Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-28
SOUTH CALIFORNIA

derStand their conservatism ana Wouiu
not think of calling it prejudice. But
to these old Californians we address a
few remarks in behalf of the "new
chum." the colonist who is arriving
here in constantly increasing numbers
in response to the advertisements pub
lished in eastern newspapers and mag
azines, and whose California is all in
prospect, and not at all in retrospect.
These new chums, these colonists.
think they are entitled to some con-
sideration. Most Of them know they
would never have dreamed of coming
to California if it had not been for
California literature, some of it the
output of publishing institutions which
are bitterly opposed to the progressive
step that may be called state separa-
tion," although in reality it is estate
creation" the legal transformation of
the area now commonly known as
Southern California" and recognized
everywhere as a distinct and separate
part of the state of California, into
South California" a state with a gov
ernment which would look after the in
terests of South California, seek to
bring about the greatest good for the
gr,atest number of citizens of South
California and apply the taxes raised
in South California to the legitimate
expenses of South California.
South California WANTS HOME
RULE.
Legislation by persons neither famil-
lar with South California nor interested
in it, and indeed inclined to throw cold
water on every proposal for the better
ment of South California, is obnoxious
to South Californians, especially to
new chums who lack the sentimental
retrospect, and is not the kind of
legislation that is desirable. Present
conditions facilitate the operations of
the Southern Pacific corporationists
and their allies who seek to control the
legislation of California as part of the
most audaciously unscrupulous "busi
ness policy" which ever was projected
by the shrewd brains of avaraciousI
schemers.
1t is all simple enough. The colonists
understand It. The new chum has heard
of It in the east, where California has
frequently been used as a HORRIBLE
example of political depravity and rail-
road rapacity.
From every point of view it will be
Of the greatest possible benefit to-
South California to sever the political
how'd. ,,.bioh ,,yi+o Lar vt-i+I, +bof NOR
tion Of the state which has recently
demonstrated a sisterly desire to ex-
plot the southern paradise for the
benefit of the less attractive northern
region.
This exploitation has followed
closely the magnificent efforts made by
Los Angeles, the metropolis Of South
California, to establish under one gov
ernment a great maritime city. which,
upon the completion of the Panama
canal will become the leading seaport
of the Pacific coast. And there's the
rub. San Francisco was uneasy, it is
true, but not absolutely scared until
Los Angeles began to carry out the
new program which will make this
city the leading harbor Of the west.
SAN FRANCISCO DOES NOT WISH
TO BE THE SECOND" HARBOR
OF CALIFORNIA. Her citizens do not
wish to have to acknowledge the
scepter of the western sea has passed
to Los Angeles and San Francisco is
only the second greatest harbor, and
they cannot but see that the day of
the maritime and commercial suprem-
acy Of Los Angeles is approaching.
The word is passed, then (for all
the circumstances point to this), to
embarrass Los Angeles, to halt her
forward march, even if the perpetra
ton of the trick cost the north the
public acknowledgment that the center
of wealth, population, power and pros
perity is now at Los Angeles. This
acknowledgment. of course, is not
made in bona fide. 1t is well known
San Francisco has been piling up
wealth for three-quarters of century, |
that the city is the repository of vast
accumulations, while Los Angeles, /
looking forward and not looking back
ward, finds herself in an actively
formative stage when a much better
use can be found for capital than to
allow it to lie in idle heaps. Most of
the wealth of Los Angeles is working, |
is being used to bring more and more
prosperity to the city,
Why should Los Angeles be asked to |
pay a heavy tax on activity, while San
Francisco, the heir of three-quarters of
a century of trade, commerce, manu-
featuring and almost every conceiv-
able phase of industrialism, is permit
ted to be a tax dodger"? Is not the
motive obvious?
Is it not evident the word has been
passed that Los Angeles is going ahead /
too fast, that she is imperiling the
balance of commercial power in Cali
fornia, and must be checked?
Therefore, is it not high time for
Los Angeles seriously to set about
finding ways and means Of emancipat-
ing herself and her thriving sister COM
munities of South California from a |
control that BODIES i'll for our busy
citizens, jealous in good works?
Los Angeles leads in the movement
for the political, industrial, commercial |
freedom of South California, and It'll
will not be long until Los Angeles will |
hoist the new state flag on the southern