The herald., 1894-04-04
THE HARRoR QUESTION.
Card From Mr.. Crawlsy on the Merits o
santa Monica.

At the request OF some OF the mem
bers OF the chamber of commerce,
public meeting Of the members of tina
body will be called at 8 80 q. IN. Sstur
day, April 7, 1894, nt the chamber o
commerce rooms, at which time anc
place the polls will be opened and will
remain open n continuously until 8 p. m
to receive your vote As to whether SAINTS
Monica or San Pedro shall be selected
by the government as the point where
q breakwater shall be constructed
Los Angeles has never had in the past
and probably never will have in the fu-
ture, question OF more vital import.
Rnoe to pass upon than this. 1t is q
question requiring clear, unprejudiced
expression OF opinion, based on your
own personal knowledge of the advan-
tagss and disadvantages, the commercial
growth OF this city, the direction of its
growth and Its future possibilities. In
other words, the question is not what is
best for Santa Monica or San Pedro, but
what is best for the interests of this
great and growing city of Los Angeles
city which, according to the
census OF 1890, had 50s395 peo-
Pile, and at the present time
(sccording to Maxwell's directory ol
lS94) has no less than SO, $50 people.
This phenomenal growth has been and
will continue to be in the direction oi
Santa Monica. Some few struggling
buildings may be seen in other direc-
tions, but the great growth is in that
direction. There is not . man, no matter
how much interest he may have in San
Pedro, or however prejudicsd he may be,
who can or will dispute this fact.
Tak 81 arruoluao hak kkta
means. 1t is an increase of not less than
IS per cent in our population in four
years. 1t means that in 10 years from
now, taking this percentage only as a
basis, this city will have q population of
| 134, 900 psople. This estimate does not
allow for any abnormal growth, but this
We can expect. because as years roll on
the advantages OF this city will become
more widely known throughout the east
and in Europe, and therefore it is not
unreasonable to expect a much greater
growth than the natural progressive
growth | refer to. II in 10 years 1874 900
people, is it not a conservative estimate
to say that in 20 years there will be
800 900 people2 1t is this growth in a
westerly direction towards Santa Mon.
lea which will have to be considered by
those who have in view the present aud
future interest OF Los Angeles.
In statement made before the d.
rectors of the chamber OF commerce |
said that the difference in the airline
distance in favor OF Los Angeles-Santa
Monica was rs miles as against the
distance Los Angeles-San Pedro. | no.
tice that this statement is disputed, and
to dispute it they quote from the time
tables issued by the Southern Pacific
company. All ask is that you take the
official map of Los Angeles county and
take an airline distance between the
points named, and it will prove to you
the correctness OF my statement that
Santa Monica is nearer to Los Angeles
than San Pedro is by IL miles. 1t is
disingenuous, to cay the least, to convey
the idea in order TO dispute q fact
which you can .corroborate by examina-
ton of the official mao of Los Angeles
county, that city's growth viii follow
the windings of a river or the twistings
and curves of railroads, which always
seek the easiest and cheapest right OF
way regardless of fdistance, OF probably go
out OF the direct line in order to touch
at some intermediate town which will
give them business. Los Angeles is
growing in a direct line west, and is not
IOllOHluE tu6 lluC vi hu1 IdlIIOhQs L
took an air line from the southwest
corner of the city OF Los Angeles to
Santa Monica, and from the same south
west corner to San Pedro. | also took a
line from the vicinity of the plaza Of
the city OF Los Angeles to the shore
end of the wharf at Port Los Angeles,
and another line from the same point
in Los Angeles to the shore end OF the
abandoned wharf near Port Firmin.
Advocates OF San Pedro may sneer at
the sanguine expectations of men who
have watched the growth OF other cities
for many years, when they say that
thousands living here now will live to
see Santa Monica within the city limits
of Los Angeles. l firmly believe that
you entertain the same idea 1t is a
correct one. Can such a condition Of
affairs be brought about with San
Pedro? Will not the growth OF Los
Angeles westward prevent it? VIII not
the geographical features forever be a
| barrier to it?
1t follows that wheres the break
water is constructed there the harbor
will be, and if San Pedro is Endorsed by
you as the place, then the commercial
| importance of San Pedro will increase
at the expense of Los Angeles. | claim
that 1t will not only build itself up at
the expense of Los Angeles, but will
draw from this city what it now
possesses. for the railroad companies
now favoring San Pedro will no doubt
oe forced to make it through point on
a par with Los Angeles just ss San
| Pedro ia a through point on q par with
| Los Angeles today. 1t will be enabled
| to distribute from its warehouses to in
terror points and receive for expectation
the products OF the interior juet ss San
| Diego distributes and receives merchan-
disc today for interior points in compe-
tition with Los Angeles, and therefore
it follows that the freight which will
pass from and to San Pedro from and to
interior points will not pay any tribute
ut ali TO Los Angeles or its merchants.
There can be but one result, San Pedro
gain will be Los Angeles actual and
pros pective loss. 1t may be asked will
not the same condition of affairs exist il
Santa Monica is selected? If the growth
Of Los Angeles was not in the direction
of Santa Monica, yes, but in lesser de
gree even then, because the dis.
tance is less But the phenomena
growth of Los Angeles in thal
direction assures to you that in the IN
ture the water front there will be the
water front OF Los Angeles, which, with
it's enterprise based on local patriotism
will no doubt have it's own wharves, no
only where vessels and cars will be
brought together, but where vessels and
teams will come together, as it is ant
should be in all large commercial cities
| A laSk oh aot, taI ~