Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-12
DELEGATES MEET AND TAKE
INITIAL STEPS
SAN PEDRO, WILMINGTON AND
COUNTY REPRESENTED
Resolution Adopted Looking Toward
Appointment of Fifteen Repre-
sentative Citizens to Fur
ther Movement

rights and paving the way ior unio" "A''a
the beach cities, as "a preliminary step TO-
ward the establishment Of great pubic
harbor.
Initial steps for q consolidation movement
were taken at a meeting In the Los Angeles
chamber of commerce OF delegates from tine
Los Angeles, San Pedro, Wilmington ana
county organizations.
Consolidation received good start
yesterday afternoon at the meeting ol
representatives of civic and business
bodies in response to the call from the
Los Angeles chamber or commerce.
After a full discussion of the merits
and methods of consolidation the meet
ing adopted unanimously resolution
providing for the appointment OF
committee of fifteen citizens of Los
Angeles, who will take the initiative
in the consolidation movement. This
body will be known officially as the
consolidation committee of the city OF
Los Angeles" and will confer with sim
liar committees from San Pedro and
Wilmington in advancing consolida-
ton.
The sentiment in San Pedro and VIII
mington, as expressed by the Delegates
at yesterdays meeting, was tnat Los
Angeles should give assurance or termi-
| nal rates for the harbor cities and that
the rest to be done would be taken
on trust" as ii was phraSed by Johh
| T. Gaffey of San Pedro. All represen-
tatives from the harbor who spoke
voiced this sentiment, agreeing that
! consolidati ton was desired by most OF
| so
mington, but that it would not be GER
tain unless terminal rates at least were
agreed to.
opponent to consolidation in Whining
ton" said F. S. Cary, president of the
Wilmington chamber of commerce,
E"that If Los Angeles will promise to
get us terminal rates he VIII get out
and work to consolidate"
Passed Unanimously
After discussion of the advisability
of a general committee, with mem
| bership chosen from all three cities.
which resulted in a consensus that
each city would prefer its own commit
tee, with all three cooperating on
common matters, the following resolu-
ton was presented by William ID.
Stephene and adopted without dissent
BE it resolved, that committee,
consisting of the president of the
chamber of commerce of Los Angeles,
the president of the Merchants and
Manufacturers association, the presi-
dent of the Municipal league, the pres
ident of the Los Angeles harbor COM
mission, the president of the Munich
pal Waterways association, the presi-
dent of the city council of Los An
| geleS the chairman of the board or
supervisors of Los Angeles county and
| CAPTAIN Amos A. Fries, be appointed
by this body, with full power and au-
thority to appoint a committee OF f1f-
teen representative citizens of the city
of Los Angeles, to be known as the
consolidation committee of the city or
Los Angeles; and, further, that the
COMMITTEES herein created be and is
hereby empowered to define the pow
ers and duties of said committee OF
fifteen SO appointed.
At the outset Willis H. Booth, who
as president of the Los Angeles cham
ber of commerce called the meeting to
order. was elected CHAIRMAN ana
asked for a general discussion.
"The committee selected for this con-
solidation fight must be composed of
the very strongest men in Los An
geles," said John T. Gaffey. Some in
terests in San Pedro, such as the liquor
men and the corporations, will oppose
consolidation. The taxpayers want 1t
ieHeCleu, DuI tOll want w SohS ~ - >
thing on trust You can make San
Pedro's terminal rates effective, and
we will take the improvements of the
harbor on trust 1t, has been stated
on excellent authority that commit
tee from the associated jobbers of Los
Angeles notified the Southern Pacific
that the business of the jobbers would
be thrown to the Santa Fe if the
Southern Pacific granted terminal rates
for San Pedro.
"The character of the men named on
this permanent committee will have a
great deal to do with the success OF
consolidation. Put up a strong COM
mittee and you will have united press
behind you as well.
No Local Conflict
"There is no conflict between Will
mington and San Pedro. We realize In
San Pedro that Wilmington is bound
to develop and that the business going
there Is sure to be Wilmington's in any
event. And Wilmington realizes thai
what we get would come to us anyhow
so there is no petty jealousy between
u.s."
Captain Fries suggested that with
San Pedro and Wilmington in as bo-
roughs of Los Angeles Long Beach
would be contiguous territory, and that
further consolidation was then posi-
bility He said that a committee OF
engineers to take up the engineering
phases of harbor development might
be considered.
"My views coincide with Mr.. Gaf-
fey's," said F. S. Cary. IF Los An
geles gets us terminal rates and as
sures us a development of the harbor
the strongest opponents of consolida-
tion will be satisfied"
DIR. w. A. Weldon of the San Pedro
chamber of commerce and q. w. San
olson, jr., of Wilmington agreed that
the people want consolidation, but that
it will not be carried in the harboI
towns without fight.
Los Angeles men at the meeting gen.
erally expressed a desire to see that
the interests of San Pedro and Will
mington were fully protected. Henry T.
Hazard, Willis II. Booth, Joseph
Scott, Willia.I D. Stephens, A. P,
Fleming and A. K. Brauer gave their
views on this line, indicating that Los
Angeles wanted no action except with
full concurrence by both the harbor
cities.
"When 1 heard today that the gov
ernor had signed the consolidation bill
I was the happiest man in town." said
William D. Stephens. President Isooth
read a telegram addressed to Secretary
Fleming by Senator Hurd notifying
him that the governor had affixed his
signature.
Mr.. Booth will call a meeting of the
presidents committee early next week
at which the selection of the consoli-
dation committee will be made.