Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-24
TEMPLE BLOCK
TO BE BOUGHT
COUNCIL APPROVES PURCHASE
AFTER BIG FIGHT
QUESTION NOT TO BE SUBMITTED
TO VOTERS
Contract PASSED After ThreeHCornered
Struggle Lasting More Than Two
Hours-Present Site Not
to Be Sold

A three -cornered fight that lasted
more than two hours resulted yester-
day in the council approving the con-
tract for the purchase of the Temple
block as a site for new city hall,
in the repeal of the ordinance to sub
nit the question of selling the present
city hall for a vote at the next gen.
eral election and in the failure of Wal
lace's pet project to place the ques-
tion of the purchase of the Temple
block on the ballot December Z.
The contract approved by the coun-
Gil yesterday is i'm conformity with the
plan suggested by Mayor Alexander.
All restrictions that made the mayor
look at it with doubt have been re-
moved and the city is obligated to do
nothing but buy the Temple block
for $375O00 and pay for it in INSTALL
ments extending over period of seven
years, payments not to begin until
two years after the date of the pur-
chase.
The question of selling the present
city hall property is stricken from the
ballot because of the peculiar word
ing of the charter. The charter re-
quires that two-thirds of all the votes
cast at the election must be favor
able to the sale or 1t cannot be con-
summated. The city attorney holds
this clause does not mean that the
vote for the project must be two to
one in it's favor, but that two-thirds
of all the votes cast for any officer
on the ticket must also be recorded
in favor of the sale of the property.
Councilman Wallace, who was out of
the city when the council agreed to
purchase the Temple block several
weeks ago. began what appeared from
the first to be a hopeless fight yes
terday morning with a motion that
| the people be allowed to vote on the
question of the purchase of the Temple
block as a city hall site. He made his
motion quietly and calmly and then
sat down and waited a minute for
some one to second it. Not voice
in the council was raised. President
Pease looked inquiringly around at the
councilmen and when he saw that none
| of them intended to assist Wallace he
called Dromgold to the chair and took
| the floor to second the motion him
| self.
Action Applauded
Although Wallace and Pease had nc
support in the council it was evident
their action was popular with a num-
! ber of prominent men who filled the
gallery, and they were aplauded, o.
It. Johnson and DIR. John r. Haynes
Notably leading the applause.
Encouraged by this appreciation,
Wallace took the floor and made the
| longest speech that even he has ever
made in the council chamber 1t was
exactly 1880 O'Clock when he began,
and it was exactly - o'clock when he
| concluded.
"I have never made a motion in this
council he began, that it will be so
hard for this council to explain to
their constituents why they didn't vote
for it, 1t is possible that some peo-
pie may even want to know why this
purchase was pushed forward so rap
idly. I would not fight strenuously
against the concentration of the pub
lie buildings in the north end, where
several of them now are. In fact I
am in favor of putting the city hall
in the north end With the other public
buildings
"Our present property contains 2S,
900 square feet. If we have not room
enough here we certainly cannot have
enough room there. Then if 10000
square feet up there is worth $5O00OO
what is $4,000 square feet here on
Broadway worth? We would be glad
to get 100000 for our property.
eve are asking the people to vote
on S6500,000 of bonds to improve our
harbor and devolep our power. Just
as sure as we aprove the contract for
the Temple block. just so sure do we
imperi our bonds"
Mr.. Wallace had much to say on the
same subject, but it was all to the
same effect.
Wallace's filibuster carried the coun-
ell past it's usual lunch time. and as
soon as he had concluded the noon re-
cess was taken. But the subject was
renewed at o'clock in the afternoon.
Favor Purchase
At the afternoon session the mu-
nicipal art commission presented pc
tition asking that the council accept
the Temple block as city hall site
because this was an item in the plan
for the "City Beautiful suggested by
/ Charles Mulford Robinson.
Then Lee c. Gates spoke in favor of
accepting the site. He suggested that
| If the matter was to be submitted to
/ an election that it be a special cleo
tion and not the general election, be-
cause, he declared, it would be lost If
the voters We're asked to pass on it
at the general election.
mot because the sentiment of the
general public is against it," said Mr..
! Gates. "but because the voter does not
go that far down on his ballot when
he has the important matter of select
ing city officials to determine"
| In answer to some statements. Mr..
! Wallace had made in his long morn
| ing speech. Mr.. Gates declared the
| city was no longer in the business of
| getting the cheapest lot and putting
up the cheapest structure, but that the
best was none too good for Los An
geles.
Councilman Wallace reiterated that
he was not averse to putting the city
hall on this site, but he thought the
present was not the time to do it, and
that the people who VIII have to pay
the money for the lot should say
whether or not they wanted it, He
gave in with good grace when he
found the council was almost solid
against him.