Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-26
ENTIRE CITY TALKS
ANNEXATION PLANS
LEGAL STATUS OF QUESTION
PERFECTLY CLEAR
Control of Harbor Is Main consldera-
tlon, but Prospect OF Acquiring
Substantial Boulevard
Also Counts
Especial to The Herald.l

SAN PEDRO, Oct. 25.--As practic-
ally every man on the street of this
city is discussing the division of San
Pedro with a view to come into Los
Angeles, and as the petition for this
division has been in circulation since
last Thursday it seems opportune to
publish the legal side of the PROPOSE
tion.
The public is familiar with the pro-
ceedings that attended the annexing
to Los Angeles of tie so-called "Shoe-
string strip" which reaches down to
the city limits of San Pedro. No law
has yet been passed allowing two cities
to consolidate, and, as the Legislature
was not favorable to the passage of
such a law last session, fear is enter
tanned that this session likewise will
refuse to allow such an amendment.
1t therefore, mas been thought best
by those in Los Angeles and their
sympathizers in San Pedro to divide
the city of San Pedro and take the
northern portion, which is contiguous
to the southern boundary of Los An
geles, into the city first.
The law on the subject of the di-
vision of an incorporated city is clear.
as laid down in Act. 2375 of the general
laws of California, under the head of
municipal corporations.
Under the title Exclusion of terri
tory and changing boundaries of mu-
nicipal corporations" the act reads in
substance as follows: THE bounda-
ries of any city or municipal corpora
ton may be altered, and territory ex-
cuded therefrom after proceedings
had, as required in this section. The
board of trustees shall, upon receiv-
ing a petition therefore, as shown by
not less than a majority OF the quail
fed electors thereof, as shown by the
al lnsx nfntWa anl
tion held therein, submit to the cleo
tors of such corporation the question
whether such territory as is proposed
by such petition shall be excluded
from such municipal corporation and
cease to be a part thereof. Such Ques-
ton shall be submitted at a special
election to be held for that purpose,
and such legislative body shall give
notice thereof by publication in a
newspaper, for a period of four weeks
prior to such election.
Proceedings Mandatory
"The votes cast in such territory SO
proposed to be excluded shall be can
VasSed separately, and If 1t shall ap-
pear that a majority of all the votes
cast in such territory, and majority
of all the votes cast in such corpora
ton, shall be for exclusion, such legis-
lative body shall, by an order entered
upon their minutes, cause their clerk
to make and submit to the secretary
of state a certified abstract of such
vote. From and after the date of filing
such abstract, such exclusion of such
territory from such municipal corpor-
alton shall be deemed complete, and
thereafter such territory shall cease
to be a part of such municipal cor
poration."
The act further provides that the
excluded territory must pay its pro-
portion of any debt contracted by the
municipality prior to such exclusion.
A provision is made that, if such cleo
tion shall fail, no election for the ex-
clusion of the same territory can be
held for three years.
The petitions which are now being
circulated are gradually being signed,
no effort being made to hurry the mat
ter. While only four hundred odd
names will be rec cuired, the leaders
of the movement here believe that they
will have fully 800 signatures.
Some opposition has developed ow-
ing to the location of the dividing
line, some holding that it should be
farther south than Fifth street, and
some that too much territory is being
excluded. Many in the southern part
of the city are not only glad, to let
the northern portion draw away and
join Los Angeles, but wish 1t were
possible to let the whole city in at
the same time.
Aside from the control of the har-
Dor, which evidently is the chief is
sue, many of the annexationists are
advancing the boulevard idea. With
the northern portion of the city lying
next to Wilmington, and the only road
leading to the city coming around the
bay through Wilmington. it seems
hardly likely that a good boulevard
for teams and automobiles ever will
be built. But with Los Angeles in
control a good road undoubtedly will
be secured.