Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-09
BELMONT TRUSTEES
ABANDON STRUGGLE
DECIDE TO CALL ELECTION
FOR CONSOLIDATION
Ray, Vandeventer and Bassett Vote
in Favor of Issuing order-To
Unite City with Long
Beach
Isnecial 10 The Herald. ]


LONG BEACH, Oct. S.-The fight by
the Belmont Heights trustees against
the calling of an election on the ques-
ton Of consolidation with Long Beach
ended tonight, when on the advice OF
City Attorney F. A. knight of that
city the Belmont trustees voted in favor
OF the issuance of the call. The election
will be held November 8.
Last night Trustees Ray and Ring
helm met at the city hall in Belmont
Heights, showing their intention to vote
tor the election. None of the other Off
cials showed up, however except the
city clerk and City Attorney Knight.
The latter agreed there was nothing to
do now but to call the election, the su-
preme court having issued a mandate
to that effect.
call another meeting for tomorrow
night" said Knight, and I'll guaranty
therell be a quorum"
This was taken to signify that Trus-
tee Nandeventer, for whom an officer
armed with a writ had been searching
vainly, would be on hand tonight, and
so it proved.
Trustees Ray, Vandeventer and Bas-
sett voted unanimously to call the cleo
ton. Ringheim arrived too late to vote.
1t is generally believed the election
will result in the consolidation of the
Two tAllGS. L he uSlll Illdue dBdIilSl THIS
fate has been carried on stubbornly by
the trustees who opposed it. Mayor
Rassett, who recently went to Seattle,
and Trustees Gourd and Vandeventer
always voted against making the call.
Long Legal Fight Made
The city of Long Beach was given a
writ of mandate by the superior court,
and it was expected this would mean
the end of the fight against the call.
City Attorney Knight, however took
an appeal to the supreme court. Here
the matter was fought with some bit
terness, Knight alleging that the an
neXation law was irregular and that
the proceedings leading to the call of
the election by Long Beach had been
improper. The supreme court en- banc
listened to the evidence and argument
but on the following day agreed to is
sue the writ ordering the election to be
called.
When the papers were received here,
however, an officer to whom they were
delivered for service was unable to find
Trustees Gourd and Vandeventer, and
UP until today these men had not been
served. The officer with the papers
hunted for them in other cities and
counties, but it is believed they were
not out of Belmont Heights.
The Long Beach city council has re-
set the date for the election several
times, owing to the persistency with
which Belmopt's officials have delayed
matters. The November date was
fixed by an ordinance finally passed by
the city council today
Belmont, Heights has been free from
dissension very little of the time since
its Incorporation less than two years
ago. A wrangle over the location of
the city hall was carried on in lively
fashion between the north siders and
the south siders. Wrangles about the
licensing of cafes to serve liquors
brought about a split up among the
trustees, and since that time the same
condition has remained.
To Bottle Up Long Beach
One move made by City Attorney
Knight to check the consolidation prof.
ect was to ask, on behalf of Adam Was
EN-, that quo warranto proceedings be
instituted to test the jurisdiction of
Long Beach over certain porperty in
the vicinity of Carroll Park, which was
annexed last year. Knight hoped to be
able to prove Long Beach had no juris-
diction, for by doing so he would sepa-
rate Belmont Heights from Long
Beach, and the two, having no connect
ing point, could not consolidate. The
attorney general refused to bring the
action.
About the same time that Belmont
Heights was incorporated Long Beach
annexed a long strip of water frontage,
shutting Belmont Heights off from the
ocean. The Belmont Heights trustees
recently called an election for October
10 on the question of annexing a zig-zag
strip of territory which would extend
entirely around the north of Long
Beach, bottling up this city. Whether
or not this election will be called off is
uncertain. Long Beach had called an
election on the annexation of territory
north and east of the city. This morn
ing, on the ground that the lines had
been drawn improperly, the council
abandoned the proceedings, and the
election will not be called.
Late this afternoon Trustee Ring
helm was struck and run over by an
automobile at the corner of Third street
and American avenue. His stomach
and one leg were crossed by wheels of
the automobile. The Belmont Heights
official was hurt painfully, but it is
thought not seriously. After he was
taken to his home he said he would try
to attend the meeting tonight. He sue
ceeded in doing so. although shortly
before the session his physician said he
might have sustained internal injuries.
The identity of the driver of the au-
tomobile Is not known.