GEORGE A. GONZALEZ - fieldi

AUTOMOBILE EMISSION STANDARDS 79was published in the evening edition of the Los Angeles Times on May 17,1947 followed by a strong editorial in the Sunday Times of May 18, 1947”(Kennedy 1954, 13). These pieces in the Times were particularly critical ofthe oil refining industry, and its opposition to the proposed clean air legislation,which was preventing its passage through the state senate (Ainsworth1947; “Public Called on to Block Crippling of Anti-Smog Bill” 1947;Kennedy 1954, 11; Brienes 1975, 129–130).Kennedy, as counsel for the County, was invited to a meeting of oil companyexecutives, held on May 19, 1947, where the executives discussed thepolitical position of their companies on the proposed smog legislation. Attendingthe meeting were representatives from Standard, Union, Texaco, GeneralPetroleum, Shell, and Richfield. Also present was William Jeffers, who in additionto heading the Los Angeles Times’s Citizens’ Smog Advisory Committee,was a former chairperson and president of the Union Pacific Railroad Company(“‘Times’ Expert Offers Smog Plan” 1947; Kennedy 1954, 13–14).Kennedy (1954) explains how oil companies during this meeting cameto withdraw their initial opposition to the smog abatement bill. Central tothis decision was the support that some company executives expressed for thelegislation:At this meeting the question of the official position that should be taken bythe major oil companies was fully discussed by the executives of these companies.The leadership of Mr. William Stewart, Vice President of the UnionOil Company, was invaluable. He argued that smog was a far reaching communityquestion affecting not only the comfort and health of the entirecommunity, but also its future prosperity. Mr. Stewart spoke for Union OilCompany and firmly stated that as far as his company was concerned, theybelieved they must make their contribution to Los Angeles County, and toSouthern California and for their part they would not oppose the passage ofAssembly Bill 1 [the anti-smog bill]. In the presence of Mr. Jeffers, and Mr.Kennedy, a frank discussion was held and at the conclusion Mr. CharlesJones, President of Richfield, who had called the meeting and served asChairman, went around the table and the roll informally was called, indicatingthe withdrawal of the theretofore expressed opposition of the majoroil companies [emphasis added]. (14)Shortly after the oil company executives reached their consensus, Kennedyreported that he received a telephone call from a leading oil industry lobbyistexplaining “that the oil companies would not further oppose the passageof Assembly Bill 1 and would not insist upon any amendments to the bill”(Kennedy 1954, 14). Just prior to the oil companies’ meeting, Jeffers, in ameeting with the major railroads operating in California, convinced thesefirms to withdraw their opposition to the smog bill (Kennedy 1954, 10;Brienes 1975, 128–129).