The San Francisco call., 1896-04-04
Chamber of Commerce to Con.
slider a Plan Submitted
by McLachlan.
A SOUTHERN PACIFIC SCHEME.
It Gives Santa Monica Deep Harbor
and Trusts in the Company's
Honesty.

LOS ANGELES, CAL, April 3.-There is
much excitement and considerable feeling
displayed IN the city over the rivalry of
San Pedro and Santa Monica to secure
Congressional appropriations for their
respective harbors. Many business men
have come to the conclusion that all ap-
preparations are endangered by the San
Pedro-or-nothing position heretofore taken
and the following petition has been got up
and is receiving thousands of signatures:
WHEREAS, The Congressional Committee had
agreed to recommend an appropriation of
$39O,0O0 for the Improvement of San Pedro
harbor and 100000 for the improvement of
santa Monica harbor; and, whereas these ap-
preparations would be followed by the further
appropriation of some SIS 900 900 more to CON-
plete the work, with large additional sums for
fortifcatton of said harbors against foreign
toes IN case OF war; and whereas in case Santa
Monica is not improved and fortified as well
as San Pedro, this city and Southern Califor-
mia would be helplessly exposed to the land.
ing OF military enemies and attacks from that
point; and whereas, the improvement of
Santa Monica would necessarily result in the
Southern Pacific and other railroads
expendfng many millions of dollars to
secure large ocean and Asiatic commerce, all
OF which expenditures would be in the direct
interests OF the laboring, producing and busi-
ness classes, and would be the foundation of
making Los Angeles one of the great CONNER
cial metropolises of the Pacific Coast: and
whereas, this part of Southern California is
the most accessible point the coast for
transcontinental railroads, being free from
heavy mountain grades and heavy SHOWS;
and whereas, the proposed improve
ment OF both harbors would give
competing privileges to such trancontinental
roads, and would build up the permanent
prosperity OF Southern California into an
empire; and whereas, local opposition to the
improvement of Santa Monica has resulted in
reducing the contemplated appropriation of
$490,000 to the insignificant sum OF $50 900
and has endangered the great future
pproserity of the community at large; and
whereas, the undersigned believe that the
sentiment of the masses is overwhelmingly in
favor of the entire appropriation of the
$490, 600 and the full development of both
harbors; we request that public mass-meet-
ing be called at an early day to obtain the
favorable Endorsement or the entire appropria-
ton.
President Patterson of the Chamber of
Commerce this morning received the fol-
lowing telegram from Congressman Nc
Lachlan:
WASHINGTON. April 8.
w. C. Patterson, President Chamber of Com
merce Los angeles, Cal: Hermann requests me
to notify Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
that If Los Angeles people will unite on
schemes to complete the inside harbor
at San Pedro and construct q deep-sea har-
Dor at Santa Monica, with provision to admit
ali railroads to Santa Monica harbor over
Southern Pacific tracks by paying pro rata
cost, to be determined by the Secretary of
War, he believes So 900, 600 can be procured
at this session for said projects. To be efectua.
action must be taken at'once. Ileave the mat
ter with you. JAMES MCLACHLAN.
The offer of so munifcent an appro-
priation for Los Angeles harbor, If the
people could harmonic upon a plan, re-
newed the agitation and it was hastily
decided to request the Chamber of Com
merce to take immediate action. A special
meeting of directors had been called for
this afternoon, but it was there de-
cided that the responsibility was too
great to be shouldered by the di-
rectors alone, and a call was at
once issued for full meeting of members
next "Wednesday afternoon, to discuss and
settle this mportant issue. The preference
of the public is unquestionably for San
Pedro, but public sentiment may crystallize
at the meeting of the Chamber OF Com
merce into resolution accepting the
largest appropriation that can be~secured
for either or both enterprises.
The agreement with the Southern Pa
cihc proposed by the committee was de-
clared by influential men to be satis-
factory. although there are many who
fear it will not be carried out in good
faith. Their attention was called by the
friends of Santa Monica to the fact that it
would be a matter for the Government and
not the railroad to decide what the condi-
tions should be; and they retorted that
the Government, and not the railroads,
had power to enforce the payment of the
Pacific roads debt, but c. P. Huntington
was seemingly stronger than the Govern
ment.
Los ANGELES LOSS.
Army Comnatssary Department to Be Re-
mored to San Francisco.