Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-21
MAYOR URGES HIS
HANDS Be UPHELD
Alexander in Letter to Voters Ad-
vocates Election of Stew
art and Whiffen
UNVEILS CORPORATION MOVES
Communication EnthuSes a Big
Rally of Voters in Pico
Heights District
UNVEILS CORPORATION MOVES

Mavor Alexander found it impossible
TO be present at the Good Government
mass meeting at vaughan's hall. near
Tenth and Ell Molino streets last night
hut instead sent a letter to the meet
ino which made almost as much OF a
hit as his speech would have done.
There was a large attendance, and
great deal of enthusiasm was manlfesl'
The rally was conducted under the
ausnices Of the Good Government clup
in precinct 159, and NUMBER of fn413ro ntgna
ly interesting speeches "eIo d
of the evening.
Mavor Alexander's letter. which was
road amid much applause, was as fol-
lows: View. 20 1o,o
To the Voters Of Pico Heights:
II has been announced by the newspapers
that I was to speak at the Good Government
rally to be held at FL Molino hall next Noh-
day evening. Important matters coming DC
fora tbe notice commission, which meets at
that time, demand my attention. ana SO %n
writing this letter of regret that cannot Oe
present -. - vote
on the question of reducing rates for eleotrlc
lighting The power companies made great
fuss over the ordinance reducing the rate lroHl
nine to seven cents, and said they "oulo
enpeal directly to the people by invoking the
referendum. But they did not want the ques-
tion submitted at an election wnere .there
would be big vote cast. They wanted II
nut to a vote when there was no other ques-
tion before the people. They believed they
could keep on circulating their petitions for
referendum until they secured signatures equal
in number to a majority OF those orolnarly
voting at an election. Then they intended,
not to file their petition and ask for special
election, but to use 1t as a club over the
council. With such petition they thought
they might bulldoze the council into repeating
the ordinance reducing the lighting rate
rather than ordering a special election at an
expense of more than s6OOO
UNVEILS CORPORATIONS
The Pasadena municipal lighting plant re-
Gently reduced its rate from seven to hVe
cents the figures at which the Edison Eiec-
tric company then furnishing light TO
citizens of Pasadena. The Edison company
Immediately dropped its rate to four cents
This they claim, is war measure" In
other words they do not want to do business
on a fair competitive basis. They want to
put the municipal lighting plant out Of opera
ton, so that they may have monopoly.
This is not the fight Of Los Angeles alone.
II is the fight of the power trust OF the
United States against municipal competition
In public utilities.
Why can we not sell our Owens river bonds
now? Because the power trust is fighting us;
because the bond companies own large
amounts of the stocks and bonds Of the power
companies.
Why can't we sell our power oonds! for
the same reason.
Why can we not sell harbor bonds7
Pecause the Southern Pacific is using It's
influence in the bond market to prevent the
development of free harbor facilities here,
to the end that it may escape water trans
portation competition.
have heard these corporations cry for
years, Your taxation will ruin us" You
all knew Ben Ward Ben Ward told them,
"You fix your valuation at one figure for the
purpose of taxation and at another figure as
a basis for the establishment Of rates for the
services you render the public" And they
admitted it.
FOR STEWART AND WHIFFEN
The power companies threaten TO stop the
growth of Los Angeles by refusing further
extensions under the claim that seven
cent rate is not equitable and therefore they
cannot raise money to make the extensions. I
wonder If this means that they will no longer
require those who ask for extensions to ad-
TO them money without interest, to
cover the cost a portion of the cost of
the proposed extensions:
In this connection / wish to say that esti-
mates made by a competent electrical en-
gineer, who has made study of the problem
and who is thoroughly familiar with the
situation, show that the city of Los Angeles,
when its aqueduct power system is estab-
lshed will be able, under a six-cent rate, to
provide all extensions required by the growth
OF the city.
For fifteen years Champ Vance and his
gang have gotten pretty nearly everything
they wanted from the city council. They can't
do It now.
I know Frederick ]. whtffen and George
II. Stewart well. When the very interests that
are now fighting the people tried to steal my
nomination for supervisor, both of these men
stood squarely behind me. That is why
know that they Good Government men.
They would not have dared at that time to
take the stand they did If they were not
sincere and fearless advocates Of progressive
government-our kind of nen-with in
fight.
APPEALS TO VOTERS
II you think of your own best interests
my friends, you will not fail to vote for
them, and also 10 work Tor their election. The
power trust is against them. That alone
should be sufficient why you should
see to it that they elected.
Healy and Houghton both members
Of the council that tried to give away one
of the citys greatest assets-the riverbed
franchise. Both of them voted for the deal.
Therefore, it makes no difference what your
political affiliations may be; as good citiSns,
as intelligent men, you should vote for youS-
selves by voting for Stewart and Whiffen.
Help me give the city good administration.
Give me two more good men in the council.
I wish also to call attention to the license
ordinance which will be presented for a vote
of the people at the election of June 80 This
proposed ordinance does away with the old,
inequitable license ordinance. and substitutes
for 1t one that deals more Justly with the
small business man, one that is nearly
equitable as 1t be framed.
The meeting was largely-a attended,
and the speech by Lee c. Gates was
Ol6 VI IHe features OF Cne occasion.
Mr.. Gates was largely applauded and
went thoroughly into the various is
sues Of the campaign, urging the vot-
ers of the precinct in which the rally
was held to come to the aid of the
Good Government administration and
help elect Messrs. Stewart and Whit
fen to the city council.
j. B. Holley presided at the meeting
and made a brief but excellent ad-
dress. other speeches, which elected
much applause and did much to eluo-
date the issues of the campaign. We're
made by Ben c. Robinson, fire COM
mission: Rev. Will D. Lands, Rey-
mold Blight, Hugh Benedict, Clarence
M. Taggart and J. w. Merrill, a g.
year-old attorney who has been unusu-
ally active in the present campaign,
and whose speech was one of the
"hits" of the meeting.
William T. Campbell introduced the
speakers and also made a brief ad-
dress
FUNERAL OF MRS. REEsBERG
Funeral services will i,a hold o1,ar +ba