Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-29
URGED TO HELP
CONSOLIDATION
CIRCULAR ISSUED TO ALL SAN
PEDRO VOTERS
NEEDS OF CITY EXPLAINED IN
CLEAR PHRAsEoLoGY
Assistance of Los Angeles Absolutely
Necessary If Struggle with Mo-
nopoly Is to Have Success
full elimination
Especial to The Herald. l


SAN PEDRO, Oct. 2s.--The local
committee on consolidation with Los
Angeles has prepared a circular show
ing the reasons for consolidation and
the necessity for the proposed division
OF the city.
The following is in part the text of
the circular which will be put tomor-
row in the hands Of every voter in the
city:
TO the Voters of San Pedro
For a number of years past you have been
confronted with the necessity Of change that
would result in the upbulding OF this port as
a wholesale and commercial center. Nature
has done much and the general government rs
doing more TO make this harbor tho entrepot
for the commerce of the world TO the tributary
territory
Merely transferring goods from the vessel
to the car. or vice versa however, Will not
build up a city. II is up to us to supple
ment these advantages with efforts of our
own. First of these is to get favorable rates
for the distribution of freight TO the interior
and return. Also terminal rates from the
east.
1t is for the purpose of forcing the powers
that be to give us terminal rates that the
present movement for consolidation has been
started. with the boulevard system COM
pleted to the northern boundary of Whining
ton 1t is UP TO us to connect up with the
same at an early GATE IN connection Win tne
city of Los Angeles, through the ''shoestring
strip" Also by the building of municipality
owned and operated steel highway from the
harbor TO interior points, road that cannot
be absorbed by the octopus without a majority
vote of the people.
Careful and qualified observers who have
Travelled In all parts of the civilized world in
the past few years are on record as stating
that public ownership of the railways is the
only and final solution of the inland transpor-
tation problem and that the only way TO take
the railroad companies out of politics Is to
take the railroads out Of their hands by public
ownership.
1t is for this reason more than any other
that believe it to be to the interest of San
Pedro to consolidate with Los Angeles. These
problems are too great for San Pedor to under
take alone. People in every part OF the couu-
try now free to admit that there are no
problems too great for the city of Los Angeles
The construction of the Owens river water
system alone would have appalled, less pro-
gressive people This great enterprise will be
in full operation in about four years and the
Panama canal will not he long behind. As the
logical and great benehclaries Of these para
mount projects ii behooves us TO place our
selves in a position TO share in their great and
admitted advantages.
Unfortunately, either by intent of the legis-
lature or otherwise, cities cannot consolidate
with cities like Los Angeles without dsincor-
poration. Cities of the classes above the sixth
or primary class cannot disncorporate at ALL
way by which consolidation can be brought
about is by releasing a portion OF the present
territory by a vote of the people This por-
tioD can then consolidate and the remaining
portion not containing sufficient population
to retain a charter of the fifth class Will go
back into the sixth class, when 1t can disin-
corporate and become annexed also.
The movement for consolidation includes the
entire city, and this is the only way under the
present law by which the desired end may be
accomplished.