The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 26, 1897, Page 29

| ».\a posep THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1897. 29 [ SAN PEDRO'S FREE HARBOR MEANS TO LOS ANGELES oRO STEPHEN M. WHITE ANGELES, CAL., Sept. to do for Los —San Pedro’s deep-sea Angeles and Southern generally what the Lingley tariff bill is coing Such is the sentiment prevailing ed by the expressions of some of the t local men in public and private life. The construction of the breakwater, it is confidently an- ticipated, will inaugurate a period of commercial ani financial prosperity that will make even the past phenomenal progress of Los Angeles seem ordinary. Herewith are given the views of some of the most influ- ential men of Los Angeles as to what the construction of the deep-sea harbor at San Pedro will mean to Los Angeles. large. , as eviden “The People Will Rejoice.” Within the last few years there has been marvelous increase in the wealth and prosperity of Southern California. While this improvement has been marked everywhere it is particularly noticeable in Los Angeles and vicinity. From a mere village a city has arisen. The varied requir-menis of the new condition have been more or less adequately met by the energy, intelli- gence and confidence of our ne. It was early appreciated a good harlor was estential. The advantages of ocean tratlic, the impossibility of doing busi- ness successfully solely by rail, or even by the utilizition of the fine harbor at San Diego, located about one-fourth as far from Los Angeles as is San Francisco, convinced every one interested and all experis who were called upon that a local ocean outlet must be had. The old-time mariner had utilized the Embarcadero at San Pedro; Government engineers from an eariy date haa recom- mended it. Expenditures made under river and harbor bills up to 1892 had, according to official testimony, produced the best results. No oneconnected with the Engineer Dopartment of the United States army—and no more honorable or compe- tent men bave ever been engaged in the public service—doubted the feasibility and desirability of harbor construction at that point. Powerful influences headed by Mr. Huntington intervened and insisted upon a translation of Government enterprise to Santa Mcnica. Then followed a congre-sional and depart- mental contest which will always be memorable. Repeated verdicts of impartial tribunals in favor of San Pearo were doubted and even set aside, and notwithstanding the vigorous yrotests of auihorizad ;epresentatives and tue combined influ- ence of the California Congressional delegation success seemed for a time doubtiu Final'y an ur expected obstacle arose. Secretaries of War had ziwa, veen in the habit of deferring to the corps of en- gineer:, who were necessarily well advised; but Mr. Alger viewed the matter otherwise, and appeared to agree with rail- road advocaies in the misconsiruction of Admiral Walker’s report, and the Secieiary went so far as to claim that the scheme of improvement would not be perfect unless the Government proceeded to consiruct commercial wh , thus wholly avoid- ing te expenditure. The imbossibility of the adoption of such a poli nd the palpably erroneous interpretation which had been ziven to 1he Walker report, have led to an opinion by Attorney-General McKenna, which, if accurately reported, is not only sound law, but must result in the prosecution of the work With the completion of this harbor the mbjor part of the population and wealth of California will be readily accessible from the sea as well as from the land. The largest vessels will take our products at San Pedro and wiil bring here the many wares required for domestic use. When the at Nicaragua water way has been opened the effect upon transportation rates will at once be manifesied. The citras fruit producer, the wheat-grower and farmers generaliy will pocket a considerable percentage or the coin that now goes into the possession of common carriers. I do not deem it neces- sary 0 elaborate upon this sudject, for any intelligent observer can draw his own conclusions. I believe that much Oriental trade destined for gulf and Earopean ports wiil pass through the new harbor. The shortening of rail transportation w 11 sug- gest to those engaged in international trade the wisdom of adopting a course which will bring about this condition of affairs, When tie San Pedro breakwater is commenced the people will rejoice, not only because of improved compmercial prospects, but also for the reason that the law has been obeyed. et O 312 United States Senator. ofs e e S B & o SN GEO.H.BONEBRAKE ¢ Every Dollar Expended Will Stay Here.” The building of the breakwater at San Pedro will give an impetus to business throughout Southern Californ nd in- directly to the whoie State. You cannot make one part of Cali- fornia more prosperous, by giving better facilities {or transpor- tation, without the current of prosperity being felt throughout the entire State. Northern California is as much interested in the pros<perity of Southern California as Southern California is interested in Northern and Central California. We are one commonwealth, and should stand toge her upon ail matters which affect us. The construction of the breakwater means the expenditure of at least $3,000,00) by the Guvernment. As much more will also be spent by private indivi luals and companie« in the con- struction of facilities to do the business that will