The herald., 1897-04-29
What of the Harhorp

What of the HarborP
To the Editor of the Los Angeles Her
aid: A years retrospect of the harbor
question will enlighten and possibly sur
prise many well-meaning citizens Of Los
Angeles. In the spring of 1896 the Free
Harbor league of this city concluded to
ask congress, then in session. for an ap-
preparation to improve the Wilmington
harbor at San Pedro in accordance with
the plans and recommendations that
had been made by Colonel Benyaurd OF
the engineer corps. The estimated cost
of this Improvement was $392. 900. Owing
to the depressed condition of the national
finances the league with considerable
prudence determined to ask for nothing
more of that congress. The idea of an
outer harbor, or breakwater, at San Pc
dro was for the time ignored by the
| Harbor league. Their determination
was made known to our senators and
representatives in Washington, ana
there was no opposition. so far as known,
to the appropriation of $S92,OOO, for the
purpose of deepening the entrance to
Wilmington harbor Thus matters rest
ed until it became known that congress
COulp DTODdDly De lllQueNN W A''e@>~ -
large, continuing appropriation for
a breakwater at Santa Monica at once,
so that work on it could be commenced
without delay. This was a great sur
prise to gentlemen of the Harbor league,
and they took active steps Immediately
to defeat it.
This movement in favor or an appro-
priation of $2,900,000, to construct
breakwater at Santa Monica probably
originated with c. p. Huntington. who
offered on behalf of his company the do
nation of $780, 900 to begin the work. The
very marked success of the pier at Port
Los Angeles, which had cost the South
ern Pacific company million dollars,
and which would be benefited by a
breakwater, leads almost conclusively
tc the belief that Mr.. Huntington was
instrumental in obtaining this large Of
fer of an appropriation for deep water
harbor at or near that locality. The
Free Harbor league of Los Angeles, the
active members of which were offlcers
and representatives of the Terminal
Railroad company, concern owned and
controlled largely in the city of st. Louis,
Mo-, at once set themselves about the
task of diverting the proposed appro-
priation, obtained by Mr.. Huntington,
to the bay of San Pedro, instead of Santa
Monica bay, as was intended; and they
made known their determination at the
very start to defeat the appropriation
altogether if they failed in their scheme
to purloin it. Senator White. on their
behalf, speedily raised the question as
to the location of the breakwater, in the
committee on commerce of the senate.
where the matter was pending, and was
induced TO take up the fight for san
Pedro, which he conducted with great
earnestness, believing, doubtless, at the
time, whatever his opinion may be now,
that he was serving a friendly constit-
uency. In a spirit of fairness he obtained
an appointment for hearing on the sub
ject before his committee and telegraph
ed to the Los Angeles papers that both
sides would be heard on a certain day.
Impressed with the belief that the ques-
ton would be finally disposed of on such
hearing, a delegation of five citizens
favoring Santa Monica. and five others
favorable to San Pedro proceeded to
Washington and We're accorded pa
tient hearing before the full committee.
on commerce. The committee,
consisting of fifteen distinguished sem
ators of the United States. after al
thorough investigation, decided by
large majority in favor of Santa Monica.
This was thought to settle the matter of
deep water harbor for Los Angeles.
Her citizens had been invited to present
the case, and ten of them had actually
made the long Quincy to Washington
with the expectation that a determina-
tion of the question would be reached
and the much needed money be ex-
pended. But not so. The San Pedro ad-
vocates now took the ground, and were
backed up by portion of the Los Ange-
les press, that no appropriation was de-
sired unless San Pedro could get it.
San Pedro or nothing" was loudly
proclaimed by those would-be appropri-
ators of what Santa Monica had acquir-
ed. San PEDRO was to have, without
cavil, the 1892, 900 that had been origin
ally asked for, but her friends were not
content with that; they determined to
get what had been offered to Santa Mon
lea also, and a new scheme to that END
was hatched up. In accordance with
their demand, commission must be ap-
pointed to review, revise or reverse the
decision of the committee of the senate,
or else no appropriation for a deep har-
Dor on this coast could be had at all.
The friends of Santa Monica chose to
submit to this unjust exaction rather
than see the whole appropriation for a
breakwater stricken out of the bill. The
result is known.
The following telegram to the Los An
geles Times of the 14th of April, 1897,
contains a vast amount of food for
thought for the people of this city:
WASHINGTON, April 13.-Richard
Kerens Of st. Louis, head of the Los An
geles Terminal company, has been re-
inforced by many fellow investors in
Southern California securities, and they
are new preparing for descent upon
Secretary Alger. The arrival of Senator
White is all that is needed and he is ex
pected here by the latter part of the
week. st. Louis men have feared an at
tempt to introduce a bill in the senate
blocking the way to San Pedro harbor
Improvement, based on later estimates
that the cost would exceed the appropri-
alton"
This is indeed interesting information
for the people. of Los Angeles, These
many fellow investors with "Mr. Rich
ard Kerens of st. Louis in Southern Cali
fornia Terminal railroad securities"
must feel deep soicitude for the welfare
of Los Angeles when a whole crowd of
them in a body go all the way from ST.
Louis to Washington to make descent