The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-25
RAILROAD news.
Scheme to MOnOpOlize the San
Pedro HarbOr.
Southern Pacific and Salt Lake
Railways in a Deal.
LOS ANGELES AROUSED
To Reap Harvest at Govern
ment's Expense.
Combine Would EffectualIy
Throttle Competition.

Los Angeles, March 25.-From an ear
" period it has been recognized among
traffic managers and those engaged in
commerce that a commercial rival to
San Francisco was bound to grow up
on the Southern Pacific coast
The late c. P Huntington fully re-
allied the Importance of the proposition,
and when the government determined to
! construct a harbor of commerce and
refuge on the southern coast, bent all
his great energies and his vast influence
to have it located at Santa Monica,
where he controlled all the ocean 'front.'
age. He was firmly convinced that with
a good harbor in its vicinity and its
natural advantages Of climate, accessi-
bility and surrounded by a country rich
in agricultural resources and mineral
wealth, Los Angeles would become one
of the great commercial cities of the
world.
A long and bitter fight was waged
over the location. On one side was the
united sentiment of the people of South
ern California, and on the other a greedy
corporation. The people won, and San
Pedro acquired the harbor after a fight
of fifteen years
The present phenomenal growth of
Los Angeles commenced when actual
work began on the breakwater. The
fact that it was to have greta harbor
manency to investors and capital flow
ed in from all parts seeking investment.
One of the immediate results has been
the construction of the Salt Lake rail-
way, a transcOntinental line which
would not have been located at San
Pedro had that city not acquired the
harbor.
Fight for Free HarbOr.
While the fight for the harbor was be-
ing waged, one of the chief arguments
h~~+ = T1~-J
was that it was to be a free harbor,"
and that 1t might become so was the
chief reason why the Southern Pacific
opposed it. When the fight was won,
free barbecues and grand speeches were
INDUCED in.
The Southern Pacific gave no barbe-
cues nor made grand speeches, but
quietly proceeded to make the best of
the situation by trying to acquire or
control the whole frontage and all the
approaches. It secured a. control in the
Salt Lake road. which gave it the whole
eastern side of the harbOr. 1t acquired
the Timms' Point property in front Of
the. city of San Pedro and having gain
ed control of the portion for which the
government has made an appropriation,
1t is now endeavoring to have the har-
Dor lines for future projects so laid that
whenever work is done it (the Southern
Pacihc) can be in control.
If the government engineers should
adopt the lines asked for by the South
harbOr in front of Wilmington, it would
then, through congress, be enabled some
time in the future, to secure an apprO-
priation for the southeast channel be
tween the fill and Terminal Island in
which case it would control the upper
end of the harbor more absolutely than
II does the lower, for fortunately the
city of San Pedro has preserved all the
water front of the outer harbor.
In the old fight over the location of
the harbor, the Southern Pacific found
a comparatively easy task in handling
congress, but it never could influence
the government engineers. Fortunately
for the people, the question now at an
issue is one on which the engineers
alone will pass, and the commercial
bodies of southern California should
take prompt action to the represented
before the board of engineers, which
meets here April TO- to act on the ques-
ton.
Merchants Robbed.
The Southern Pacific today forces the
merchants Of San Pedro to pay as much
to move their merchandise over the
wharf as it costs to bring it to that
port by steamer from San Francisco.
This charge is so outrageous that the
people of that place can, no doubt, OBJ
tain remedy by appealing to the state
board of railroad commissioners, for
even a California railroad commission
would scarcely stand for such charges
The new plan proposed for the I'M
provement OF the inner harbor is such
that the Southern Pacific, the Salt Lake
and the Banning company will control
every foot of dock.
In the United States engineers Of
flee is a map which shows the pro-
posed changes. In brief, 1t is to build
a bulkhead 1000 feet long at Mormon
island, well within the mouth of the
inner harbor. This is to be built at
Mr. Harriman'S expense. The govern
ment is then to build two more bulk
heads, some two miles in length, COLI
Meeting with this at either end form
ing a V-Shaped section with the apex
reaching we'll in past the town of
Wilmington. This is to be filled in
and turned over to the three com
panies.
The merchants Of San Pedro say
that the plan might be worth consid-
ering were it not for the fact that the
Southern Pacific would obtain abso-
lutte control of the harbor by the new
scheme No other transportation
company would ever be able to gain
a foothold in the harbor. The mar
row strip of land proposed to be made
between the bulkheads would be the
only available space for wharves and
slips, and the Salt Lake and Southern
Pacific companies would be the only
companies permitted to occupy this
strip.
The san Pedro council appointed a
committee to appear before the
United States engineers yesterday and
INQUIRE into the proposed changes.
This committee was composed of,
chairman. John T. Gaffey A. X Jen-
sen. r. D. Sepulveda, w. w. Burke. Fl.
G. Downing and w. NJ Thomas The
Free HarbOr league was represented
by Charles Heinze and Karl StrOns-
sen W. J. Washburn, chairman of
the harbor board of the Los Angeles
Chamber of Commerce, was also in
attendance