Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-06

/ in the ChamDer OF commerce. buALuLI6-
Facts, not idle talk, judicious proce-
dure. not hysterical skyrocketing,
! seems to be the status into which the
sentiment for the division of Califor-
MIA and the admission into the union
| of South California, as a separate and
distinct commonwealth, has at last
! crystallized. 1t is now, and probably
| will be for all time to come, grad
nal. businesslike, legal and diplomatic
movement which will have but one
end, the ultimate formation OF new
| state From the expressions OF opln-
! ion at last nights meeting, there Is
bur one conclusion to draw-that the
majority of the business men as well
as the people at large, want the state
of South California. How to get II
is now the question.
BY the resolution offered last night,
! the way has been opened. The reso-
luton meets every objection so lar
raised by those who have sought to
refrain from rushing in and being de-
! feated by haste and unpreparedness'
thereby bringing ridicule on those who
believe most firmly in the justice OF the
movement now on foot.
ORGANIZE Permanently
When the meeting was called to or
| der by Temporary Chairman A. j. wal
| lace the first business undertaken was
permanent organization. Mr. wal
! lace was elected permanent chairman
and Bascom A. Stephens permanent
secretary Credentials were offered to
and accepted by ten organizations. For
tv-one delegates responded to their
names. OF this number, twenty-three
represented Los Angeles public organi-
cations, and eighteen were from organ
| izations in towns throughout the
| county
one significant fact was developed.
| The Municipal laegue, the chamber OF
! commerce and the Merchants ana
| Manufacturers association delegates
| did not want to commit their organ
/ iZations to any decisive action at last
nights meeting. Delegates from each
| of these organizations declared that,
| while they believed the majority OF
! the members of the organizations We're
/ In favor of separation, the directors
| of the three bodies did not want to
/ commit the organizations until full
/ light had been thrown on all phases
| of the question.
| Each of these delegates stated that
when such information was given and
the wisdom of separation was shown
| there probably will be no hesitancy on
| the part of the organization as such
! and on the part of the individual
members to indorse and work earn
estly for the state of South California.
Delegates Active
Although there were representatives
! of fifteen organizations present. not
| all of them took part affirmatively or
negatively in the discussions or in the
| voting. The organizations whose dele
! gates actually took part in the AFFAIRS
/ faT South
| California State league, the commit
| tee of eleven the Merchants and Man
ufacturers' association, the chamber
/ of commerce, the Santa Monica board
/ of trade, the merchants of Venice, the
| Venice chamber of commerce, the
Watts chamber of commerce, the Po-
mona chamber of commerce and the
| Los Angeles Realty board. The Mu-
nicipal league delegation was one of
| the organizations represented but not
participating.
Another significant fact developed
was that a majority of the members
of the Merchants and Manufacturers
| associa tion voting on the question of
state division We're in favor of it, G..
! H. Plummer, representing the asso-
! citation, read a report of a post card
vote. 1t was as follows:
For state division, 204.
Against state division, 1872.
Undecided, II.
Total membership of the associa-
tion 700.
In many cases. said Mr.. Plummer,
no vote was given by association
members, the reason assigned being
that more information was desired.
On behalf of the chamber of COM
mence, Willis Booth said that while his
organization and the directors of it
were not unmindful of the Importance
/ of the question, it was deemed unWise
to give a definite and final decision on
1 the question at the present time. He
said that information was sought, and
that when that information was fur
! nished a decision for or against state
division would be given after the mat
! ter had been fully submitted to the
/ members of the organization. If the
federated organizations did not furnish
1 the information, said Mr.. Booth, the
Il chamber would take it upon itself to
/ appoint a committee, secure such infor-
l nation as was needed, and then give
a decision aside from any action taken
by any other organizations. His. re-
marks called forth applause and seemed
to voice the sentiment of practically all
those present.
After an hour or more of desultory
discussion of various questions bearing
more or less remotely on the question
the old Pico act of 1859. relating to the
division of the southern counties into
a separate form of government, was
suddenly brought before the meeting
From that moment until adjournment
the discussion centered around the So
year-old statute, which is still one OF
the laws of the state, never having beer
repealed.
viii d. Gould was the first one tC
bring the matter up. Olegakqj
bring the matter to issue.
He argued for division at once, call.