Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-08
SOLID FOR SAN PEDRO.
"A Mass Meeting Considers the
HarbOr Matter.
Business Men Show Their Interest
i'll the Question.
Mr.. Joseph ID. Lynch Addresses the
Meetlng-Reso1utions Expressive of
the Peoples Feeling-Pacific Mail
Subsidy DisapprOved.

The mass meeting of business men 9
the chamber of commerce yesterday aft
ernoon to memorialize congress for in
creased appropriations for the improve
nent OF San Pedro harbor, was very we
attended bysthe solid business men @
the city. 1t was called to order at
O'Clock by President Wells, who an
nounced the purpose OF the meeting in
short speech.
Mayor Hazard was elected chairman
of the meeting, and said, in taking tn
chair, that he understood the object o
the meeting to be to get public ex
preston of the people on the subject O
the improvement of the harbor. An i'm
preston prevailed, he said, in Washing
ton that the people are not united OF
this matter. The work already done ha
exceeded the highest expectations, bu
the appropriation of $780, 900 to carry i
on is pitifully inadequate for the pur
pose, and the meeting is to secure 6
public expression.of the people protest
ing against reducing the $4,000 appro
priation to $4,000.
The following vice-presidents were
appointed: +. +. Spence, John G.. Dow
ney, j. Frankenfield, w. H. Bonsall, J.
J. Ayers, Z. w. Jones, VIM. Lacy, ]. M.
5 @. Marble, W. S. Allen, P. Beaudry, M.
s. Hewes, T. D. Mott, w. H. Perry, M.
A. Newmark, w. G. Patterson, Ben
M. Wilmer, u. L. Parmelee, Niles
Pease, HI. u. Osborne, w. A. Spalding,
w. H. Hellman.
The chairman called upon J. D..
Lynch, as the first speaker. and he re-
piled in quite an extended speech, which
was frequently interrupted by applause
as he urged the people of Southern Cali
fornia to assert their rights before con-
gress. He said, in part, that in common
with great many citizens OF Los An
geles he had not the distinction OF being
pioneer, out he had watched for TWEEN
.ty years the work on the harbor of San
Pedro, or Wilmington as it was formerly
called, and he believed that twenty years
ago ten times the energy and persever-
ance were shown than we have witnessed
within the past five or six years. At THAT
time the improvement of the harbor was
a live subject, and it was energized
largely by the earnest and intelligent
efforts of Gen. Phineas Banning. Since
his death. however, the work has Jagged
painfully and unaccountably. During
these later years, while the work has had
friends whose character has removed
any suspicion that the funds appropri-
ated would be misdrected, yet there has
been great deal of sneering upon the
subject of the improvements, and the
matter has Jagged.
"Perhaps the best reason why this is
so," continued Mr.. Lynch, ''is that we
have not done our part. One Of the
most pertinent suggestions that occurs
to me is found in Matthew: knock
and it shall be opened unto you ask,
and you shall receive Or, as a Mis-
souri, gentleman remarked in different
language: BLOW your own bazoo, or it
shall not be blowed.' Laughter and
applause.] But our people have had
such painful degree of modesty that
they have not asked that to which
they are entitled. 1t is not too much to
say that the state of California has
brought the nation to the front. l was
at the New Orleans exhibit and one of
the first things l saw was California's
exhibit. Isaw two enormous pyramids,
representing the record, as, prepared by
ton of California The enormous total
was 81. 100000, 1000. This did not take
into account the immense sums carried
away by individuals. This is the record
of the contribution of gold of the single
state of California to increase the pulsa-
tions of commerce. Ii the sums carried
away by individuals could be recorded
they would show the grand
total to have been $2,000,O0O,-
600. The total circulation at
present is about 5000, 1000, 900, and Cal
ifornia has not only contributed all of
this, but a surplus of 81 400, 900, 900.
And this is not referring to the agricult-
ural additions to our wealth. Yet, not
withstanding all this, our people have
been modest beyond all comprehension.
We seem afraid to lift up our voices.
Why should we be asking for little, pitt
full sums like $50. 900 and the like? Why
not demand millions? Why not de-
mand what Mr.. Bowers said he could
get, Sc, 1000 900, for the improvement of
San Pedro harbor? If not, why not? :?
Mr.. Bowers stood on platform and as
sured me personally, as we'll as your
selves, that the lowest figure he would
ask would be $6,000,00O. When I see
what his figures come to am reminded
of story. 1t is the story of fisher-
man, negro fisherman, and he was
lazy. He started up stream to get some
fish for dinner. At the first throw he
caught big fish, and after such luck he
knocked off and concluded to go to sleep.
He fixed his line to tree and slept.
But another darkey came along on fish
ing intent. He saw the line and the
sleeper. Chuckling, he hauled up the
big fish and, taking his little minnow,
put it on the line in place of the big fish,
with which he went away. The sleeping
fisherman awoke and pulled up his line.
He looked at it and said: dis am de
ribber, dat am de tree, dis am de line;
but, golly, how dat fish am shwunk !'
Laughter and applause
Continuing, Mr.. Lynch called atten-
ton vigorously to the San Diegans, and
said they go to sleep every night wish
ing that an earthquake would swallow
up Los Angeles. They think that the
'harbor and city must be with them, and
work with that in view. 1 honor them
for their harmony and work. But why
do not the citizens Of Los Angeles imi-
tate them? They sit down as if there
was no earthly necessity for work. Why,
from San Pedro to Galveston is the
shortest route from tidewater to tide
water on the American continent, and
over the lowest grades. The people OF
San Diego point to a route by Yuma,
over interminable. mountains-a most
impracticable route. One which Tom
Scott's engineers said years ago would
cost $4,000, 900 to build. He said the