The record-union., 1894-06-27
DEEP SEA HARBOR.
Asking the Government to Help Port
Los Angeles.
Reasons Why That Point Should be
Selected in Preference to
San Pedro.
[From the Los Angeles Herald. ]


southern California coast, in the imme-
diate neighborhood of Los Angeles. the
point which shall be selected to subserve
these needs becomes a matter OF great
national importance. The Herdtd rises
or falls in the section in which 1t is pub
lished. While this journal has been par
tial to all points in Southern California,
it's conductors OF late appreciate the over
whelming importance of Santa Monica
The creation of the superb pier at Fort
Los Angeles impressed them with the
great practicability of a deep sea harbor
at that point, which would ultimately re-
suit in noble harbor which, at tithe of
the expense which the French nation
subjected itself TO in creating the harbor
of Cherbourg, would be steadily ac-
celebrating factor in the great commercial
future ahead for Los Angeles, as the
metropolis OF this section.
About the middle of March the people
of the "City by the Sea" became awake
to the fact that Santa Monica should have
direct representative, at least as far as
presentation of their claims went, at
Washington. Absolutely without any
knowledge on his part. the Board of
Joseph d. Lynch of the Her0td to
represent them. AS this gentleman had
always been great friend and champion
of Santa Monica-and, en- pdsSd1at, OF any
other progressive region OF Los Angeles
County-he cheerfully accepted the mis-
sion.
When Mr.. Lynch arrived in Washing
ton he found two obstacles to his lmme-
diate success in his mission, which SIM
,,lx n cd itlcr Monica a near
ing. The first was the previous reports
of the Government Boards Of Engineers.
and the second was the fear that the South
ern Pacific Railway was seeking to create
a monopoly at Santa Monica. The only
occasion on which he had ever met Mr..
Huntington was on an Introduction TO the
railway nlagnate by the Hon. Jeremiah 3.
Black, over decade ago.
Arriving in Washington as the repre-
sentative of the Board of Trade of Santa
Monica, and encountering these ideas,
Mr., Lynch wrote frank note to Mr..
Huntington, reminding him of their pre-
yious introduction and stating, in sub
stance, that he would not figure in the
matter unless he believed that he was
representing the real interests of the peo-
pie OF this section. In that letter Mr..
Lynch expressed his own opinion, and
that of a good many other people, to the
effect that he would have been member
of the Fiftietn Congress if it had not been
for the potential interposition of MIR.
Huntington in favor of General Vande-
yer. That was very unimportant inter-
lude in the matter, but it resulted in the
the very pronounced letter from the rail-
way magnate, which brought out, ii will
be observed, the very important and un-
reserved pledge as to the entirely respon-
slve attitude of the Southern Pacific as to
all other railways which had reached or
which might reach the Bay of Santa
Monica:
SAN FRANCISCO (Cal.), April l 6, 1894.
Hon. Joseph d. Lynch, me Shofehana Wash
ingt0n, u. C.-MY DEAR SIR: Yours OF the
10th is received and its contents are noted L
am very glad that you are III Washington
looking ilIter interests that Santa Monica has
in Port Los Angeles AS an evidence OF my
belief in Port Los Angeles, let me say that we
abandoned an investment of something over
O. million OF dollars at san Pedro and located
our pier in Santa Monica, where we have eX-
pended about the same amount, simply be-
cause we knew that the latter place was the
best and perhaps the only place for vessels
sailing over the deep sea. 1 think that both
the committees of the House and Senate un-
derstand the matter and have looked over the
situation themselves. l Will have Mr. Hood
send you some data, If he has time, but
think Mr.. John Boyd of Washington, 1417
Rhode Island avenue, has everything that
Mr.. Hood has written on this subject, and
will show il to you. You VIII find Lhe in.
formation of much assistance. There is no
man. think, in washington who knows bet
ter what is soing on than Mr.. Boyd does, and
he is a very clean, upright man, who Will do
nothing but what he conscientiously believes
is right, and that being understood, makes
him q man Of much influence there.
have made several statements before the
committee, and have written several letters
about allowing other companies the right to
go to the pier over our tracks, and TO use our
pier on the same conditions that the Southern
Pacific Company uses them. / have also said
that there was room Tor other tracks which
other companies could build or that we
would build and let them use them on the
same terms as ourselves.
note what You say of General Vandever
in connection with yourself. l remember
General Nandever and also your good SELF
but do not remember at the moment that
there was any misunderstanding between
YOU and him. Yours truly,
c. p. HUNTINGTON.
Probably any one who knows Mr..
Huntington will admit that frankness is
one of his leading characteristics. In re-
ply to another letter from Mr.. Lynch he
wrote to that gentleman, under date OF
San Francisco, April 18th, letter which
embraces an impressive and able resume
of the salient points in favor of Santa
Monica 1t is as follows:
SAN FRANCISCO, April Is, 1894.
Hon. Joseph d. Lynch, The Shorehan,, Wasi,-
inoton, ID. J.--DEAR SIR: Yours of the 18th
is received. and am very glad that you have
met Senator Ransom of North Carolina
Chairman of the Committee on Commerce.
He is a very able man, and | think under
stands the situation III and around Los An
geles very we'll.
| note what you say of the importance of
the people OF Los Angeles favoring Santa
Monica. [ do not see the great Importance of
il. There are certain interests that some of
her people have at San Pedro. They are
small, bat divided amongst a great many,
and OF course all work for their individual i'll
tereSts, but there is no question as to which
is the better place for a deep sea harbor, and
/ have no doubt in my mind that the Gov
ernment will spend its money at Port Los
Angeles. In fact, il is the place where it
should spend its money. The little inner
harbor at San Pedro that could protect few
small coast boats drawing ten or twelve feet
OF water is very WELL ana at one time ii was
sufficient for the small craft running along
the coast, but there is no room outside of this
small bay, and there is not room enough in
side TO accommodate q deep sea commerce,
whilst the bay OF santa MOnlca-that portion
where Port Los Angeles is situated-is well
protected as 1t is, and probably might exist
fifty years without damage from any storm.
AT the same tfme without some protection,
ii will always be d1scrimlnated against by
underwriters throughout the world, and with
great commerce this is a very Important
matter.
The Government engineers reported in favor
of San Pedro because there was no one there
TO speak for any other place, and there was a
nice little along-shore commerce that had
been accommodated since the small coasters
used to trade caiicoes for hides and up TO the
time that a harbor for large ships became
necessary. then san Pedro had nothing TO OF.
fer for that commerce. and what they fought
for there was to protect that interest in and
about the small bay lying inside of San Pedro
Point. Our people, like others, went to work