James G. McAllister (1861 – October 10, 1933) was a 20th-century rancher and miner who was on the Utah Board of Equalization and later was a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council from 1928 to 1933.

Biography

McAllister was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

where he was a carpenter and worked on the pipes for the organ in the

Mormon Tabernacle The Salt Lake Tabernacle, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, in the U.S. state of Utah. The Tabernacle was built from 1863 to 1875 to house meetings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da ...

. Then he opened several gold and silver mines before taking up political life as a member of the Utah Board of Equalization from 1911 to 1913. In 1920 he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he engaged in the real-estate business. He lived at 1467 West 49th Street in that city. He died at the age of 72 in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

of an "abdominal ailment" on October 10, 1933, leaving his widow, Emily M. McCallister, and a daughter, Mrs. Roy Avery.M'Allister Last Rites Tomorrow," ''Los Angeles Times,'' October 11, 1933, page A-8
/ref> A

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes in ...

funeral service was held, and the body was taken to Salt Lake City for interment.

City Council

Elections

McAllister, the president of the

South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown. It is de ...

Property Owners' Protective League, entered his name in the 6th District race in the southwestern part of the city when Councilman

Lester R. Rice-Wray Lester R. Rice-Wray (August 1, 1871 – August 4, 1943) was a professor of mathematics at the University of Denver who later was elected to the City Council in Los Angeles, California, and was the first councilman there to face a recall election u ...

faced a

recall election A recall election (also called a recall referendum, recall petition or representative recall) is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a referendum before that official's term of office has ended. Recalls ...

in 1928, brought about by Rice-Wray's support for a Slauson Avenue storm-drain project that would have levied taxes on thousands of district property owners. Rice-Wray lost his seat, and McAllister was chosen in his place. He was returned to the council in 1929 and 1931 but was defeated in June 1933 by Earl C. Gay.

Activities

During his council terms, McAllister was active in: 1930 Urging an investigation of streetcar service provided by the

Los Angeles Railway The Los Angeles Railway (also known as Yellow Cars, LARy and later Los Angeles Transit Lines) was a system of streetcars that operated in Central Los Angeles and surrounding neighborhoods between 1895 and 1963. The system provided frequent loc ...

, which he said deteriorated markedly even after fares were increased. 1930 Unsuccessfully opposing the allocation of funds to make a study of leveling Bunker Hill, which, it was said, "stands as a hindrance to traffic and a bar to development in the northwestern downtown territory." 1931 Voting in favor of appealing a judge's order to end racial segregation in city-operated swimming pools. The pools had previously been restricted by race to certain days or hours. The vote to appeal lost by 8-6. An appeal would have delayed or ended desegregation. 1932 Proposing that the city abandon its municipal airport "because the figures demonstrate that the operation of the port is too expensive and a luxury for the citizens and taxpayers. . . . Private enterprise in this city has been and is taking care of our aerial needs, and no municipal subsidy is required." The city had leased Mines Field and renamed it the Municipal Airport in October 1928, with McAllister voting against the plan. "Previously, a bond issue for acquisition of an airport had been rejected by the voters." 1932 Warring on "lien sharks" who snapped up properties within the city when the owners, cash poor during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, were forced to allow assessment bonds to default. He wanted the owners to be "defended by the City Attorney, City Prosecutor and Public Defender," with "criminal proceedings" perhaps being instituted. 1932 Seeking a probe of possible favoritism toward laid-off city workers in the distribution of financial aid under the provisions of a relief bond issue approved by the voters to help the unemployed."Job Relief Favoritism Quiz Asked," ''Los Angeles Times,'' July 17, 1932, page A-1
/ref>

References

Access to the ''Los Angeles Times'' links requires the use of a library card. ---- {{DEFAULTSORT:McAllister, James G. 1933 deaths Los Angeles City Council members 20th-century California politicians