The independent-reporter., 1909-10-07
An INTERESTING LETTER
FROM CALIFORNIA
los Angeles and san Dicgo Compeu.
tors for Worlds Fair.

i LOS RnEeick. 1hiis. ~ D. " 9Sii III
of that place. TO d. II Bartlett of
SkoWhegan. will be of interest TO
many of our readers;
My Dear SIR
Important events are transpiring so
rapidly IL is dfiicult 10 keep up with
them or even take note of them as
they pass. The astounding news of
the discovery of the North Pole by Dr.
Cook comes as q wonderful and agree
able surprise, not nnl. IT, our nwn
country. but all chrIslerdonl. not SO
much because of the Importance of the
discovery as to settle geographical
and historical fact that has ba:'led
navigators and scientific men f,r ell
turies What emphasizes Dir. Cooks
discovery is the feet that he has ac-
complished hat nobody else has sue
ceeded in doing. The Importance Of
the discovery of the Pole is not of
so much consequence to our people
and other nations as the discovery of
America and other scientific discover
les, but it establishes a historical fact
hitherto unknown. The fact OF the
existence of North Pole has been
the universally accepted theory of
scientists for centuries, but the condi-
tions and circumstances surrounding
it have been matters of speculation.
How it is possible for animal life or
human beings to exist in tempera
ture of III below zero, ! am unable
to understand. The region round
about the Pole is a frozen, barren
and virtually inaccessible region, of
little benefit to the commerce or busi-
ness of the world. Whether or not
DR.. Cooks discovery is verified the
earth will continue to revolye as here
tofore, and we shall continue to oc-
cupy our respective dwelling places
on it's surface and take our daily
swing in it's diurnal revolutions. You
probably have learned of the verifica-
ton of my prediction as to the con-
solidation of the coast towns of San
Pedro and Wilmington with Los An
geles. 1t seems the annexation fever
is contagious. Another petition has
been filed for the annexation of a
territory west of Pico Heights, con-
tanning about ten square miles and
10000 inhabitants. Other towns and
districts will follow suit until Los An
/
to Santa Monica, Ocean Park, and
Venice by the sea. The people here
are beginning to agitate the question
of holding the Worlds fair here in
1915. Los Angeles and San Diego
are competitors. Los Angeles will
probably win on account of her facili-
ties for entertaining large crowds.
Next month we are to have the pleas
ure of meeting and greeting our big
President His itinerary embraces
/ Los Angeles. He has a sister living
here and will spend two days here
and at Pasadena. | saw and heard
President Roosevelt speak when he
was here and hope to meet President
Taft He is big man, physically
and mentally.
You ask how | like the Aldrich
Tariff reyisons? | think | like 1t
about as well as the President does.
1t is as good as | expected under the
circumstances, the stand-patters be-
ing in the saddle. The hand of the
master workman is seen in the latter
part of the session of Congress in the
passage of the corporation tax bill.
One of the most important items in
the bill and the putting on the free list
hides and leather and materially re-
ducing the tariff on many other items,
is almost entirely due to the infu-
ence of the President. Take it as it
is, by and large, it is a better tariff
than the Dingley bill and for it we
are largely indebted to the diplomacy,
good faith, and statesmanship of the
President in redeeming his pledges to
the people to carry out the policies
and principles of his predecessor.
We hope soon to have our great eX-
president and statesman back from the
| jungles of Africa to take a hand in
shaping the politics and policies of
the city and state of New York as
well as the nation. No one man can
do so much as he The Lincoln-Roose-
yelt reforms that have been inaugur-
ated are doing wonders in our state
as we'll as in others and are destined
to leaven the whole lump. The wave
of reform will go on and on, till it
reaches the farthest shore. 1t seems
| to be the hope and reliance of all good
people to moralize and ChristianiZe
the habits and practices of the people
and especially those in authority.
Aerial navigation is the absorbing
topic just now, and wonderful flights
and stunts are undertaken to show
the feasibility and practcability of
navigating the air. Many improve
ments and inventions will undoubt-
edly be made and in time travel in
the upper air will be made compare
lively safe. AS for my single self,
have no desire TO get away from
Mother Earth and what travelling
have to do want to do it in the old
fashioned way, on terra firma.
We are on the ragged edge of an
exciting political campaign. We hope
to elect our city and county officers
on the Roosevelt reform ticket and
shut out the Southern Pacific machine
boodlers and grafters. Our Oryin
river water enterprise is progressing
finely. 1t looks now as though 1t
would be completed within three
years.
The weather is fine. We have had
delightful summer l see by the
papers that your drouth has been
broken by rains
Yours as ever.
!. w. MERRILL.