Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-20
WORK IS STARTED
ON CONSOLIDATION
Commission Organizes and Be-
gins Investigation of Legal
Difficulties to Plan
ANDERSON NAMED CHAIRMAN
Legislative Committee to Report
on Laws Necessary to Join
City and County
ANDERSON NAMED CHAIRMAN

First steps toward consolidating Los
Angeles city and county governments
We're taken yeste8day, when six mem
bers of the commission appointed by
Mayor Alexander a few days ago met
to effect an organization and take up
the work J.. A. Anderson was elected
chairman and Lorin A. Handley secre-
tary.
1t is taken for granted by members
of the commission that some action
by the legislature will be necessary to
effect consolidation. Therefore a sub
committee was appointed to inYestl-
gate this phase of the problem and re-
port back to the commission. This
committee, which consists of Mr.. An
derson, w. B. Mathews and S. A. But
Ter, will meet tomorrow and take up
the question of the legislation needed.
Mayor Alexander attended yester-
days meeting, which was held in his
Office at 2:SO p. m. The commission
ers present were J. A. Anderson, l.. A.
Handley, w. B. Mathews, S. c. Graz
ham, S. A. Butler and D. K. Edwards
Leslie r. Hewitt was unable to attend.
J. l.. Matthews of Covina and e. r.
Jeffrey of Azusa appeared at the meet
ing as representatives of the district
cast of the San Gabriel river. They
asked the commission to arrange for
Joint meeting later with special COM
mittee of twenty-one appointed in that
district, of which MI Matthews Is the
chairman.
It was stated that the assessed valu-
alton they represented was S52,000,O 600
They are anxious, therefore, that their
claims to a portion of the owens river
water shall be heard IF the assump-
ton that Owens river water can be
sold by the city only within its own
boundaries is correct, the districts that
want the water must come into the
city.
The visitors were told that no date
for a Joint meeting could be fixed until
later, but that the commission would
be glad to meet with the San Gabriel
committee at the earliest possible date
Consolidation will provide Los Ange-
les with a market in which to sell not
only the surplus Owens river water,
which will not be required at present
for city use, but also the power which
that water will develop on It's way from
Keeler, in the owens valley, to Los
Angeles Receipts from these two
sources are expected not only to pay
interest charges on the aqueduct bonds,
but also to provide a sinking fund suf-
fcient to pay off the bonds themselves
as they fall due.
There are many legal difficulties to
he met in connection with the pro-
posed consolidation, and no one realizes
Certain of these difficulties were dis
cussed informally at yesterdays meet
ing It is expected that 1t will be diff
cult TO hit upon a plan of government
for the consolidated city and county
which will be ratified by other incorpo-
rated cities within the district Which II
is proposed to include in the greater
municipality However, the commits
sioners are determined to overcome
these obstacles by securing from the
legislature either a constitutional
amendment or an enabling act, which
ever may be found to be necessary.
EXECUTIVE SESSION HELD
Yesterdays business was transacted
in executive session for some reason
which neither the mayor nor any OF the
commissioners themselves could eX-
plain. 1t was said, however, that the
need for full publicity of the commits
sion's plans is appreciated and that
once work begins in earnest the COM
missions meetings will be open to any
citizen who may care to attend them.
1t is probable that one of the first
acts of the commission will be the en-
plovnent of a salaried secretary, as 1t
is evident that there will be much work
for such a person. This matter was
discussed in casual way at the meet
ing. -
portant tasks to be accomplished is
that Of working out the legal problem
the commission will expedite that part
of its work. If the subcommittee which
meets tomorrow is able to determine at
one meeting what legal steps are nee
essary, the commission will act prompt
Iy in order that the next legislature
may enact legislation which will pave
the way for consolidation. Discussion
of terms on which water and power
will be sold, and the territory within
which they will be made available, will
be determined later.