Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-08
URGE HEAVY VOTE
ON HARBOR BONDS
Champions of Waterfront DeveI-
opment Say Large Major
ity Is Necessary
TO CONVINCE WASHINGTON
Merchants and Manufacturers
Association Makes Appeal
to the Public
TO CONVINCE WASHINGTON
Continued from Page One,


he urge every voter within his reach to
do likewise"
That the Los Angeles harbor and
power plant bonds must not only be
voted April 10. but that the two pro-
jects must be carried by a large ma
jority, was the statement made yester-
day by Lieut. Charles T. Leeds, gov
ernment engineer in charge of the har-
Dor development, and by Secretary A.
p. Fleming of the harbor commission
and others.
If the bonds are carried merely by
a small vote, or II there Is not an
enthusiastic interest manifested In the
success of the projects involved. It Is
feared the officials at Washington may
consider the harbor improvement much
less important than 1t Is, and that the
lack Of interest shown here In the
success Of the bond issues may be
taken advantage of as an excuse for
dilatory tactics and for Withholding
further federal appropriations and sup
port
There should be an enthusiastic
campaign in the interest of these
bonds" said Lieutenant Leeds yester-
day, $50 that the United States gov
ernment will know how earnest and de-
termined we are in the matter and will
understand that we regard 1t as of
tremendous importance to the commu-
nifty. If there is not a large vote 1t
may be said that there is not much in
terest here in the harbor development,
and that after all the proposed appro-
priations may safely be postponed for
q while; but If the government real
ICES how profoundly in earnest the
city is and what great Importance is
attached to our harbor development,
those upon whom the city is depending
for federal aid will be more apt to en-
courage the expedition of appropria-
tions and TO work for our success"
URGES HEAVY VOTE
Secretary Fleming, discussing this
phase of the bond election, also said:
"a heavy vote for the bond issues is
of extreme Importance. Every voter
who has the future interests of our
city at heart and who wants to aid in
the great work before us should not
fail to cast his vote as early as pos
sible April 10 for the proposed bond
issues. Every vote will help to swell
the tremendous majority we need and
will aid in giving us total which
will cause the opposition to stagger.
and at the same time 1t will prove a
revelation to the doubters at Washing
ton as to how enthusiastic and anxious
the people of Los Angeles are to keep
pace with the demands of our COM |
merce and industries.
"Votei Vote! Don't fail to vote |
It is of vital Importance that there
be an immense and enthusiastic inter- |
est shown in this bond election. 1t
must not be said at Washington that
we are only half-hearted in the work; |
that the sentiment is divided, or that
the vote cast at this election indicates |
we are not deeply concerned and that |
therefore the provisions secured by |
Senator Flint for further appropria-
tions can be struck out without fear or
popular objection. These appropria-
tions and the further support of the |
federal government are as important |
as the municipal bond issue, for there |
is a great deal to be done before our
harbor is ready to accommodate the |
commerce which will come to 1t with
the opening of the Panama canal.
"There may be no doubt that the
bond issue will carry, but there Is dan
ger in the very fact that SO many per
sons seem to feel confident of results.
They say: oh, well, there is no oppo-
sition to the bonds. My vote is not
needed, for the votes of others Will be
sufficient to insure their success.
LAUDS FLINT
THAT is wrong The bonds must be
carried by as heavy vote as we pos
sibly can secure. Otherwise the ala
which we have been receiving at
Washington, thanks to the good work
of Senator Flint, may suddenly dwin-
die and the government officials will
say that we are not extremely anxious
and that therefore further approprla-
tions are not necessary.
The Merchants and Manufacturers
association through its president, Y. III.
Plummer, yesterday issued an appeal
to the voters of Los Angeles to sup
mort the proposed bond issue. The ap-
90 hn CfrnnUadf most
that so far has been Issued.
1t reads:
To the Voters of Los Angeles:
The message 1 bring TO you is one from
business man, representing as Its president an
organization of business men. Men OF intel
I,eence men of character and standing in the |
men who have given ana expect
to give Of their time and substance In the
work of making Los Angeles one OF the great
cities of the worls; men who lapor, not TOT
their personal gain, but actuated only by CIVIC |
nride: and when say to you that this organ
ization bids you stand for the issuance or
the harbor and power bonds, such message
should appeal to you and have its influence
In mollding public sentiment.
Won know this association-the Merchants
and Manufacturers you realize that we nave
~ ,,iterior object in giving this advice; that
We are in this fight, as have been In many
other fights, because we belieVe our cause Is
lust and have the courage OF our CONVICTIONS.
our membership is composed or class VINO
will share a goodly portion OF the expense
and stand ready to assume their responsibility
and consider 1t money well spent, and merely
In the light of investment OF capital which
will return to them, to you and the entire
southland, compounded interest upon the in
.,,,,
As regards the harbor bonds. there is really
no argument for even If they We're not alto
rether meritorious we would stultify ourselves
and place ourselves in a very equlvocal light
before our neighbors and the world at large
II they were not voted for an absolute promise
10 do so was one of the considerations of
the contract with the harbor cities In our In
vitation to them to come into the fold, and
no honest or honorable citizen possessed of
the right Of franchise has the moral right to
repudiate one of the essential features of this
President Taft, in commenting upon the Los
Angeles way eulogized II and announced that
II was a pleasure for the United States gov
ernment to help those who helped themselves
and our attitude of assuming a portion of
the burden of public improvements was some-
what unique in the general scramble by
various communities for government ap- |
propriations. so we not alone have posi-
tive promise to the cities Of Wilmington and l.