The herald., 1896-05-10
WHITES HARbOR SPEECH
Exposing the Southern Pa
cific's Scheme
IN OUT -AND-0UT C0LD-bLOODfD JOB
To Secure Public Funds for Pri.
vate Purposes
EXPERT CORTHELL'S REPORT
Is Shown to Be UnqualifiedIy and Ma
IiciousIy Untrue
All That Is Asked Is the Appointment OF a
Skilled Board
Tho Southern Pacific Lobbyists Object Only
Because They Know M Honest Board
Of Engineers viii Favor
Santa 1onica
EXPERT CORTHELL'S REPORT
Is Shown to Be UnqualifiedIy and Ma
IiciousIy Untrue
All That Is Asked Is the Appointment OF a
Skilled Board
Special to the Herald,

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 9.-Sen-
ator White spoke for more than an hour
today in continuation of his argument
in favor of the adoption of his amend
ment to the river and harbor bill to
strike out the appropriation for Santa
Monica and appoint a board of army en-
gineers to determine the relative merits
of San Pedro and Santa Monica as har-
bor sites and to improve the one favored
by this board. His talk was devoted to
setting forth facts which prove that the
Insertion of provisions appropriat ting
100000 for Santa Monica was nothing
but an out-and- out. cold blooded job
in which the United States Is to be forced
to pay that amount for protection for
Buntington's million dollar wharf and
for bettering the fortunes of the South
ern Pacific Railroad company and for no
other purpose whatever.
Senator White took a fall out of En-
gineer Corthell by relating the incident
OF the wreck of a ship loaded with coal
at Point Firmin, which was washed up
at Long Beach, seven miles down the
coast. Mr. Corthell had stated that the
current ran north and would wash the
sand into any harbor which might be
constructed at San Pedro.
THE current does not move coal but
does move sand. said Senator White.
1T is discriminating current. We have
the remarkable proposition that the
coal goes south while the sand goes
north. The one is moved by a. current
"nich influences coal and the other by a
current which influences sand" After
thls he let Mr.. Corthell severely alone.
linen Senator White called the aftep
tion OF the senate to the different re-
ports of army engineers, all in favor OF
Ssth fetiro. lie asked the senators
whether they would be willing to place
themselves on record as being in favor
or condemned site for a harbor which
no one had asked for except the South
ern Pacific railroad. He hoped not In
scathlng rebuke of the action of a ma
Jorlty Oh the committee he said:
90 not impugn the motives or doubt
the aplilty OF the distinguished gentle
men VINO nave passed upon the pronosi-
-'ioii' II seems that a majority of this
committee nave reached the conclusion
that these reports are wrong: that the
boards made a mistake, and that tbaSe
impartial, honest servants of the gov
ernment are all wrong. There seems to
be an idea that these boards were IN
some way prejudiced: there is evidence
Justifying such conclusion.
In advocating his amendment be said.
Il have no desire to provide for a bo.ra
which will not do exact and canal ms
.ice u al. wish board upon which
those who favor San Pedro and Santa
Monica q oil II,
upon whose judgment and impartial mo-
tives we could rely"
but what do we encounter? Here we
nave a site condemned officially. for
winch there is no local endorsement. and
the excuse for favoring it is that If is
recommended by the employed agents
or the interested parties against official
evidence Let me ask any gentjeman
VINO OBJECTS to the appointment of a
skilled board to pass upon this subject
why cannot we find some kind of a board
somewhere to which we will be Willing
10 commit this subject? VIII senators
VINO nave no more knowledge of the mat
Ter than they derived from the cursorv
hearings before the committee conclude
that tney so thoroughly understand the
subject that they want no more li,ht
upon II! VIII anyone contend that he
is unwilling to lay this matter before an
impartial board? The advocates of San
ia Monica will not consent to the submis-
sion of this case to any kind of board
They say in effect by this refusal that no
coard will report in favor of their place.
There is no other deduction possible from
their conduct. but that they believe an
impartial board will decide in favor Of
San Pedro.
is 1T possible to constitute any board
70 Which these gentlemen will submit
thls matter? No. sir, it is not You can
ilot ueVlse or suggest any tribunal any
person or persons, but there is opposi-
Ton. Iney rest in security upon the
theory that senators are willing to vote
against the report of the government
engineers, and they do not therefore pro-
pose to risk any kind of board
we Will not consent to this amend
ment. We have waited long enough.
they say. True, they have Waited long s,
enough We are asked to vote this enor-
nous sum of money simply upon the
evidence taken before the committee,
Wnlch the record shows is slight and in
defiance of the recommendation of the
authorities upon which we are in the
habit of depending. What will this
preakWater protect if put up? 1t will
protect that immense wharf and moth
ing else. There is nothing else to pro-
tect, and the expenditure of this money
will be donation to private corpora
tion and expending it for the Immediate
benefit of an Individual. Prospectively.
1T may be said, it will benefit others.
but its immediate object is to effect an
individual benefit and the expenditure