The herald., 1897-05-21
CALIFORNIA AND ITS CUSTo-
DIAN

The press and public generally in CAL
ifornia have been practically agreed for
number of years that deep sea har-
Dor OH that coast is a necessity. The
| only dispute so far as known, has been
between the Southern Pacific railway,
which controls railway entrances into
Southern California, and the people Of
that state Three boards Of army engi-
neers have passed upon the question of
site and recommended the immediate
Improvement Of San Pedro harbor, in
accordance with an act Of congress, and
the decision of final board of commits.
sioners, who consider that point the
proper site for harbor of refuge, COM
merce and defense. A board of civil en-
gineers was appointed at the last ses-
sion Of congress, which, by the language
of the appropriation BILL should decide
as to the location of the harbor, whether
at San Pedro, as approved by the press,
by California's senators and by the pub.
lie, or whether at Santa Monica, where
the Southern Pacific company, as re-
ported to President Mckinley April 10,
1897 by General w. s. Rosecrans, "ab-
solutely controlled, directly or Indirect
ly, the water front and railway ap-
proaches." The final adjudicating com
mission, as explained by George B.
Leighton, president of the Les Angeles
Terminal railway, consisted of Rear
Admiral j. G. Walker, Professor Burr
of Columbia college, George S. Morrison,
Captain Rodgers, member of. the coast
and geodetic survey, and Richard Nor
gan, who by a vote CT four to one, sus-
tanned the vote of the government engi-
neers in their three formal reports. IA
voring the immediate improvement of
San Fedro harbor. General Rosecrans,
now a resident of Southern California,
has made an exhaustive examination of
these harbors. He is, as is we'll known.
an engineer of high rank. In the latter
capacity he writes to the president of
the United States as follows:
Having over twenty-seven years ago
studied this local harbor matter, and nav
ing carefully read all the reports of the
different army boards of engineers, most
unqualifedly endorse their views in favor
of San Pedro. Notwithstanding the asser-
tions of the Southern Pacific company.
San Pedro is the choice of nine-tenths of
our people and of all unbiased marine
engineers and the mariners of the Pacific
coast. After years of patient waiting for
this vital Improvement to our coast, the
people of Southern California, and 1 may
say the people of our entire state. are very
anxious that the work of this enabling act
of congress be proceeded with with all
possible haste. There are ugly rumors
of hostile action, and open threats Of in
definite delay, emanating, Of course, from
the corporate interests in Santa Monica.
and if you could have seen the huge popu-
lar demonstrations of rejoicing that at
last the improvement of San Pedro harbor
tl-1 7
the restiveness of our people at these ugly
rumors and the temporary delay in the
letting of the contracts for the actual
beginning Of work on this needed harbor
Improvement. The question
of the harbor site after long controversy
has been settled. the money has been ap-
propriated for the Improvement and the
work ought to be proceeded with at the
earliest possible moment.
The struggle of those who would nat
urally be supposed to have paramount
interest in this matter has lasted eight
or nine years. and special efforts are
being made by the representatives OF
California in the United States senate
to secure the immediate letting of con.
tracts to improve the harbor of San
Pedro. One of the humors of the strug-
gle between the Southern Pacific and
those who oppose it in it's desire to have
the government improve the harbor at
Santa Monica has been the interest man.
ifested in favor of the latter port by
Senator Frye of Maine. Many Califor-
nians are reported to have expressed an
abnormal desire to know the cause of the
marked interest Of senator from Maine
in a controversy between the people Of
the state Of California and railway
company which practically controls all,
except coastwise, entrances to and exits
from that state-Bradstreet's.