The herald., 1897-02-10
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10. 1907.
A LONG BATTLE

A special dispatch to The Herald from
mission met yesterday, but did not pro-
ceed to business. Some of the members
were in favor of making another trip
to California before taking final ac-
ton Reading between the lines. this
looks like a movement to juggle with
the proposition. 1t is limited that the
motive may be to delay final action until
the forthcoming Republican adminis-
tration shall have been installed. Or,
taken in another light, it may be the
latest move of Uncle Coils to postpone
with ultimate design of overthrowng
the location of the deep sea harbor at
San Pedro.
1t is nearly ten years since active work
on the harbor came to an end. in the
running out of the fund of 100000 de-
nianded for the original plan at San Pc
dro. All that was hoped to be accom-
plished in that undertaking was Sc
cured-and more-but there the work
stopped. 1t was believed that nothing
further could be done for the inner har-
Dor, and the united and determined eff
fort of the people of this section was
then put forth in behalf of an outer
deep water harbor.
At first the people were assisted in this
undertaking by the Southern Pacific
company, and the vice president Of that
road who was then the senior senator
from this state, put forth active effort
in behalf of that location. The demand
as then stated called for Several mil
lions of dollars, but no one supposed it
would be possible to secure it all at once.
A matter of 500, 800 or 5000 600 a year
was the most that was to be hoped for.
At last after several unsuccessful
efforts Senator Fefton was able to secure
an item of $25o,000 in the harbor bill
which was pending five years ago this
winter, and there was fair promise that
the work would begin, when suddenly
the Southern Pacific, which had changed
from the hands of Stanford to those OF
Huntington, revealed its new policy in
a formal declaration that Santa Monica
and not San Pedro is the proper loca-
ton for the harbor. AS no government
engineer had ever reported favorably
on Santa Monica, and 10 plan existed
for improvements at that point an ap-
preparation at that time was out of the
question, and special detail of govern
ment engineers was sent to Los Angeles
to decide on the location and report a
plan.
When that commission reported in
favor of San PEDRO, it did only what
everybody expected, for the ground had
been gone over thoroughly on three sep
arate occasions prior to that time, and
there was no conceivable reason why a
change should be made in former con-
clusions.
The people of this section through their
representatives and their public bodies
then went to work to secure an appro-
priation for San Pedro, that having been
er7pla tically designated by the govern
ment as it's choice-and everybody be-
lieved that the question Of location was
settled once and for all The people,
however, We're modest in their demands.
asking only a small appropria ton.
There were obstacles in the way of
all sorts and kinds, and three sessions
passed with nothing done. The people
began to get very tired and some of
them said, If we only went in for Santa
Monica. now. we might win."v .-.12 4
'.shas was just the kind 46f talk Mr.