Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-14
TO THE TIMES 100
BUSINESS MEN
T N view of the recent majority an

a Ai1llOIAIy ICpOLlS VI IUS &EdIO
jury, The Herald wishes to extend
its sincerest sympathy to some of the
men who composed the list of 100
business men" that our Republican
morning contemporary has so promi-
nently, not to say proudly, featured in
the columns Of its issues the past two
Sundays.
We do this because we know that
some of these gentlemen have been
shown, by the revelations of those re-
ports, that when they loaned their
names to an organization for the sup
port Of the present incumbent Of the
mayors office of the city they most
distinctly got into the wrong pew.
We say "some of the men," because
The Herald knows full well that there
are certain gentlemen whose names
appear in that list who are in it for
| personal reasons which spell dollars to
themselves-dollars which would not
find their way into their pocketbooks
If the affairs Of the city were being
administered by a mayor who en-
forced the law.
We may make our meaning clearer
by saying that at least three citizens
whose names have appeared upon this
list of 100 business men" are now
| renting property to parties who are
engaged in carrying on gambling es-
| Establishments. The rentals which they
are getting for this property are such
| as no doubt make 1t a matter Of f1nan-
cial advantage to them to perpetuate
| the present city administration.
Other gentlemen whose names appear
| on that list are renting property in
this city for other purposes equally
illegal, and a mayor OF the city who
would enforce the laws would un-
doubtedly deprive these gentlemen of
some tenants
At the same time there are lot of
good men whose names have appeared
in this list of 100 business men,
good business men-men who no doubt
are in favor of a business administra-
tion of the city's affairs.
The Herald would like to remind
these gentlemen of about the only evil
dence with which the public has been
favored tending to show the charac-
ter of business administration which
Mayor Harper has given this city.
First-We would call attention to a.
matter which The Herald has hereto
fore presented, to-wit: The sale to
liquor dealers, gamblers, etc., Of stock
in the sugar corporations in which the
mayor and some of his police commits
sfoners are large holders of bonus
stock
Second-We would call attention to
the sale to liquor dealers, gamblers and
some keepers Of disreputable houses of
the stock of the oil company organized
by the mayor and in which he is also
largely interested as the holder of
bonus stock.
Third-We would particularly call
attention to another business ven
ture," the facts concerning which were
given to the public in the minority re-
port of the grand jury above referred
to. According to this report, this bust
! ness enterprise consisted in there
being organized in the mayors office
real estate project which contem-
| plated the purchase of land in what is
known as the red light district and
the erection of houses on it particu-
larly designed to accommodate the
most Infamous denizens of the under
world and to facilitate the carrying on
of their business
The minority report of the grand
| jury shows this business enterprise to
have been an eminent success, inas-
much as it shows that the houses were
built and rented at the very lucrative
monthly rate of $13O a room, or some
! thing like 100000 per annum for the
entire premises-a rate of rental which
| no doubt excites emotions of envy in
| the minds of those members of the
| 100 business men, who, as above
stated, are renting premises for gam
| bling games and other illegal "busi-
nesses."
Judged solely by the financial re-
| turns shown to have been received
| from this real estate deal, it may be
| considered a most successful business
enterprise, and inasmuch as it was
| planned in the mayors Office the
mayor no doubt should be considered
q ''most successful business man.
Respectable business men and citi-
zens of the 100 business men," how
do you feel about the sort of "busi-
ness administration which the mayor
of the city is giving?
Don't you think you deserve the
/ condolences of The Herald, which are
most heartily and feelingly extended
| to you?
And in view of the facts concerning
the kind of administration which
Mayor Harper has given this city that
have been laid before it's good citizens,
don't you think your names would
look better on a petition for his recall
than they do in an organization whose
purpose it is to perpetuate his ''busi-
ness administration?
|