The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-09

WASHINGTON, May S.-The river
and harbor bill was completed in the.
senate today, with the exception Of
the item for a deep sea harbor on the.
Pacific coast. This has aroused keen
opposition, the two California senator's!
opposing the proposed contract appro-
prhatfon of So, 600 for a harbor at:
Santa Monica bay, ON the ground that.
it is a project fo5tered by the Southern
Pacific as against public sentiment and
the Recommendations of the two boards.
of army engineers.
Mr. White of California commented
on the extraordinary conditions by
which the commerce committee of the
senate was forcing an appropriation on.
a state against the wishes Of its SEN
ators, representatives and people.
THE PROCEEDINGS.
With the bond resolution out of the
way. the senate gave its attention to
the accumulation of minor measures
bsfore going on with the river and har-
Dor bill. Mr.. Mitchell (Rep-, Ore)
gave notice that when the last appro-
priation bill was passed, ne would press
the Joint resolution for the election of
sena tors by the people, not fer the sake
of having further speeches, but of &C
tually adopting the resolution.
A bill was passed to establish
classification division in the United
States patent office; granting permis-
sion for the erection of a monument aI1
Washington in honor of Samuel Hahne-i
mann and appropriating $4,000 for a
foundation.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR BILLi
,J.-s..
by MIR. German. The committee!
amendment was stricken out, provide
ing that all persons employed on riverl
and harbor works shall be selected andI
hired by the officers of the corps of
engineers in local charge of these
works, in order that the officers may;
be held to a strict responsibility for
the proper execution of the work in
their charge.
The following individual amend,
men,ts were made: By Mr. Gray Dem-
DELI, to permit retired army officers to
engage in river and ha.rbor works; by
Mr.. Carter (Rep., MOnt), for dam
across the upper Missouri river at
Stubs Ferry, to develop water power;
by Mr.. Lodge (Rep., Mass). for a sur
vey of Portland channel, Alaska
This disposed of the entire bill. ex-
cept the reserved amendment for a
deep-water harbor at Port Los Ange-
les. IN Santa Monica bay, California,
and authorizing contracts not aggre-
eating $3,O9S, 600 for the work. A Wig
crous contest was promised on this
item, the two California senators, Mr..
White and Mr.. Perkins, being opposed
to 1T.
Mr. White offered an amendment fori
the creation of a board of three officers
to report on the relative
MERITS OF SANTA MONICA BAY
and of San Pedro harbor for the pur-
pose of a deep-water harbor. Large
easals were brought into the senate and
maps of the Pacific coast placed on
them. With pointer in hand, Mr..
White then called attention to the main
points of the contest.
The senator said the people of the
coast wanted a good deep water har-,
Dor Most of the harbors were poor
ones. That at San Diego was too re-
mote for a large element of the COM
merce. This demand for better harbor:
facilities led to the development of the
Santa Monica project. and Senator
Jones, of Nevada. built a railroad FROM
Los Angeles to Santa Monica, with al
view to ultimate eastern extension.
But the road fell into the hands of the.
Southern Pacific railway. Mr. Write
then pointed out that board of army
engineers had
RECOMMENDED SAN PEDRO
as the desirable point for harbor.
and that this recommendation was en-
dorsed by Chief Engineer Casey.
objection was made to this report
and through the efforts Of Senator
Frye. another board headed by the
present chief of engineers was APP
pointed Three points-Redondo, Santa
Monica and San Pedro contended be-
fore this board. each element being
ably represented, the Southern Pacific.
railway being represented by one of the.
best lawyers in California.
This board. made up Of eight of the
foremost engineers Of the service, re-;
commended San Pedro harbor. When.
this report came before congress MOTH
ing was done The fight in behalf Of
Santa Monica was still on as though
no report had been made. Mr.. White
traced in great detail the history OF
the subject.
Taking up the present status. Mr..
White urged that the two California.
senators and the representative from
the sixth California district did not
ask for the amendment inserted in the
bill for a harbor at Santa Monica and
said the overwhelming sentiment of the
people of the locality was against it.
EXTRAORDINARY AND PECULIAR,
Mr.. White commented on the "exlt
traordinary and peculiar conditions by
which the senators and local represen-
tatives from California were not conf
suited as to the proposed appropriation.
It indicated that some extraordinary
influence had been brought to bear"
The senator commented on the 'persis-
tency'' of the Southern Pacific rail-
way, and declared that this accounted
for the extraordinary action.
Mr. White spoke of the surprise with
which he learned that the paragraph
for the Santa Monica appropriation
had actually been printed for incor-
poration in the river and harhor bill.