Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-01

CuSSed the outrage, DIS lHey CdleQ IL,
there was no further trouble.
Walton Defends Lease
"If had known of this fight I should
have stopped it in a minute" said Pres
ident Walton of the board of trustees,
whose position corresponds to that of
mayor. There is no occasion for all
this excitement. For myself, l stand
by everything have done. We thought
it best to make this lease because there
is a guarantee in the lease that
bonded warehouse will be erected on
the property, and a bonded warehouse
means that San Pedro win get terminal
rates, a thing we have been working
for a long time"
Aren't the Crescent and Salt Lake
warehouses bonded?" was asked Mr..
Walton. And, besides, won't con-
solidation with Los Angeles more sure
ly bring terminal rates than a fifty
year lease?'
I'VE are not discussing consolidation
just now" said Mr.. Walton. "No, sir.
there is no bonded warehouse here at
present-neither the Crescent nor the
Salt Lake is bonded-and one is needed
to insure terminal rates. Also, Mr.
Shaw assured us that his company
would bid on the wharf franchise on
the land under the lease, and if de-
feated would pay wharfage to the sue
cessful bidder"
Mr.. Walton did not explain how a
bonded warehouse will compel termi-
nal rates, but City Attorney Hewitt of
Los Angeles did.
"A bonded warehouse will bring ter
minal rates in a pigs eye," said Mr..
Hewitt. 1.-THE proposition Is ridiculous"
Other members of the Los Angeles
consolidation committee agree with
Mr.. Hewitt. The records show that the
Salt Lake warehouse is bonded ware
house; it is located in San Pedro.
Says Salt Lake Not involved
1.-THE Salt Lake Railroad company
absolutely has nothing to do with the
application made by F. e. Shaw of
Long Beach for a lease of 800 feet of
water frontage at East San Pedro"
said J. Ross Clark, second vice presi-
dent of the railroad company, when
questioned about the matter yesterday.
II am at loss to understand how
the impression that we were interested
in the granting of that franchise start
ed. We are not concerned in the mat
ter, either directly or indirectly, and
I knew nothing about the affair until
read 1t in the morning papers.
I'VE do not wish ii to appear that
we are asking for it, and want our
position in the matter clearly defined,
"If we wished the franchise we would
ask for it openly and our own people
would not go about 1t secretly and have
the transaction through third party"
Vice President Clark stated that the
open methods of his company are we'll
known to the people of Los Angeles,
and he wishes to correct the impress
sion that it is trying, by secret meth
DDS, to grab small strip Of land.
Consolidation Sentiment Grows
A decided growth in the sentiment
favoring consolidation was evident in
San Pedro yesterday as a result of the
action of the trustees on the Shaw
lease. Men who had been known as
opposed to union with Los Angeles did
not hesitate to say that the best thing
property in and along the harbor is to
join with the larger city.
II believe, after talking with a large
number of business men and property
owners, that consolidation will carry in
San Pedro by three to one," said one
real estate dealer. who has been re-
garded as opposing consolidation. sI
have thought that It was not best to
consolidate, but now am sure it is our
only salvation. If you canvass the
voters of this town now you will see
great change in this regard. There
is no doubt now about consolidation
winning out"
Among those formerly arrayed
against consolidation who now realize
1t to be inevitable are such men as
John Rudbach, a prominent ship
builder; e. l., Blanchard, secretary of
the chamber of commerce.; Don Knight,
leading contractor, and o. c. Abbott,
the realty man.
II am confident that consolidation
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