Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-14
PROTECT INVESTORS

Il OS ANGELES HERALD proposes
and advocates law in California
II to protect investors. Every repu-
table citizen is in favor of such law
OF those who oppose it, beware. NO
decent man is opposed to measures Tor
the insurance of his clients against
loss caused by the methods of irres-
ular practitioners. The legitimate min
ing and oil industries are among the
greatest and most valuable of the m
dustries of the state.
The mineral industries of California
equal in value, growth, productiveness
and benefit to the state the agricul-
tural and fruit interests. Unhapplly'
while there are thousands of honor
able, square dealing. -principled
men engaged in these great industries,
there are also hundreds of harpies and
predatory parasites that take advan-
tage of the legitimate advertising to
work various schemes and plans for
cheating and gouging.
BY such creatures the legitimate pub
licity attending the mining and oil bus
iness is used to operate nefarious
schemes with the object of making
money by swindling unwary investors
It is unfortunate that many of the
investors thus victimized are people
of small means, who in too many in
stances are robbed of the savings of
a lifetime With the recent boom in
oil and in mining. these predatory op-
orators have grown bolder and more
active, and in many instances their
methods are rankly and Enthusiastically
criminal.
Business men engaged legitimately in
the mining and oil business are hoping
fervently it will be possible to bring
great many of these swindlers to book
and put some of them behind prison
bars.
Many Of them have laid their traps
for the unwary in such manner that
they barely escape the penitentiary to
which "by rights" they belong. The
district attorneys office would be rem
dering a public service that would be
highly appreciated by the legitimate
business interests of Greater Los An
geles if it would devote considerable
time and special attention to remov-
ing from an honorable and industrial
business the dishonorable and non-in-
dustria1 parasites that infest it.
The Herald's mining and oil de-
partment is recognized not only on this
coast, but far and wide and nationally
as the leading western authority, and
The Herald takes pains to keep it con-
stantly clean and reliable and not
to allow a word to creep in that may
be mislnforming, misleading or liable
to produce an impression not war
ranted by facts. The Herald recog-
nizes the Importance and the value of
maintaining at highest level the repu-
tation of all the industries and all the
business men of California; and this
level IS maintained only by an assidu-
Gus devotion to FACTS, and a constant
elimination from consideration of men
and of propositions. plans or schemes
that are doubtful quantities.
1t is The Heralds wish and hope
that the good name of the mining and
oil industries of California may be firm
ly established, above fear and above
reproach by intelligent official activity
directed toward the protection of the
legitimate interests of these great in
dustries and legitimate operators in
them, and the elimination of every in
terest and every operator that may be
regarded as dubious or detrimental.