Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-15
S.P.PLANS
TODEFEAT
FREE PORT
Prepares "BOmbShell' for
Eve of Election
RAILROAD WILL PROMISE TO
DEVELOP HARB0R
INTENDED AT SAME TIME TO
SECURE FRANCHISES
Histories of Great Marine Cities Show
That Scheme OF Corporation
is Not for Towns
Good
INTENDED AT SAME TIME TO
SECURE FRANCHISES

A "BOMBSHELL" Is being pre-
~ pared by Southern Pacific repre-
sentatives to be sprung at Sar
Pedro August 10, with a view to in
fluencing enough votes to defeat con-
solidation with Los Angeles. 1t con-
sists of a statement to be issued show
ing definite things to be promised by
the corporations for San Pedro, which
viii be headed by an offer of the
Southern Pacific to give several thou
sand feet of channel frontage to the
city of san Pedro. This, it is planned
will be hinged on certain franchises
in way that will make perfectly plain
the fact that consolidation must be de-
feated in order to obtain the gift.
These plans are partly formulated
and have been confided in a general
way to a few San Pedro citizens 1t
was the design to spring the announc-
ment at a meeting of the board OF
trustees August TO- about forty hours
before the consolidation election, so
that the effect would be strongly
toward defeating consolidation, sine.
& counter argument could hardly be
prepared to Offset the effect In the
minds of many voters. The corpora
tion representatives were supposed to
keep the scheme perfectly quiet until
the psychological moment arrived to
I. 1
by The Herald is likely so to upset
the thing that the "bombshelr may
not be thrown.
Analysis of Proposition
In the heat of an election contest
and without time to offer the Other
side, the proposition may seem very
attractive, but that Is not the case un-
der analysis. Thus far, following the
expenditure of more than $5000,000 by
the government, san Pedro receives less
than l per cent of the revenue, while
the Southern Pacific corporation get
more than 90 per cent. In addition. the
waterfront, which 1t is planned possi-
bly, to turn over to San Pedro under
certain conditions, is held by the cor
poration, because its power TO hold II
was not contested until the Los An
geles harbor commission took the mat
ter up. The title is now questioned
in the courts. and the indications are
now strongly in favor of the contention
that the waterfront belongs to the pub
lie and not to the corporation. The
tests in the court so far argue over
whelmingly for this view.
But If the Southern Pacific should
make this proposal as an election flyer
OF giving something which it is doubt
full whether ii owns and which 1t is
extremely apt to be forced to give back
TO the public without strings attached,
the proposition is not to be a gift
that the corporation cannot control in
case consolidation fails to carry.
Would Retain Control
If san Pedro should vote down con-
solidaton and remain beyond re CO.
operation of Los Angeles on the har-
bor few city trustees inimiCal TO the
wishes of the corporation would be
elected in the future. In consequence,
while the railroad might ostensibly
make the city a gift of waterfront it
would not thereby lose the control of
it. This control is also held through
the approaches and railroad rates.
In addition to the waterfront propo-
stion il had been the design to make
renewed requests for franchises with
more alluring returns therefrom to tho
city. These would naturally be laid
over by the trustees until after the
consolidation election, and then the ar
gument which they were intended to
underlie would be advanced against
consolidation.
Here is what will build up San
Pedro" the voter would be told on
the day before election. THE corpora
tions show that they want to do the
fair thing If you give them n chance.
There's your waterfront, a gift to the
CITY. which is more than you will get
If YOU consolidate with Los Angeles.
Those franchises will bring In a big
revenue and the city can build its own
harbor'
It will then be too late to get in a
counter argument, and If consolidation
is defeated the way will be clear for
the disposal of the franchises asked for
and of others which will be more easily
considered for passage. The effect
would be to make San Pedro cor
poration harbor.
Wilmington Doubtful
residents of San Pedro do not seem
IN think that even such schemes can
defeat consolidation with that city on
August -. They say that there Is con-
siderably more doubt of Wilmington
carving for consolidation than now
EXISTS regarding San Pedro.
1--WE hear over here that good deal
of work has been done to defeat con-
so1idation in Wilmington" said a San
pedro man yesterday. 81 heard it re-
norted that thirty anti-consolidation
votes had been transferred into Will
nington and that the matter had been
kent quiet Another report is that the
Consolidated Lumber company claims
there are eighty-siX votes in Whining
ton that will be cast as opposed to con-
solidation outside of the thirty-five the
lumber company is supposed to control.
Campaign circulars have been sent over
from San Pedro headed Record Facts
for the Wilmington Voters in which
the plea is made that Wilmington s
only hope rests with the Banning,
CONTINUED on Page Five)