Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-16
MAYOR SIGNS
re MAIN IN c
SUBWAY BILLS
New Council Makes
Formal Request
Yielding to Pressure Of Business Men
and Board Of Public Works,
Executive o KS Big
improvement

Mayor Harper has signed the two
north end subway bills, companion
measures to the Fourth street subway
project, signed last week.
Though he had a veto prepared Mon
day, the pleadings of property owners,
the advice of business men, the wishes
of the board of public works and the
desire of the new council, as expressed
by forma! request through President
Niles Pease, influenced change Of
plan.
The railroad company will now go
ahead with its immense expenditures,
aggregating probably $5,O0O,00O, and
Wizard Hartman will give Los Ange-
les the most up-to-date trolley service
to the suburbs and the beaches
The principal factors in determining
the mayor to sign aside from the con-
tinued opportunities of north end busi-
ness men were the unanimous requests
of the new council through President
Niles Pease and the board of public
works which recommended that the
bills be signed
The measures provide for a tunnel
on Hill street from First to Temple
and another on Hill from Temple to
Sunset boulevard.
Why Mayor Signed
Concerning the veto Mayor Harper
said:
Though my own first inclinations
were to veto the subway measures be-
cause l felt that the city was entitled
to some compensation L yielded under
the pressure of advice from property
owners, both near and far from the
district Immediately benefited, and be-
cause there was no alternative left for
me but to approve or veto the measure
as placed before me.
'All day my office swarmed with call
ers and all day the telephones rang,
the burden of the business being that
the city could not afford to lose the
subways. Rather than hold out for a
difference of $4,000 in the amount asked
for passage under the city cemetery
and the sidewalk through the tunnel |
deemed it best to forego them rather
than lose hundreds of thousands of dol
lars in taxes.
The railroad officials took the posi-
tion that if conditions were attached
they would feel obliged to abandon both
the north tunnel projects as they could
get ,.rouno to Hollywood by Lake Shore
avenue.
Railroad Chief Firm
'The interests of the city at large in
these projects was such that l would
rot take the responsibility of sitting
the wishes of the entire northwestern
section on a difference of $4,000. which
the city was endeavoring to get from
the company for this right of way. The
railroad through General Manager Ca
bel refuSet to consent to any more con-
ditions. Lawrence Holmes, represent
ing the property owners, came directly
from Mr.. Clark's office and told me the
Jig was up unless the bill was signed
as drawn.
"Represt ntative property owners of
Hollywood were here and lent their
best effortc to the project.
Several alternatives were refused by
the railroad.
Legal Difficulties Arise
1T was proposed to dig another tun-
mel for private traffic alongside the
company's, but this was rejected. Again
the company objected to any coupling
of schemes. 1t owns the property
through which one of the bores will
extend. There are legal difficulties in
t':e way if we insisted. The city could
not levy an assessment for the purpose
if paying the cost. as it involves private
property. street would have to be
1--WE came to the conclusion that the
city would hardly ever sell the school
property, which i'm years to come will
be used as Fairgrounds.
Many approached me with the argu-
ment that the Hill street turnnel pro-
ject might be endangered. In this case
the city and the railroad pay half each.
If there were hitch the enlarged plan
might have to give way and the old
original thirty-two-foot bore might
have been ordered.
Values Rise High
1.-The raise in the values of property
more than compensates the city for
the small loss from omitting the $4,000
provision. Many of the property own
ers, in fact, We're ready to give me
checks for their share of the $4,000 lost,
If there waJ any legal way of doing so.
AS no consideration could be shown
this kind offer was declined. Men who
can sign big checks made the offer
''In word, though l favored COM
pensation for the city, it developed that
insistence on these provisions jeopar-
dized vast property interests and my in
sistence on matters not so essential as
the subways themselves could safely
give way for the sake of the whole
city"
City Attorneys View
City Attorne" Leslie Hewitt said:
II consider the subways valuable
privilege and l think the railroads
should have paid the $4,000 as sug-
gested. But, considering the undeniable
advantages to the travelling public Of
fered by subways and the gains to the
city by the new improvements, think
the mayor was wise i'm signing,
when he asked me my opinion
whether he was justified in signing
after a review of all the facts l told
him 1 thought he was"