Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-14
OUR FUTURE.
Two Leading Factors of
Great Importance.
Some Valuable Suggestions By
Hervey Lindley.
A Harbor and dICheap Power are Alb
sOlutely Necessary.
Some Good Ideas Which Should be Acted
Upon-Tremendous Water Power
Which Is Now Allowed To
Go To Waste-Foun-
dations for Pros
perity.

At the dinner OF the Clearing House
association given ON Tuesday evening
last, Hervey Lindley read the following
paper. 1t is full OF valuable sugges-
tions, which cannot receive too much
attention
A short time since, only about three
or four years ago, when this community
was having an active real estate market,
such activity indeed, as the eastern
cities which have sprung into promi-
nence and Importance have from time to
time experienced, we heard on every
hand and spoken from almost every per-
son, such statements as, "This is the
greatest country on earth; the most
salubrious climate; the most fertile soil
the grandest mountains, the broadest
ocean, the finest beach, the best class Of
citizens, and will have one of the great
cities OF the coast" As to the climatic
advantages, the fertility of soil and
grandeur of scenery our country is with
out parallel, and on the point of char
acter of population there was probably
never country settled by anything like
the percentage of intelligent, well-to-do
citizens and with this kind of founda-
tion, soil, climate, scenery and people
the best, what is to prevent Los Angeles
being one of the great cities of the
coast? My answer is, two very serious
ones, for the continued existence of
which our people will be to blame.
First, harbor facilities; second, cheap
motive power. Remove from the calen-
dar these two objections and then may
we with reason expect to see our city
grow to grand proportions.
How are we to get harbor? The
answer is easy; build it. How are we to
get the money? Easy enough; of the
government. But how? Just like the
people of Galveston did let the entire
people rise up as one man and demand it.
OF course while we lie back in blissful
simplicity and allow ourselves to be
shorn, rest assured our willy friends
around Oakland bay will take It all. Are
you aware of the fact that every year our
money, yes, the very coin that absolutely
belongs to us, is being spent in Oakland
bay? And they smile-so do we, but it
is very sickly smile, one that means,
"We may yet turn the tables on you"
and so we may, but it means some
straight licks from the shoulder; it
means some hard work by united
people; it means that you gentlemen
who mould public opinion can take a
course that will either hasten or delay
the accomplishment of that result. The
Importance of immediate action in
relation to our harbor facilities is more
apparent each day as we notice the
progress of the work on the Nicaragua
canal, and contemplate the vast amount
of business that will each day pass our
very door if there is no provision made
for the proper care of their ships. 1t is
estimated that a period of FIVE years will
complete the canal. Now, the ques-
ton is; How much of harbor will
we have at that time? And to a
considerable extent this will depend
upon the efforts of your own selves,
and it seems an opportune time to
commence in decided manner to press
our claims with our recently elected
United States senator, Hon. G. n. Eel
ton, and also our congressman, Hon. w.
W. Bowers. There is certainly no ques-
ton of their good will toward us and
their disposition to act, and it seems to
me we must keep this matter before
them constantly. This is not all. There
should be man sent to Washington to
stay with them and assist in every way
possible to accomplish an early result,
and there being Democratic house per-
haps it might be best to have a man of
that political faith. Our present con-
gresham is man that would, in my
opinion, work in entire harmony with
our agent,and not only so, but be grateful
for any assistance rendered tending to
better the condition of our community.
CHEAP POWER.
When you reach the question of the
cost of power necessary to turn the busy
wheels of manufacturing town you
touch the vital question of the perma-
nent prosperity and growth of all COM
and an early solution of it is
Of vast Importance to this city and our
entire country.
We have perhaps within our grasp
already the terminus of another trans
continental railway coming through i'm
mense coal fields, and when the final
connection is perfected (if done) coal can
perhaps be landed in this city for about
80 per ton, which is great advantage
over prices we are now paying, being
just one half; but even if this is done the
question OF cheap power is not settled,
for the reason that in the eastern states
coal for such purposes is obtainable at a
price not exceeding $500 per ton, which
is very great difference, and we must
be prepared to come in competition
with the most favored locality if we
wish to accomplish the result that we
mean to attain in occupying a position
as great city.
There seems to me sure way to the
result desired, viz To utilize the power
nature has provided, intended unques-
tionably for our use and for the purpose
of accomplishing our greatness as a
community unexcelled. We have i'm
mense volumes of water every day flow
ing from great elevations in our noun
tains, expending and wasting tremen-
dous amount of power that can be util-
lied and produce more wealth than all
we now have in this country of every
character all combined. And after the
water is utilized for power necessary for
mechanical purposes, it is still left for
domestic and irrigating purposes in all
its pristine puritv and with os rnrch