Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-29
WILL VOTE FOR
CONSOLIDATION
ON AUGUST n
DAY SET FOR SAN PEDRO
JOINT ELECTION
WILMINGTON DATE WILL BE DE-
clDED TODAY
Representatives from Both Cities Ap.
pear Before Council and Contend
for Chance to Have
First Vote
THE CITY COUNCIL yesterday

VNHE CITY COUNCIL yesterday
fixed August Il as the date for
Il the election to determine CONSOLE
dation with San Pedro, after two eX-
citing sessions. The date for the cleo
tion on consolidation with Wilmington
will be determined at the council meet
ing this forenoon. The Los Angeles
consolidation committee has recon-
mended August A for the Wilmington
committee, but this is protested by San
Pedro.
City Attorney Hewitt decided yes
terday that there was enough chance
of doubt as to the legality of holding
both consolidation elections on one day
to make the matter beyond question by
ealing two separate elections. This re-
quired a quick decision by the CONSOLE
dation committee, as the council meet
ing was called for IL o'clock. 1t was
decided to recommend the Wilmington
election for August and the San
Pedro election for August ~, with the
idea that the former is practically sure
for consolidation and will thereby have
a beneficial effect on the San Pedro
election, while mandamus PROCEEDINGS
to compel the San Pedro trustees TO
take action would probably be neces-
sary 1t was therefore considered In
advisable to hold the San Pedro cleo
.ceedings, if necessary, would cause an
ENHANCEMENT.
Create Storm
The Los Angeles committee did not
realize the extent of the storm they
had stirred up, for members of the San
Pedro committee were at the coun
Gil meeting to insist that the San
Pedro election must be held first. DR..
w. A. Weldon, chairman, and E. ID.
Seward. secretary; Lewis Hansen and
Frank Anderson were present for the
San Pedro committee. Accompanying
them were Joseph H. Call and III. nj.
Barstow.
Mr. Call created a sensation by at
tacking the Los Angeles committee, des
ignating it as a "self-constituted COM
mittee,, which, he sneeringly remarked,
had allowed itself to play into tho
hands of the Southern Pacific. This In
sinuation was vigorously resented BY
Stoddard Jess, chairman of the COM
mittee, at the morning session, and by
other members at the afternoon NEE
ing.
Councilman Dromgold favored tbs
suggestions made by Joseph Fl. Cal
and other members of the San Pedro
committee and moved that the San
Pedro election be called August -,
with the stipulation that it should be
held before the other This was
amended
Councilman Wallace with simple call
for the election without reference as
to precedence. All the councilmen buf
Dromgold voted for the amendment
and he changed his vote in favor of the
amended motion, announcing that he
would fight the Los Angeles consolida-
ton committee on the Wilmington date
when 1t comes up this forenoon.
San Pedro Protests
1.-THE San Pedro committee feels tha
we have not had square deal about
this matter" said DR.. Weldon to tha
council I'VE consider that we shou 4
have been officially invited to after d
this meeting of the council, and in
sisted from the first that we should
have representation at all meeting
here. 1t looks to us as though We
were being left out in the cold
This question was brought to Us
hurriedly," said Stoddard Jess in re-
Spouse. "Our desire was to hold both
elections on the same day, and We
figured until $3.50 this morning tina
this would be done. When 1t was
shown by our legal committee that IL
would not be advisable to hold one cleo
tion there was no opportunity to con-
fer with San Pedro.
"These insinuations that the Los An
geles committee has not acted in gooo
faith are not well founded. We have
endeavored to work at all times for
the best interests of all concerned.
our position has been in a way ju-
dicial. Wilmington has been looking
after the best interests of Whining
ton and the San Pedro committee has
had to stand for the best interests a.
all three cities, and there has mo-
been a minute when we have not actea
accordingly"
Scott Indignant
Joseph Scott, who spoke next, wa
indignant with the idea that the Los
Angeles committee was accused OF be
traying the interests of the harbor e.
the Southern Pacific.
That's a pretty gross assumption
to be made from the floor of this coun-
ell. Mr.. Chairman" he said. ''rhe
members of this committee are not ac-
customed to such assertions. There b
not a member against whom any such
a charge will lie. The chairman of the
committee has a record that viii re
lieve him of any aspersion Of that kino.
He has saved the day for Los Angeles
more than once, and has put in his
best efforts for the good of San Pc
dro and Los Angeles in this consolids
tion matter.
This may be self-constituted com
mittee-constituted as such by all the
civic bodies of Los Angeles and IN
ell and by all the newspapers. Not q
member knew of his appointment be
fore it was made, and instead of hur
rying to name himself for the job not
a one but who would decline if he did
not feel it his duty to serve. I resent
the insinuation most keenly, as do al
the members of this committee. To say
that any member of the committee can
have any but the cleanest and best
of motives is an amazing statement.
1t paralyzes me to think for one mo-
ment that our motives could be im-
pugned by Mr.. Call or anybody else"
"Have you forgotten. Mr.. Call"
asked Councilman Wallace, that the
great fight of years ago for San Pc
dro, that the great seawall now around
San Pedro harbor, that many other
things for the best interests of a great
harbor at San Pedro have been fought
for by the men on this committee and
the bodies by whom the committee
was constituted? Have You overlooked
the fact that this committees report
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