Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-08

The report mas Deen approved Dy the
Los Angeles business bodies instru-
mental in the appointment by the con-
solidation committee, and members of
the chamber of commerce, Municipal
league, Associated Jobbers and the
harbor commission who have been
privileged to examine the report, agree
that it justifies in every respect the
confidence repoSed in the fifteen men
chosen to thresh out the consolidation
question. The Associated Jobbers, the
organization most intimately concerned
with the business phases of harbor
activity, went over the report yester-
day afternoon, giving special atteh-
tion to the granting of terminal rates
tn the harbor section, and heartily ap-
proved the statement of the commit
tee. The Municipal league likewise
| concurred, the directors giving unani-
nous approval to the system OF gov
ernment which has been worked out
| by the committee.
Will Silence Opponents
This phase of the report will set at
rest the strongest objections which mad
been planned against the election n, oy
the opponents off consolidation. They
had figured on asserting that the
"strip" section had been neglected
since its annexation and that both
Wilmington and San Pedro must also
suffer by becoming only the tag eno
| of a big city An argument to be used
| in connection with this is the assertion
that the city will not be able to make
| any Improvement in the inner narpor
for several-possibly ten-years be
cause the tidelands titles Will De IN
| the courts for that time.
The consolidation committee, now
ever. springs a neat joker which knocks
out the strongest argument OF the op-
nosition. What Wilmington and san
! Pedro will receive as sections OF the
| greater city in the way of educatlon-
| al lighting and water, police and hre
department facilities have been con-
! sidered by the committees in joint con-
ferences, and the scheme given III the
committees report embraces TINS poin'.
| IF II goes through as suggested and the
election is carried accordingly the har-
bor portion of the city will be fully as
well equipped in this respect as any
other section.
In addition the harbor section Is to
receive the direct benefits of expendl-
tures of a 100000 bond issue, mag
nificent keeping of faith with the mar
Dor cities for their refusal to listen 10
the seductive suggestions of Senator
Savage and the machine politicians
| flAT the ndTDOT SuOuiQ bC PANSN0 -
their hands through extension of the
| states credit for a $1,000, 900 harbor. AT
the time the legislative committee vis-
tied Los Angeles and the harbor cities
| and the proposal to create board or
state harbor commissioners for san
Pedro harbor was made, the strongest
argument against any such diversion
of the harbor into the grip of the ma
chine was that the credit of the united
| city would be sufficient to build great
public harbor on more adequate and
satisfactory scale than might be hoped
| for through state aid. Through the
Iabors of the consolidation committees
| +he harbor plans have assumed an inn
portance even greater than was sug-
| gested at that time.
Must Seek New Plan
Arguments which have been calcu-
| lated to prove effective in San. Pedro to
defeat consolidation are most effectu-
| ally squelched by the pain Of union
detailed in the report. The hardest
! feht was to have been made against
| consolidation in San Pedro, but when
the committee report is made public
an entirely new plan of campaign must
be laid out by the opponents of a pub
| lie harbor
Members of both the San Pedro and
Wilmington committees are confident
that consolidation will carry in both
the harbor cities with safe majorities
They are ready to act as soon as the
campaign takes definite shape in Los
| Angeles, and the necessary steps will
be taken I'm the two cities this week.
With favorable consideration of the
committee report by the city council
today the Los Angeles campaign will
be opened in earnest tomorrow morn
ing. The first step is the securing of
1S 900 signatures of qualified voters TO