The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-18
Visiting Delegates From Fresno Iniorse
the Moveme 1t and Pass "a Resolution
Declaring Th.rs Is bu On Safe
Avail sblo FOR tn, HaibJr.
SOUTHERN CALrFORNIA.
IInu4rV IS16

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
January. 1895
To Members of the United Sta cs Senate and
House OF Representatives:
We beg to cAll your attention. Gs
representative of ali the pc lpls of til Q
United States, to gross Injustice that
is being prac.:csd upon $50 900 Am ericsu
citizen, au1 property ownsrs in South
ern California.
The Southern Pacific Railway CON-
pany. which rulos the comnsrc. OF tho
northern and Central portionl OF Oll-
Norma with an absolute despo ism, OF
which those unfamiliar with thu aft ,irs
of this coast caa have no conception, is
now cadsIvoring to establish itself on a
timilar footing in the southern portion
OF the stata, aud proposes to make the
Flity-third congress q party to its plans.
The interest4 involved are not OF
local character; they are national, ani
n ia moer OF tho present congtesa
should be allowed to remain in iguor-
a1ce OF the situation.
From San Fra 1csco to SIN Diexo, n
distance OF 500 miles, thsre is no deep
B,a harbor. All the nations trade with
thu 0 lent must 60 either By the North
ern Pacific lines, through session, OF
the country often closed By snow, or by
tbs Osntral Pacific. over hssvy grades,
into the monopoly port OF San
Francisco. The shorte,t, m Dat reliable
route, by the easiest grades across thu
continent on Amsricau soil, is from tn
Pacific near Los Angeles to g ,lv3ston or
New Orleans. Whenever a dssp.sea
harbor is constructed in this vicinity,
heavy tax will be- lifted from ali Orient
al'American traffic.
Five years ago congress decided, in
effect. that q port should be constructed
uear Los Angeles, aud sent committee
OF engineers oat to determine ths exact
spot. Previous reports had b,sn mlds
on this ubjoct, but to forsver silence all
disou ;sion, new commission WAS cont
1t reported EN- pbatically and unanim-
ously in favor OF San Pedro az against
Santa Monica and all othsr compe.in
locati ons.
To SHUT OUT IMPErIT)N.
The Southern Pacific railway runs to
Sin Pedro, but it dosS no, own all o.
the waterfront. The Terminal railway
has line to the waters eigs, and trains
OF the great Santa Fs System run over
the Termini Il track. At Santa Monica
"a roadstead directly west OF L1s An
gelos-the Southern Pacific owns or
controls absolutely all OF the waterfront
in tho vicinity OF the propo ,sd harbor,
and can forever shut out competing lines
OF railroad.
Since the engineers have made their
report, now nearly four years. this cor>
poration has been continually at work
&c secure IN appropriation for its pri-
vate harbor at Santa M onics. or, failing
in that. to prevent any Appropriation
bsing made Tor hsrbor at San Pedro.
In 1892 this road succeeded in getting
asecond special c)m mission appointed
to &c over the ground again and report
on the comparative merits OF the two
sites. San Pedro or Santa M,nica. This
commission consisted OF fl 70 OF the most
eminent and experienced engineer, OF
war department., Colonel Craighill pre-
siding.
It returned. like all it's predecessors,
unanim ous, complets, uneqaivocal, EN-.
phatlc report in favor OF San Podrl on
evJry appetite alton. and in etf,o; pro
tesssa again ths location OF the mar
Dor at Santa Moaica:
"a Where the water font waa mo.
= nopol zal.
t2}.- NJ ere there could be- no ship
yards or iocke b4c su 10 the water lrJnt
10 - bluff from IS to 2oJ ieet high.
81 4lHfN rulp anu TNll cnNlE only
ba a- arNt tuGe,uer bg he cons'Iuc i'm
OF gHorm lily expensive whatves o.
.at s. 80 - ia l-nlh
" ~ thsfe wcnld b. uncertain
vaea va o in Tina OF storm.
eis 'i.sfs US anterior oPpot !