The records of the three leading beach
cities of Los Angeles county were ex-
amined for ten months" continues the
protest. '"These records showed that
Ocean Park, with it's Venice, was far
and away the most orderly of them ALL"
Protest is made against star chamber
sessions of the trustees, and finally the
complaint appears that the public taxes
have not been wisely spent.
Abbot Kinney is paid high tribute
in the statement for his liberal dona-
tons of land and funds for public utili-
ties and is said to have been especially
singled out for attack and misrepresenta-
ton by the board.
Dana Burks was approached for a
statement OF the trustees side of the
case yesterday. In the beginning he was
disinclined to discuss the question, his
position being that Ocean Park could
take care of its own municipal differ
ences."
But so much has been printed that is
not true, and so little of the truth has
been printed" said the chairman, that
l will make statement
1.-The board of trustees Of Ocean Park
consists, legally, of five residents thereof.
David Evans, who resigned Monday
night, is a we'll known capitalist, heavily
interested in mining and other business
enterprises; a lawyer who amassed con-
siderable wealth in Utah before coming
to the coast. G. M Jones is a heavy
property owner in both ends of Ocean
Park. A. Ed. Robinson is also heavily
interested there. Force Parker, also re-
signed, is one of the we'll known citizens
of the city, and my own record 1 will
leave to your readers.
Refutation Beneath Dignity
Now, it may be egotism, or 1t may be
common sense, but certainly believe 1t
far beneath the dignity of trustees of
any city to issue daily refutations of ri
diculous statements, charges and threats
made by irresponsible malcontents whose
minds have been inflamed by dsgruntled,
envious, paid hirelings of a faction, or
clique, which, no matter what it's claims
may be, certainly is not working in the
interest of the city.
1--WE have considered it our duty, as
ITuSIeeS, To administer 10 IIl6 welfare OL
all parts of Ocean Park and it should be
borne in mind that all this so-called
dissension has come from the vicinity of
Venice, which is but a small portion of
the city.
1--WE took up the petition last evening
and fixed next April as the time of the
special election which they crave.
zone reason for so doing was that it
will give the people time to consider;
another is that we do not believe a
majority of the people of Ocean Park
really want such an election.
"Why, there is not ore chance in a
that a proposition to disincor-
porate would carry. The idea is absurd
Because a few radicals go forth in
the interest of boss who is paying some
and patting others on the back, camor-
ing for the dissolution of a municipal
government does not appeal to me as
reason for calling a special election.
Sewer Thorn
eve have, as I have stated, tried to
legislate for the entire community and
time will justify us in having done those
things which now are SO complained of
by the Abbot Kinney clique
1.-THE greatest thorn in their flesh ap-
pears to be the sewer proposition. All
right We freely admit that the opera
ton of a septic tank a half mile east of
enlCe was n mistake.
But 1t was done on the advice of the
most eminent engineers we could find in
this country. We took over the Santa
Monica sewage rather than have it
dumped in crude form within few feet
of our city limits, but we did so on the
solemn promise of the Santa Monica
board that within one year they would
restore their system to it's original con-
dition.
THE promise was not kept, and now
there is, 1 admit an odor at the foot
of Center street from the sewage, We
are doing everything possible to over
come the objections by methods pro-
posed by engineers.
LAS to the placing of the city hall at
Toxic station which is the geographical
center of the city business districts, that
was deemed expedient for several rea-
sons
1--WE advertised twice for suitable To-
cation, but could not secure a site within
the amount appropriated for that pur-
pose So the proposition of David Evans,
Mr.. Metcalf and myself giving a free
site, comprising ten lots in what is now
a residential section, was accepted.
ENCOURAGES Growth