Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-12-13
LOS Angel ES
ELEC IlON.
Martin E. TeW Writes nterestlne
Letter From The Callforni1's
Famous Winter Resort. i

Editor Tribune:
Los Angeles went through the
throes Of an exceedingly interesting
election on Dec. 5th. There were two
tickets in the field labeled respect
lively .Good Government" and $50
cialist." Names mean nothing. Good
government was not an issue, as both
factions prompted good government.
SOCIALISM was not an issue, for it
stands to reason that a set of city |
officials cannot bring to reality the
dream of Karl Marx and Herr Bebel. |
It was rally a fight between the
conservatives and the radicals. The
conservatives consisted Of the usual
combination. All the old devices were
resorted to. There was an abund-
ance Of money available to build ma
chimes in each precinct and ward,
and to keep then well oiled all the
time. On election day the "Good
Government" organization had over
1000 automobiles to bring in voters.
All the big newspapers were hammer
J ing away day in and day out franti
cally urging the people to save the
city The Southern Pacific ring, the
franchise corporations and all the
old professionals in the political
game were wrought up into a frenzy
for fear that their "Good Govern
ment" candidates would lose.
Neither the Good Government nor
! the Socialist parties committed
themselves on the prohibition amend
ment. The brewers and saloon keep
ers appealed to the voters through an
organization which they named the
. ''Taxpayers League" The reform
wave that swept California a short
time ago had scared the liquor sellers
half to death. They made a big
campaign to save their hides and all
the usual sophistries about killing
the town., "driving people away"
"prohibition don't prohibit ETC."
) were blazoned in big letters in full
D page newspaper announcements and
! on the bill boards. The liquor sellers
( almost to a man supported the "Good
Government" ticket.
: The big bone of contention in The
: campaign, however, was the Aque-
l. duct. Los Angeles has voted 1913,
d 100000 in bonds to carry water from
J. the OVENS River, 260 miles, over
mountains and deserts to the city.
Ie A large part of this costly aqueduct
J. has already been constructed. The
l. radicals in the recent campaign said
~ that this water would 60 to benefit
J. private individuals and corporations.
IN The situation in brief is this:
v. North Of Los Angeles is the San
" Fernando valley consisting of thou
$ sands of rich land. The present val
10 ue is about $50, an acre. With an
= abundance Of water for irrigation
J., this land will be worth from $500 to
IT. $1,000, an acre.
IS The big captains Of industry in
in Los Angeles have got hold Of this
q land, at low price, By controlling
r, the political machinery of the city
r. they can divert the water from the
rs Owens river to these lands and sell
q them at an advance Of 600 to 5000
= per cent. It will cost tn m nothing
IF to bring this water $50 miles; the
s. taxpayers Of Los Angeles will dc
er that. In other words the city dwell
$. lers will carry the water to pour upon
Is the land Of these high fnanciers free
IF and as a reward for their industry
,e they will be allowed enough water
to drink for themselves. In the
ID charter there is clever "joker'
le which prevents the city from making
in any profit on the water. Out of the
~ thousands Of beautiful schemes
A worked in the past so years to tax
a the people for the enrichment Of a
few schemers this is one Of the finest.
* But what about woman's suffrage?
1e Do not the women have clearer
e. sense Of right and wrong than men? 2
v In the late state election the brave
= men of California decided to put at