Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-05-13
THE SENATE COMMITTEE.
To Arrive TO-MOrrOw and survey
the Section.

the Section.
General Tom Clunie, General r. P.
Hammond and General Wiley have been
in the city for couple of days past.
General Clunie's visit has an unusual
significance at this time, inasmuch as he
is full OF complete information as to the
visit of the Senate Committee to this
Coast. He is the Member of Congress-
elect for the Fifth Congressional District
of this State, and as such takes deep
interest in all that concerns California.
Before he left San Francisco he was with
the Senators, and made tour of inspec-
ton around the bay with them.
General Clunie last night paid
"a visit to the HERALD office,
and while there reporter took
the opportunity of having few moments
conversation in regard to the Senators
who will arrive here tomorrow. There
are in the Senatorial party. Hale, of
Maine; Hoar, of Massachusetts; Pugh,
of Alabama. and Dolph, of Oregon. The
primary purpose of the committee was to
investigate the trade relations of this
coast to the British possessions to the
North, and the practical workings OF the
Interstate Commerce law on the indus
tries of the coast. This inquiry cannot
fail to be of benefit to California.
Whatever may be the effect of the
law in the Central States, it is
almost entirely pernicious to the inter-
ests of this Coast. The Senators will see
this for themselves.
But incidentally this distinguished
committee will be of benefit to California
in other lines. While they were in San
Francisco, General Nelson A. Miles took
occasion to point out to them the deplor-
able condition of the coast and harbor
defenses of the State. He took them on
q tour of inspection around the bay,
showed them the unprotected state OF
San Francisco, and the easy manner in
which it might be strongly fortified.
General Clunie was of this party, and
he reported that the trip made
a strong impression on the Senators.
General Miles had taken the trouble to
prepare an exhibit of the appropriations
made for such purposes in the last ten
years, and demonstrated that only a
bagatelle of three per cent of it all had
been spent on the whole Pacific Coast.
The Senators will be here tomorrow.
The Board of Trade and Chamber of Com.
merce will take charge of them, and they
can be impressed with deep sense Of
the necessity of larger appropriations for
the harbor at Wilmington. They can
also be made to see how inadequate is
the proposed Federal building in this city.
There is not room in it to put in
proper facilities for handling the mail.
There is United States Court sitting in
this city, and there is the office of the
Collector of the Internal Revenue, as
we'll as other Federal offices. This body
of distinguished statesmen can be made
to see those things if they be placed be-
fore them in proper light, as no doubt
they will be by the Board of Trade.
1t is to be regretted that the Senators
cannot be taken into Lower California to
see the arid waste of barren hills there
on which squirrels starve and grass
hoppers grow lean. The sight would
forever '1ay out" the scheme to buy it
from Mexico, even if that Republic were
diapoead to sell it,