Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-26
San Pedro Harbor Is
Most Valuable
Heritage
People Advised by Con-
gressman to Safeguard
Th hoir interests
Chamber of Commerce Tenders Dim
ner to Distinguished Guest and
Receives Excellent Advice
In Return

81 was down to San Pedro today and
/ saw trouble for you In the future.
Most of the land around the harbOr is
owned by two corporations. am not
here to interfere in local affairs, but
will frankly tell you that in my opinion
congress is not going to spend money
unless the general public is going to re-
ceive the full benefit of that expendi-
ture."-Cong Joseph E. Rams
dell Democratic member of the con-
gressional committee on rivers and har-
bors
"For Gods sake don't let another foot
of harbOr frontage go into the hands of
private people. Don't let another foot
20 into the hands of corporations, and
let every railroad have an entrance to
the harbor frOntage."-Congres
James McLachlan of Pasadena, member
of the committee on rivers and harbors.
Emphatic were the wranings given
San Pedro last night against the fur
ther encroachments of corporate inter-
ests along the harbor frontage.
Cheers greeted the words of warning,
and those who listened to the admoni-
tions expressed determination to re-
new the fight to preserve to the public
what remains outside the control of pri-
vate and corporate interests.
Congressman Joseph E. RanSdell of
Louisiana, member of the congressional
committee on rivers and harbors, who
is on a tour of the country in the inter-
ests of the National Rivers and Har-
bors association, yesterday visited San
Pedro and last night he was rendered
dinner at Levy's given by the harbor
committee of the Los Angeles chamber
of comm cree.
introduced by McLachIan
President Washburn, who sat at the
head of the table, first introduced Con-
gresham McLachlan, who in turn in
troduced Congressman RamSdell.
Mr.. McLachlan spoke of the trip
made by members of the rivers and har-
bors committee down the Ohio from
Pittsburg to Cairo last year, at which
time the National Rivers and Harbors
association was formed, with the object
of securing larger appropriations for
river and harbor Improvements. Owing
to the high railroad rates he said that
every man in California should be in
terested in improving the countrys
waterways.
Before many years vessels will take
products down the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, across the Gulf of Mexico,
through the Panama canal and land
them at San Pedro at half the cost that
railroads now charge for freight. We
will in turn send oranges and other pro-
ducts of California to New York at less
than a quarter of the present railroad
chargSe-
Ransdel Speaks
Congressman Ransdell was warmly
greeted when he arose to respond. The
congressman is typical southern gen.
tleman and a fluent speaker. He gave
q history of the governments improve
ments of the waterways of the country,
and highly complimented Congressman
McLachlan for his ability to secure an
appropriation of $30OO000 for the harbor
at San Pedro.
"The people in Washington do not
know much about San Pedro" he said,
"and when $3,O00,OOO was asked for har-
Dor work the chairman of the commit
tee on rivers and harborS held up his
hands in holy horror, but Mr.. McLach-
Ian pleaded effectually and you know
the results.
Appropriations for the improvement
Of the waterways Of the country amount
to only $19. 100000 per pear. At this
rate you must wait twenty-five years
for the completion of the work on the
L
change the policy of congress and in
crease the annual appropriations for
waterways to not less than $5OOOOOOO
per year.
IF the great city of Los Angeles
maintains the pace of the past ten
years IT will double its population with
in the same length of time. and If you
want the San Pedro harbor improved
as II should be, help us change the ma
tlonal policy"
Los Angeles Interested
Mr.. Ransdel quoted figures showing
what ne termed the nggardly policy
of the government toward commerce by
appropriating only per cent of the
income to rivers and harbors. compared
with 40 per cent to the navy. He also
gave figures showing the enormous
railroad charges where there is no
competition with navigation and |
greatly reduced rates where there is |
stea mship competition.
People expect that the new rate bill
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