fluw to this part of the country. [t means that a larze amount of capital will be paid out among the very ciass of people who need it most. As I said years ago, this vallev will in time be gridironed with railroad-, and the whole country from San Bernardino to the ocean will b2 one vast combination of flywer gardens and fruit orchards, /" g, President Los Angeles National Bank. “It Will Attract ’New Railways.” Ia answer to the question as to what benetiis w.li be gained for Los Angeles by the deep-sea harbor at San Pedro I would say that the national census of 1890 g o Los Anz-les a popu- lation of 50,394 and the census taken in June, 1897, under the State law of Californis, gives this city 105,079 inh.biiants. Toe postal receipts for the past ten years in tuis city show an in- crease in that period of nearly 300 per cent. This phenomenal growth, more than doubling the population and tripling the postal receipts, was caused by the exceilent climate, rich soii, the discovery of oil and the production or oranges, lemons, limes, prunes and olives, with the manufacture of wines, brandies, beet sugar and olive oils. A deer-sea harb r improved wi'h the necessary wharves, docks and other shipping facilities that would permit of exports toand imports from ull foreign couniries would cause an increase in the foregoing products; it would attract new transcontinental railways to thi< place to iransport merchandise from the East and coal, rich o e and other products from Utah. The importa- tion of ores irom Utah would cause smeiters to be erected hera for their reduction. Tuis wouid be feasibie on account of the cheap coal from Utah and the fuel oil produced from iccal Postmaster. “It Will Give New Life to Industries.” The construction of a deep-sea harbor means first of all a free harbor, the significance of which is important in the light of all the surroundings. When there is free access to the sea for the people ofa large and fertila regzion the effect is 1o greatly stimulate settlement, vroduciion and shipments, consequently it cannot fail to bea good thing for the people immediately concerned, as w 1l as for the far iarger regions naturally tributary to the country im- mediately concerned in such free harbor. The inevitable effect will be to vastly benefit not only the people themselves, the city of Los Angeles and all the sur- rounding towns and country, but the great transportation lines, which will, more larg:ly than any other single interest, participate in the benefits conferred by a free harbor. The Southkern Facific itself will bs perbaps a larzer beneficiary than any other single line orinstitution. Itisin the field with its completed main lines and branches and is prepared to ao the work of transporting ireight and pascengers on a large scale, and no power can yprevent it from receiving a very large pro- portion of the increased traffic which will follow the future de- velopment of Soutnern California consequent upon the com- pletion of the deep--ea barbor at San Pedro. For this reason it has always been to me an amusing fact that that corporation persistently attempted to obstruct the movement tor a free har- bor—to defeat the will of the people and the expressed wiil of Cungress. The mere expenditure of the harbor appropriation of $3,000,000 is by no means of the first consequence to Los An- & & = & Gttt SR Tl G e L e e S = —_— 2-BR0POSED saLY Lane ?/ ’:T‘..‘u';‘am LLEN e geles. That is a mere incident in the general march of progress, which the settlement of this matter will be sure to accelerate. The general stimulus to settlement, cultivation, production, manufacturing and commerce wiich will be given by the final determination of this long-disputed question of the harbor site will vastly ontweigh in importunce the mere expenditure of the hathor appropriation. It wiil give new life to other industries; it will bring from abroad fresh capital in large amounts for investment i ere; it, together with the recent tariff legisiation of the Republican Congress, wili produce renewed activity in land sales, in the suodiviston of large holdings, in planting and in the cultiva- tion of both citrus and deciduous fruits, for here is destined 1o be created a great market and great city and an imvortant gateway to the commerce of the world. 7 / %/a,,wm & /,:7( [Q{f{// President Los Angeles Free Harbor League and editor Los Angeles Times “Los Angeles Will Be the Supply Bass.” 1 have always been in favor of San Pedro, because I thought it the natural harvor for t part of California. As population has seemed to determine that Los Angeles 1s the center of all the southern portion of State, that part of the sea coast most suitable for a harbor, as being nearest to the commercial center, has, in my opinion, been chosen. While Los Angeles bas certain natural advantages in the way of climate and soil, whieh bave had a tendency to make it forge ahead, its success i- largely to be attributed to the immi- gration it hasreceived from what would be called the great middle West—men of the most progressive character, who have made money in their respective sections. Having come here tuese men have realized that onropportunities are great; they appre- ciated the advantages more than ihe old residents, who had become accustomed and indifferent to them, becauss of having been in the midst of them for so long. Their judement and en- terprise have in mos! instances been romarkably we!l rewarded. These men are still here, and their numbver will be largely aug- mented in the next ten or fifteen years. Should tbhe Nicaragua canal be built, I consider that Los Angeles will be the supply basis of all of Sonthern California, Arizona and those ports of Utah and Nevada with which we will be in touch by some new railroad which will undoubtediy President First National Bank. “‘Shipping Interests Will Be Enlarged.” 