The herald., 1897-11-25
LEAGUE ACTS
"This Eel AIger" Is Given
Up
AN APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT
JOHN F. FRANCIS STRONG
RESOLUTION
AN APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT
Wearied Beyond Endurance by Pro-
crastination Appeals for Direct
1ntervention-Prote

| Free Harbor league at the chamber of
commerce assembly rooms yesterday
afternoon was not numerously attended.
those who were on hand were among the
best known and most public spirited cit
izens Of the city
Col Fl. G. Otis called the meeting to
order at 3:45 o'clock and upon taking the
chair as president of the league said
Il took the responsibility for calling
this meeting of the Free Harbor league
today for the purpose Of taking action
| on the exigency which now confronts
| us with reference to the delays in be-
ginning at least the preparatory work
for the Improvement of the San Pedro
harbor You are all Of you aware Of
the facts in the matter. 1 believe that
the procrastinations are wholly Illegal
and they appear to be unreasonable.
realize that work of such magnitude
| cannot be begun in a day and that the
preliminary work cannot be done in one
day. but after we have waited six or
seven months and no action has been
taken we feel justified in entering u
protest. The latest subterfuge resorted
to by the secretary of war was to secure
from the judge advocate general of the
army an opinion that there was no ap-
preparation with which to do the neces-
sary preliminary work. We contest this
That official deals only with military
matters, courts martial and the like,
and he has neither right nor authority
to interpose an opinion on any such mat
ter as this, which Is in no wise military
measure. The matter is now before you
for action"
John +. Francis took the floor. He
stated that for once he wished he was
an orator. 1T has been said that the
only way to catch and hold an eel is to
skin it," said he. Now believe the
proper way to act in this matter is to
stop trying to catch this eel Alger ana
go direct to the president with the
matter. I would. therefore, offer the
following resolution
Whereas. The secretary Of war has for
months studiously refused, and still con-
tinues to refuse. to carry out the law which
provides for the construction of deep
water harbor at San Pedro, and even des-
pite the opinion of the attorney general
of the United States authorizing him to
proceed, continues to resort to every pos
Sipie excuse 10. eVaue MS pam ana sworn
duty In the premises; therefore, be it
Resolved. BY the Free Harbor League of
Los Angeles, that our people. wearied be-
yond endurance by these unwarrantable
and illegal delays. and hopeless of relief at
the hands of this officer protest against
the continued procrastination of the sec
retary of war, and appeal directly to the
president. as the executive head of the ma
tion, sworn to obey the constitution and
see to the enforcement of the laws, and
earnestly petition him 10 directly intervene
and require the enforcement of the act of
congress providing for the building of a
deep-water harbor at San Pedro declared
by congress to be necessary. not merely for
local purposes, but for the accommodation
of the commerce of the southwest portion
of the United States.
AS soon as the foregoing resolution
was presented the absence of a secre-
tary was noticed, and G. w. Parsons
was chosen to act in that capacity.
Ex-Mayor w. H. Workman then pre-
sented another resolution, much the
same in form and wording as the first,
except that it was much more emphatic
in the manner in which the desires Of the
league were expressed.
Mr.. Humphreys favored going directly
to the president with the matter. 1.-The
secretary Of war is only what might be
called clerk under the president, and
after all the head Of the administration
will be held responsible for whatever
Is done. The Importance of immediate
action cannot be overestimated. There
is now in this city man from st. Louis
who comes as the representative OF
millions Of dollars of capital. He is here
for the purpose of looking over the
ground with a view to investing those
millions in a manner that will be of the
greatest advantage to the city. He is
one Of several who are interested in a
plan to bring ocean vessels to this city.
That is all will say here about the mat
ter"
AS 1t was thought the sense of the
meeting was expressed in one resolution,
Mr.. Workman withdrew the one he had
presented. One section of it, providing
that it's contents be telegraphed to the
president, was added to the first resolu-
ton.
c. D. Willard pointed out the fact that
there were frequent changes in the
status of the matter and that conditions
existing today might be changed by ac-
ton on the part of the officials tomorrow
He said that Alger had promised to ad-
vertise for bids for the work, and it
would at least be indelicate for the
league to say or to intimate that they
did not believe him. He therefore sug-
gsted that the matter Of telegraphing
the resolution be left to the discretion of
the chair and the secretary.
General Forman suggested that it
might be well to ask the secretary of war
by wire what he intended to do.
Colonel Otis read the message that the
league had received from General Alger,
In which he said he would advertise In
due time" In his opinion, that express
sion could be taken as meaning an inde-
terminate period. The colonel believed
that that much from Alger might be
directly traced to the pressure which had
been brought to bear upon him from this
neck of the woods. He stated that If the
matter Of telegraphlng the resolution
was left to the discretion of the chair,
not much time would be lost in placing
1t on the wire.
G. w. Burton urged that it might be
well to wait day before sending the
telegram. IF we reach Mckinley we
will 60 to q man who knows where he
stands and knows just what he intends
to do," said he.
Mr.. Gibbon saw nothing In General
'Alger's message that indicated favorable
action. III he has made up his mind
what to do," he said, "our telegram viii