Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-29
.SHOESTRING' STRIP
PROTESTS BITTERLY
PAYS TAXES BUT RECEIVES
NO BENEFITS
Council Is Wrestling with Problems Of
Supplying Water and Lights,
Weed Cutting and Lower
Car Fares

"Municipal dishonesty" is one Of the
terms Rev. Glen McWilliams used yes
terday in a scathing rebuke to the city
council for taking the taxes of the prop
erty owners in the "shoestring" strip
and giving them nothing in return for
the money.
His rebuke was not without its eff
feet. and as a result several things
will happen in the "shoestring" strip
The council already has special COM
mittee wrestling with the water board
70 obtain water for the district; a
number of lights have been ordered
placed where now is total darkness;
tho board of public works has been
urgently requested to send a gang
down to the shoestring to cut the
weeds that make the fine macadamlzed
roads impossible, and a special com
mittee of the council was appointed
yesterday to take up the subject or
scent fares with the street railway
company
The slowness with which the coun-
ell has moved to give those benefits to
the district that all taxpayers have a
right to expect was the subject of an
impassioned burst of oratory by Rev.
Mr.. McWilliams.
eve have heretofore asked you for
light and water, police and fire pro-
tection," said Mr.. McWilliams, land
each time you have told us you were
not sure we were a part of Los An
geles and could not be sure until the
supreme court had decided on the case.
The supreme court has held we are a
part of the city.
"But YOU were not so sure we were
- {1,A ~ ~
assessor did not come down into our
district a year or more ago and assess
our property as city property is as
sessed and we had to pay that money.
We paid more than $42, 900 in taxes into
the city treasury and yet we were de-
MED benefits because the supreme court
had not decided we were part OF the
city. Again this year you sent the
city assessor into our homes and on
our lands and again we must pay into
the city treasury more than $4,000.
More than sS5,0OO paid into the city
treasury, and our children wade
through mud to their knees on the way
to school. Our streets are in darkness,
and we fall into the bitches and
sloughs that the city has allowed to
remain in this district uncared for. We
were not a part of the county and the
supervisors did nothing for us, there
fore our streets have grown up with
weeds. You will never do justice to
the property owners in this district
until you return to us the $42, 900 which
you extorted from US a year ago and
gave us nothing for. You will never
clear yourselves of the stain until you
have wiped out this municipal dishon-
esty."
Compelled to Walk
Mr.. McWi1liams told the council that
because the railway company charged
10 cents car fare to come into Los An
geles it was impossible for many of the
poor residents of the district to go to
church. and that many of them were
compelled to walk twenty-five blocks
in order to avoid paying the extra
nickel.
On this question of scent car fares
the city attorney rendered report to
the council yesterday, which, while 1t
did not say so in so many words,
gave a strong impression that the COM
pany could be compelled to furnish
transportation within the city limits
for the one fare. He declared the Los
Angeles -Redondo railway, which op-
crates the line, did not have fran
chise from the city In this district,
and that the council had the right to
advertise a franchise for sale, which,
II the company did not bid for 1t,
would give the city the right to order
the company to discontinue operating
on those streets which is occupied lille
gally.
The franchise under which the Los
Angeles -Redondo company operates
was granted by the county supervisors
before the shoestring was annexed, and
when this strip was made part of the
city it was brought into the limits,
although not by any action of it's own.
The franchise question will not be
brought up by the council until the
special committee has conferred with
the railway company to learn If 1t
can secure scent fares amicably.