Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-22

York city few years ago. Later she
serve MY opinion and keep my eyes
Open" said A. P. Fleming.
Mr.. Karr left Los Angeles on the $40
o'clock car, and few persons who at
tended the meeting knew that the ap-
plications had been withdrawn.
The requests for withdrawal asserted
the recognition of the Bannings of the
opposition which had arisen and stated
that the Withdrawals were filed to
avoid placing the San Pedro trustees in
an embarrassing position.
The notice by the Bannings as MED
by Mr.. Karr is as follows, one notice
being signed by all the principals:
Text of Banning Notice
ITO the Honorable. the Board of Trus-
tees of the City of San Pedro. Cal:
"Gentlemen-On June 49, 1909 we, the
undersigned, presented to your honor
able body a petition providing for the
continuation of our improvements on
what is commonly known as the Nor
mon island project. Our confidence and
good faith in the development of this
project up to the present time has been
indicated by the work in progress,
fact we believe every member of your
honorable body recognizes.
1.-The good faith of our work has been
publicly attacked in a manner calcu-
! lated to bias your fair Judgment and
individually to stigmatize you as ciu-
| zens and present office holders of the
city of San Pedro, regardless of what
your honest conclusion in the matter
might be.
I'VE respectfully call your attention
to the expenditure of money and work
accomplished up to the present time,
and while the jurisdiction of the city of
San Pedro over the territory was in
question in the litigation between the
cities of Long Beach and San Pedro it
would obviously appeal to you, as we'll
as any fair-minded citizen, that our
purpose must have been to ask for
these franchises to complete our work
and make it available for the public
use when the jurisdiction to which we
should apply was definitely settled. We
feel a public statement to this effect is
due you by reason of published articles
charging in advance your insincerity
Explain Applications
"As a further reason for presenting
these applications for franchises TO
continue the improvements in line with
our work, we believe the granting of
the franchises would greatly expedite
the improvement of the harbor 'front.'
age where the franchises are sought;
and would stimulate other improve
ments in the harbor, affording employ
ment and increased values of the prop
erty throughout the harbor district.
I'VE believe further that William
Banning, j. B. Banning, the Banning
company and the Wilmington Trans
portation company who nave hled
these applications, are especially enti-
tied to the fair consideration of your
board, for they represent the holdings,
i'm large part. of the business estab-
lished by Gen Phineas Banning in this
harbor in 1852. He may fairly be said
to have been the founder of the COM
merciai business by water in this sec
ton; and In 1882, when the business
was transferred from Wilmington.
where originally established to san Pc
dro he did not stop to recognize any
artificial lines, but prosecuted the
transportation, lighterage and towage
business with the same vigor in san
Pedro that he had heretofore exercised
In wilmington notwithstanding that
Wilmington temporarily dwindled in
population and importance in conse-
uuence His desire was TO increase the
commerce upon the waters of San Pc
dro and Wilmington harbor without
! regard to any particular locality there
on, and his successors have carried out
this policy.
1.-THE Banning company and It's mem
hers have, by themselves and their
predecessors, been the owners and in
! possession of and paying taxes on this
water front property; and they have
maintained ownership for more than
/ twenty years without objection or in
| terfe fence until quite recently and
! then only by persons not residents or
/ property owners of san Pedro or VIII
/ mington: and notwithstanding the OBJ
! structions that have been placed in
| their way including the present pend
/ ing litigation, they have gone on and
shown their good faith and confidence
| in the business of this locality and their
/ property rights by expending large
| sums of money in improving the same,
| and in which they are now engaged,
and which it is their full intention to
| continue.
Your honorable body is by law in
vested with discretion To determine the
advisab ility of granting the appllca-
tions for the wharf franchises and to
put them up for sale, and Is capable
of Judging OF the advantages of such
| franchises to the locality that you
represent but we feel that on account
| of the MISREPRESENTATION made by OPP
ponents of the applications you VIII
! not be left to exercise this discretion
freely. SO in order TO relieve any em-
barra ssment that you might feel i'm
acting on these applications we re-
spectively withdraw them for the rea-
sons herein stated.
Instruct Southern Pacific
also for the foregoing reasons we
have requested the Southern Pacific
| company. who made application for
railroad franchise for the benefit of the