Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-16
TO AID SAN PEDRO
HARBOR INTERESTS
DIRECTORS OF MUNICIPAL WA
TERWAYS MEET
ApnoInt Officers and Executive Conn
mIttee Who VIII Institute Suit
Looking to Consolidation
with Los Angeles

The first meeting of the board OF
directors of the Municipal Waterways
association, an organization whose ulti-
mate object is the consolidation OF the
governments of San Pedro and Los
Angeles with a view to the develop
ment of the San Pedro harbor, was held
Yesterday in the offices of Attorney
Joseph H. Call, in the Tajo building.
The Municipal Waterways association
was called into being by Mayor Harper
to work for 1.-THE expansion OF the
municipality and development of COM
merce by better water transportation
and for the consolidation of city and
county governments"
The first step in the work was taken
by the executive committee which was
authorized to test the question whether
San Pedro is a city of the sixth or or
the fifth class. If 1t Is determined
that San Pedro is a city of the sixth
class 1t will have the power to dlsincor-
porate and join with Los Angeles. Ii
it belongs to the fifth class 1t may
Join Los Angeles under the borough
system.
1t seems to be a matter of some doubt
whether the harbor city belongs to the
fifth or sixth class, and many or the
ablest lawyers in Southern California
differ on the subject. After much dis
cussion 1t was decided to institute
friendly suit to determine, the status
of the city. The executive committee
will have this in charge.
officers and an executive committee
were elected by unanimous vote. me
officers are as follows: President,
Joseph H. Call, Los Angeles; vice pres
ident, James A. Anderson, Los Angeles;
Secretary, A. P. Fleming, Los Angeles;
treasurer, T. S. Cary. Wilmington.
r1iffna nf seven IL
composed of the above, as ex-officio
members, and of Capt. Amos A. Fries
Thomas r. Gibbon and Homer Hamlln.
Mayor Harper is represented In the
association as a member of the board
of directors
Mr. Call responded to his election as
president of the association by thank
ing the directorate for the honor. He
explained that the object of the asso-
citation was STRICTLY non-political and
that it was solely for the advancement
of commerce and the expansion of Los
Angeles and the neighboring NUM-
cipalities of this county.
'T believe" he continued, that Los
Angeles has it easily within her power
to become one of the greatest cities,
one of the great centers Of population
and one of the greatest manufacturing
districts in the whole world"
He declared that the prime requisite
to this great end was the establishment
of free water transportation from
port within the limits and under the
control of Los Angeles.
on motion of former Mayor Henry T.
Hazard the directors voted that COM
mittee of the Municipal Waterways
association at once confer with the city
council and prepare amendments TO the
city charter which will enable this city
to join with outside municipalities and
empower the city council to place such
charter amendments directly before the
people.
On motion of Mr.. Fleming. who de-
clared that 1t was impossible to realize
the enormous service done to Los An
geles by the United States engineer In
the establishment of the harbor lines,
Capt. Amos A. Fries, head Of the
United States engineers office which