Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-27
FIGHT IS HOT
AT SAN PEDRO
BIG HARBOR RALLY IS SET FOR
THURSDAY NIGHT
WELL KNOWN LOS ANGELES MEN
ON SPEAKERS LIST
Rumors Are Rife at Seaport City That
Saloon interests Are Preparing
to Fight Consolidation
Plan
Especial to The Herald


SAN PEDRO, July 26.-Although
prize fight has been slated for Thurs
day evening in this city, and perhaps
other attractions will be arranged for
the same night, the Auditorium on
Fifth street undoubtedly will be crowd
ed with citizens who will listen to the
able speakers from Los Angeles who
will talk on the burning questions of
the day, Consolidation and the Flu
ture of San Pedro Harbor"
With the three principal speakers,
Lee Gates, Joseph II. Call and Leslie
r. Hewitt and the members of the Los
Angeles consolidation committee, who
will be here in force, the meeting prom
ises to be of interest to all who attend,
whether they have become converts to
the popular idea of allowing Los An
geles to spend her millions in the i'm
provement of the harbor or whether
they are still influenced by those who
have special privileges to protect here
and want no assistance from the south
western metropolis.
With the anti-consolidation banner
sent to Wilmington, it is expected that
the anti consolidation leaders of this
city will soon put out a banner. 1t
has been rumored that kite will fly
over the city with the admonition to
the voters to keep the harbor for the
corporations, the saloons for the San
Pedro Wholesale company, the city
government for the looter and the pres
ent unbearable conditions Ia force un-
til everybody who can will move away
and the special interests will have I'M
disputed control of the situation"
More serious campaign lodges are
being resorted to by those obstruction
lists who would block the wheels of
progress" said Secretary F.. D. Seward
of the San Pedro consolidation commit
tee yesterday mot content with at
tempting to pad the register with il
legal voters the same underground
campaigners' are now undertaking to
scare the laboring vote by circula-
ton along the WharVes and in the
yards that wages will be cut imme
diately after consolidation. This threat
has not been made by the lumber COM
panies themselves openly, but is being
used nevertheless.
Afraid of a fair, open fight in which
they would be worsted, as no legitimate
argument has yet been advanced
against the union with Los Angeles,
the saloons, backed by the San Pedro
Wholesale company, are said to be
working all kinds of tactics to mislead
the voters into voting against consol-
idation.
1T is reported that these same
liquor men have large property inter-
lests in Wilmington and are anxious
to have Wilmington consolidate, that
their property may increase in value.
But at San Pedro the case is far diff
ferent. Here N. w. Tilton, Edward
Mahar, Luke Kelly and others who are
said to own the stock in the Wholesale
company, have an exceedingly valuable
monopoly to protect, mint well worth
fighting for and naturally they are not
for consolidation.
1.-The voters of this city know we'll
the reasons for the opposition of these
interests and, in fact, all those who
are against the measure. In nearly
every case it can be traced right back
to a question of personal privilege or
q friendship for one of those who reaps
the benefit of conditions as they now
exist while the public suffers thereby"
Fl 1: .s+f.s.
east and will be spent here. Long be-
fore it becomes necessary to make re-
payment the harbor will take care of
it's investment. The same is true of
the aqueduct. These undertakings will
not be a burden in any way or upon
any person living in Los Angeles. The
direct returns from them will provide
for their financial end at the same
time yielding good returns to all of us
instead of adding to our burden. And
the indirect benefits will be wonderful
For every dollar laid out to build the
harbor at least twenty will be returned
to this community"
These opinions of leaders in the
movement for a great harbor, who are
qualified to speak for the financial in
terests of Los Angeles, are seconded by
other members of the consolidation
committee, who represent the legal,
mercantile and other phases of the
citys business life. M. H. Newmark.
o. E. Parish Leslie Hewitt, Joseph
Scott, A. P. Fleming, F. w. Braun and
other members of the consolidation
committee frequently have defended
the ability of Los Angeles to carry
through the harbor project, even
though the financial returns should be
a small proportion of the amount eX-
pert estimates shows they will be.