1 belicve there are very few business men who now fully appreciate the value to Los Aungeles of the proposed deep-sea harbor at San Pedro. There can be no doubt that it means the upbniiding of this city as a commercial center. One of the principal and early results will b: the buildinz of a railioad from here that wili go tirough to Salt Luke City. This will open to us a vast mineral, horticultural ana agricul- tural country that will be of inestimable value o Los Angeles. It will also shorten the distance between Los Angeles and the East about 600 miles, and of course shorten- the tinte propor- tionately, ali of which will tend to make this city a great com- mercial center—an exceedingly great one. By the consiruction of the Sin Pedro harbor our shipning interests will be enlarged; there will be new lines of steamers to foreign ports, and tourist travel woula certainiy be aug- mented by the curtailment of the distance between ‘here and tbe East. Ouar manufactories, by reason of cheap coke and coal that we would get ulong the line of this new raiiroad, would be ma- terially increased. With the new narbor and . railroad there would be no city in the West, Southwest or Northwest that would have so many advantages as Los Angeles. O M Qi President Board of Trade. ols o & 2 = &4 “We Will See Good Old Boom Days.” No better illustration of the benefits to be derived from the deep-sea harbor to Southern California could be furnished than t: e new steamship line that now connects Los Angeies direct!y with Mexico. Heretofore no deep-sea vessel has been able to find a safe anchorage anywhere in Southern California. ‘With the construction of a deep-sea harbor at San Pedro, as ordered by Congress and contemplated in the report of the board of engineers, there will be brought to the very doors of Los Angeles the maritime trade of the world. We will be then in a position to bave the Pacific Mail steamers from the Orient touch at San Pedro, and we will be in more direct communication with the East, having 500 miles the advantage of S¢n Francisco. ‘While it is impossible to state in detail the great advantages and many benefits that will be derived from the harbor of San Pedro it may be generaily stated that it will have a bteneficial effect on the commercial, industriai and financial spheres of Southern California. In fact, when the work on the bharbor is commenced we will again see good old boom days. efe agr < President Merchants’ and Manufacturers’ Association. “Populatior; Wfll Be Doubled.” With the completion of the deep-sea harbor at San Pedro will bezin & new era of prosperitv and increased developm ent of the resources of Southern California. It isobvious that the progress of transformation in this end of the State has been over a road rendered slow and uncertain by reason of inadequa te harbor facilities. In making this statement I do not take into consideration that section in the vicinity of San Diego Bay, for Lys Angeles and other portions of Southern California are too far removed from this bay to be benefited in the least by its shipping advantages. What Los Angeles has needed for vears, and what Los Angzeles needs to-day, is a good harbor within a few miles of its business center. This need will have been sup- plied when the proposed improvements at San Pedro have been carried to a succassful conclusion. A harvor at San Pedro means not only that the population of the city of Lis Angeles will in a brief space of time bs Joubie 103,000, but that the population of the whole of South- ern California will be doubled. This end of the S-ate of California i3 a big producer of gold and other precous minerals, and there are no smeiters here; but this will come with the harbor and fhe Salt Lake Railroad. While the improvements are in progress there need be no un- employed hands in th:s section. I expectsoca to see San Pedro become a considerable ciy. Already that town isattracting considerable attention of capitaiists, and two street railway companies contemplate estab'ishing electric roads bstween the ciiy of Los Angeles and Saa Pedro. 77 Mayor. “ Means Ano:her O;rlénd Road.” The benelits to be derived from the building of the deep- sea harbor at San Pedro go much beyond the simple matter of expending a few million doliars there. Many other_interesis in the country will be benefited thereby. With the completion of the Nicaragua Canz! we will be enapled to put our fruits, owing to the low rates ol freight, coupled with quick transportation, into all the markets of the world, practically. With a harbor at San Pedro accessible to deep-sea vessels weshall be able to land our products in London 1n 2 much sbhorter time than is now poszible. The construction of the harbor unquestionably means and will result in the building of another overland rvad between L-s Angeles and Salt Lake, and will aiso lead to the establish- ment of large manufactories at or near San Pedro, and probably the construction of great iron and other manufacturing plants at or near Los Ange'es. President Chamber of Commerce