Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-13
CONSOLIDATION

4 T A MEETING held in the cnam-
~ ber of commerce provision was
IA made for the appointment of
a consolidated committee of fif-
teen. The work is now in practica-
BILE form. The city council already
had adopted resolutions empowering
the harbor commission to proceed with
the necessary steps, and declaring this
council is in favor of the development
of San Pedro harbor at the earliest pos
sible moment upon such a scale as shall
be commensurate with her natural ad-
Vantages and in such time as shall
prepare ii to receive its portion of COM
merce and trade that if properly de-
veloped would naturally flow through
it when the Panama canal is COM
pleted, and, further, that the council
believes that this can only be accom-
plished by the consolidation of the har-
Dor cities with the city of Los Angeles
1t was further
"Resolved, by the city council of the
city of Los Angeles, That the harbor
commission is hereby instructed and
empowered to take such steps as in
it's Judgment shall be necessary to
bring about the consolidation of Los
Angeles and our llarbor cities, or either
of them, into one large municipality
for the purpose of creating upon San
Pedro bay one of the great manufacture
ing, residential, maritime cities of the
world. 1t was also
Resolved, That the harbor commits
sion be, and it is, hereby instructed
to institute the necessary proceedings
to make San Pedro and Wilmington
terminal points in said consolidated city
that either or both shall be entitled to
and receive from transportation COM
panies all of the rights and benefits of
terminal rates, and they are hereby
further instructed to use every avail
able means to secure the establishment
of line of steamers, owned and con-
trolled by the government, connect
ing with the government railway at
the port of Ancon on the isthmus of
Panama, and all ports on the Pacific
coast, thus extending to Pacific ports
the same advantages now afforded by
the government to Atlantic ports"
BY the consolidation committee of
San Pedro a sufficient answer is made
to the doubling Thomases who are con-
sciously or unconsciously aiding the
campaign of the corporations by ques-
tioning the Intentions purposes and
good faith of the city of Los Angeles.
We quote the following passage from
circular: 1.-The question is asked by
some who oppose consolidation as to
what guarantees are to be given that
the improvement will be carried out
after consolidation is effected, and TO
that we reply that we can safely trust
the good faith of the city of Los An
geles in the carrying out Of improve
ments proposed and outlined by its
board of public works, and which has
the Endorsement of its press and COM
mercial bodies, and without which the
harbor would be of no benefit to that
great progressive city without whose
assistance there would be no harbor at
San Pedro"
Greater Los Angeles, the seaport of
which will be San Pedro, will be one of
the biggest, most prosperous and most
powerful cities in the United States.
It's influence on the Pacitc coast, on
the future development of Pacific com
merce, and on the nation, cannot be
measured. Attempts to thwart plans
for clean-cut consolidation may be
numerous. Corporations which have
tried to exploit Los Angeles and San
Pedro and to make selfish capital and
gain selfish power are not likely to
relax their efforts. Nay, we believe
their efforts will be redoubled and their
energies renewed. Their attempt to
impugn the good faith of Los Angeles
would have ~more effect If they were
known to possess enough of that quail
;ty to make them trustworthy. But
everyone who has his wisdom teeth
knows that in attempting to call in
question the good faith of Los Angeles
these unscrupulous schemers are giving
evidence of their own lack of good
faith. Their motives are sinister. If
the ti-consolidationists have made
themselves objects of suspicion they
have only themselves to blame.
In Southern California corporation al
liances are not accepted as certificates
of good character and of disinterested-
ness.