Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-14
UNION STATIONS
GOAL SOUGHT BY
NEWASSOCIATI0N
CIVIC AND BUSINESS BODIES
BAND TOGETHER
WILL WRITE TO PRESIDENTS OF
RAILROADS
Every Effort Is to Be Made to Get
Carrier Corporations to Build
One Depot for
City

entail civic and business organizations
In Los Angeles. This gathering was
called in the directors room of the
chamber of commerce yesterday after
noon for the purpose of considering the
matter of a union depot
These organizations that have never
failed to get what they went after col
lectively are going after the union de-
pot with a determination that means IL
will not be long before the desired OBJ
ject is accomplished.
They began yesterday by forming a
permanent Los Angeles Union station
association, with Gilbert 5. Wright
chairman and F. w. Blanchard secre..
tary. This association is composed of
the representatives of the organizations
present at yesterdays conference.
These are the chamber of commerce,
Merchants and Manufacturers assocla-
ton, Municipal league, Wholesale
Druggists association, City club, city
council, board of supervisors, Credit
Mems association, Municipal Art com
mission, Jobbers association, Calitor-
mia Fruit Growers association, Cali
fornia Citrus union, Clearing House as
ISOLATION, Los Angeles Realty board,
Hotel Mems association and wholesale
board of trade.
The businesses embraced in this list
are the ones that make the railroads
possible, and it is believed the wishes
OF these men will be treated with re-
spect by the heads of the systems In
whose hands the final settlement Of
the union station matter must be left.
VIII Write Letters
To show its wishes in the matter the
organization yesterday appointed
committee composed of Gilbert ).
Wright, f. W. Blanchard, John w.
Mitchell and w. M. Garland to draft
letter to be sent the heads of the
Southern Pacific, the Santa Fe and the
Salt Lake systems asking that they get
together on the matter Of a union de-
Dot. This letter will be signed by the
proper officers of all the organizations
represented by the Union Station asso-
citation. In addition to this general let
ter the representatives present or eacn
organization pledged themselves that
letters would be written by their Or
PLANTATIONS to the presidents or the
railroads calling attention to the need
of a union station in Los Angeles.
In addressing the gathering yester-
day on the objects for which they had
been called together Mr.. Wright said:
TT is time the railroads did some
thing for Los Angeles Los Angeles
has certainly done plenty for the rail-
roads. It is a little thing to ask them
to build a union station here, or, II
they do not believe a union station ad-
visable, at least to build decent sepa-
rate depots
Arthur Let's and 1 called on Mr..
Ripley, president of the Santa Fe, when
he was in Los Angeles a short time
ago He granted US a pleasant inter-
view, but little else besides. Mr.. Let's
talked the matter over with Mr.. Har-
riman when he was in Los Angeles, but
nothing definite came of that interview.
1t is certain that if we are to have
union station in Los Angeles we must
start the ball rolling and keep it up"
S. P. Would Lose Money
When Mr.. Wright concluded w. M.
Garland was called for. Mr.. Garland
declared he had noted with regret that
the movement for union station had
been dubbed a real estate dealers
boost He said the real estate men
were deeply interested in the project,
but from motives Of the general i'm
provement of the city and not from
selfish impulses. He dwelt on the ne
cessity for a union station and spoke Of
the citys deciding the Southern Pacific
that portion Of Fifth street east of
Central avenue on the railroads prom
Use to construct mtllion-dollar depot
on the site, and pointed out the fact
that the railroad had made no effort to
keep its promise.
George Black followed Mr.. Garland
and proposed a method for practical
action in obtaining the union station,
although he declared his preference
was for individual stations by each Of
the railroads.
"It is absolute folly to think of OBJ
tanning union depot by public senti-
ment," said Mr.. Black. IF the presi-
dents Of the railroads see the financial
advisability of building a union depot
they will do so, If they do not we get
no depot. I know the Southern Pa
ciflc cannot give up the site OF the Ar
cade depot without losing property
worth a million and a half. The site
of the Arcade was decided to the South
ern Pacific by the Wolfskills on condi-
tion that the railroad always maintain
its principal depot on the spot If the
railroad fails to do this it loses title to
the property.
when Mr.. Hartman was in Los An
geles he said that when ne collected
the S1,600000 from the United States
government for damages to his proper
ty in the Imperial valley he would in
vest the money in a depot in Los An
geles. That gives the impression that
Mr., Hartman has not got the million
ana a half handy to put into the depot
at present. If this is the case, let US
suggest to Mr.. Hartman that he send
us a million and a half Of Southern
Pacific bonds to be sold in Los Angeles
and the money applied to the building
of the depot. When the Southern Pa
cific starts others will fall in line and
the matter of unionizing the depot win
come up naturally"
To Learn from Other Cities
Others did not favor Mr.. Blacks
plan of financing the depot project. 1t
was stated Mr.. Hartman had the mil
lions of the world at his beck and call,
and If he wanted to get the money for
the depot he would have no difficulty
in doing so.
Q. e. Parish suggested the appoint
ment of a committee to look up an ade-
there would be enough ground for a
park around the building and that
some definite plan be submitted to the
railroads. He said there was not a
man in Los Angeles but who would be
willing to contribute toward a fund
TO pay portion of the cost.
r. w. Dromgold said the location of
the depot was not so much a matter
of Importance, but that he thought the
Fifth street location where the Arcade
is situated, was not the logical place,
as there is not enough ground. He
moved for the letter to be sent the rail-
road magnates.
Others expressed their opinions, but
all appeared TO favor the union station
idea. They did not believe Los An
geles citizens, who have already put so