Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-01
OPPOSE REMOVAL
Of BURIAL PLACE
Counter Petition Is Against Aban-
domino Cemetery at
HOLLYWOOD
ASSOCIATION GETS ACTIVE
Will Present Argument to the City
Council in Regard to
IntermentS
ASSOCIATION GETS ACTIVE

The Hollywood Cemetery association
will file a petition asking the council to
deny the request of some citizens of
Hollywood and the ColegroVe board of
trade that the Hollywood cemetery be
abandoned for burial purposes. The
association makes the following argu-
ment:
The Hollywood Cemetery association respect
fully requests your honors to deny the petit
tion presented to you March 30 by certain
citizens living near Hollywood cemetery, ana
we beg leave to submit the following reasons
for not granting their request:
The Hollywood cemetery was established on
100 acres of ground carefully selected as being
particularly well adapted to the purpose while
the petition referred to describes the lN acres
''leve valley land" We respectfully refer
to the contour map herewith or the dlstrleI
recently completed by the city engineer of the
city of Los Angeles, which shows that the
Hollywood cemetery is crossed by the ridge
line" the highest ridge in that vicinity This
same contour map will show you that the
cemetery grounds instead of being level, are
decidedly rolling, just TO the proper degree
to give perfect drainage, without any excess
of roughness which might cause washing.
The said petition further represents tnal the
interments In Hollywood cemetery have been
comparatively few, whereas the contrary Is
the case, the exact number of interments up
to date being $50 The number of interments
has increased yearly since the cemetery was
started, the largest year having been the last
year, with total interments of 166. 1t is in
every respect one Of the leading cemeteries
of the city and county.
The grounds are beautifully improved, great
deal of money having been spent ON them' ana
the new management will at once spend a
large sum in further improvements. IL is at
the present time one of the most beautiful
cemeteries in the west.
SAYS VALUES NOT IMPAIRED
As to the contention in said petition that
the value of all property will be impaired ana
rendered less available for taxation we wish
to point out that acreage lots and houses
bring as high prices near Hollywood cemetery
as any other sparsely settled communities al
the same distance from the business centers
of Los Angeles and Hollywood. turthermore'
the said petition asks the prohibition OF IN
terments outside the area now in use. we
respectfully represent that the area now In
| use, If the cemetery affect values would &c
| so as much as a larger cemetery.
The Hollywood Cemetery association begs
leave to further represent that hundreds oi
| the most prominent families of Los Angeles
| city and county own lots in Hollywood eeme-
| terry, and have made it the last resting place
of their loved ones who have gone before
partial list of these families is given you
herewith. Their sacred rights are paramoull' o NJ
/ to any considerations Of few dollars more OF
| less on the value of the small amount OF
| property within, say, one block OF the ceme-
| terry.
court of this state in the case of Los Angeles
county VS.. the Hollywood cemetery, and is
reported in the One Hundred and Twenty
fourth California Reports, at page 544. Inc
point involved in that case was the question
of preventing the establishment or the Hoi-
lyWood cemetery in that locality. In discuss
ing the right to establish the same the court
stated: ITO provide for the repose OF the
dead is as lawful as to provide for the com
fort of the living" and concluded its decision
by denying the injunction against the Holly
wood cemetery, by which 1t was sought to
prevent its establishment. Thus the question
at issue has already been passed upon by the
highest court in the state.
CLAIMS WORK OF ENEMIES
The Hollywood Cemetery association further
represents that those who have taken the lead
in the preparation of the said petition are the
same persons who tried in the courts to pre-
vent the establishment of the cemetery in the
beginning that they have been all along enc
mics of the institution; that they have worked
for about two weeks on their petition, but Sc
cured only 150 names, most of the names being
those of persons who own real estate within
block or two of the Hollywood cemetery.
With reference to the point as TO Whether
a cemetery is inside or outside of the city
limits we wish to state that nearly all ceme-
teries throughout the country are inside the
city limits. under the protection OF the ponce
and other departments of city government, ana
conveniently located for the residents OF the
city in visiting the graves of their departed.
As soon as the intention to consolidate the Los
Angeles city and county governments is car
ried out all the cemeteries now in SUBURBAN
towns and villages within considerable dis
tanee of Los Angeles will be within the city
limits.
If your honorable body desires a counter pc
tition from the friends of the Hollywood ceme-
terry we further show that we could present
a petition signed by practieally every man
and woman in the city of Los Angeles, eX-
cept the few signers of the said petition pre-
sented to you March 30.
We request a hearing as quickly as posslple'
secure in the certainty that your honorable
body will emphatically reject the petition to
interfere with the cemetery.