The San Francisco call., 1906-10-09
THINKS SAN PEDRO
SHOULD Be FREE.
Bell Tells Citizens There
That Railroad Clutch Is
Stunning Towns Growth
RAILROAD SEIZURES
By G. A. Horne.
sPEcIAL DISPATCH To THE eALL

% DOiAL D1SPAICH IO IdE GALL
SAN PEDRO, Oct. S.-Theodore A.
Bell began the third week of his cam
paign tonight with an open-a air meet
ing In the main street of San Pedro.
From a stand decorated with the ma
tional colors and campaign legends he
addressed an audience Of 600 men in the
street while from Nthe windows of
blocks on either side many women
listened to the speaker.
The Southern Pacific seizure of the
water front here was the theme of
the evening Bell was joined by
Joseph H. Call, who made the open
ing speech. The forenoon had been
spent by Bell in visiting the leading
business men in Los Angeles, in COM
pany with w. H Workman, who intro
duced him to the merchants. After
luncheon the party took an electric
car for San Pedro, where thirty or the
local Democratic leaguers were wait
ing with steam launch on which the
party made the circuit of the harbor.
Joseph H Call was the first speaker
introduced by John T. Gaffey, the
chairman Call said in part;
Under Republican laws the earnings
or the railroads are now S90o,0O0,0Q0
year, four times as much as other IN
dustrfes pay, which are assessed three
times as much for taxes. Aided by this
vast sum they have framed laws and
controlled legislators. The Southern
Paec has been able sap IN tRls Pedro way an9 10
there is not a public wharf in South
ern California where a ship holding
freight in opposition to the Southern
Pacific can dock. There are a million
tons of freight which could be car
ried around the Horn at $6 per ton that
now go by rail at $26 a ton. In other
words the Southern Pacific robs You
annually of s20.00O.O 600, of which SO
per cent is profit.
When Bell was introduced he was
greeted with cheers. He devoted a
great part of his time to the subject
of the harbor here. He said in part:
Every day that I spend south of the
Teehachapi shows me wonders OF
which I never dreamed. But 1 am go
ing to say to you what 1 have not said
Of any other town. believe San Pedro
has the greatest future. Good harbors
make great cities. All you need is
stepped in to stunt your natural
growth. 1 am willing to take the au-
thority of Joseph Call in what he said
Of the seizures made here, by the
Southern Pacific. We are thousands
of miles from the markets of the world.
and for forty years 1t has been the
policy of that railroad to demand every
last cent which the traffic would bear.
In order to deprive the people of
that natural competition which the sea
would give the Southern Pacific has
gone into politics SO Hartman nam ed
Gillett for Governor of California at a
banquet in Washington, and Herrin and
Parker carried out his orders at the
Santa Cruz conv ention. In order to
nominate Gfllett they sold the judiciary
nominations at so many votes each.
And that is why men who have been
prominent in the Republican party are
coming to me and telling me that they
are going to cast their first Democratic
vote on November 6, for the people are
disgusted. 'aasa
Wofla Morton, the Democratic candi-
date for Attorney General is promising
to bring suits in the name of the At
torney General. if elected. which will
result in depriYing the railroad of
whatever Southern California dockage
facilities it has acquired by illegal
seizure.
The Democratic leaders in Los An
geles claim that so per cent of the
votes for the nonpartisan ticket, which
is put up as a protest to the Walter
Parker machine in the county, will go
to Bell on the State issues.
The advent of Langdon in Los An
geles is looked forward to with mild
interest not unmixed with amusement.
He has been heralded down the coast
with elaborate posters and an advance
agent who has money to spend to let
the people know the Doodle Dees are
coming.