Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-27
FRIES DISCUSSES
HARBOR DETAILS
MEANING EXPANDS IN RATES
OF Development
FUEL AND MATERIALS WILL BE
MUCH CHEAPER
California Producer VIII Be Among
First to Profit by San Pedro
Water Front and Panama
Canal

All persons interested in the harbor
question unite i'm giving Captain Amos
A. Fries of the United States corps OF
engineers credit for broad insight into
the situation. His work in connection
with the government undertakings at
the San Pedro harbor has made him
as familiar with the possibilities of
large harbor system here as any per-
son who has studied the matter.
For that reason the following sum-
mary of harbor possibilities by Captain
Fries is of special interest:
Though a shipping point for CEN
fury, San Pedro is just now being
rounded into shape. Los Angeles Will
always remain the residence. shopping,
banking and the office center; and San
Pedro, as a part of the greater city.
will be the shipping and the manufac-
turing, storage and wholesale center.
The harbor must be laid out and con-
Quoted on broad lines that will provide
for independent, individual effort, for
in no other way can it achieve its des-
tiny.
"You may think this has nothing to
do with the meaning of the harbor to
the southwestern United States. But
II has. emphatically. The meaning Will
be broad or narrow, just as develop
ment is broad or narrow. If the devel-
opment is dwarfed the whole meaning
of the harbor will be dwarfed in the
same ratio.
"But give it broad development,
give every man a square deal, give
every business the same rights and
privileges accorded to any other bust
ness-in other words, make 1t q free
harbor-and what will it mean?
Cheap Eastern Coal
"With the opening of the Panama
canal 1t will mean that coal from the
Alleghenies coming down the ohio 10
New Orleans and transferred there 10
ocean going ships can be laid down
here as cheaply as-probably cheaper
than-we now get coal from Utah, New
Mexico or wyoming. 1t will mean even
more for cement. structural Steel raw
cotton, flour, If you please, and otner
foodstuffs, whether started from Ne"
Orleans, New York or Germany.
at will also mean that the walnut
grower. the wine manufacturer, the
fruit Gamer, the lemon and orange
grower. the celery producer ana the
numerous other industries peculiar TO
Southern California can ship cheaper,
and unless the railroads better tnelr
present average freight speed, quicker
than by rail.
"For incoming and outgoing freight,
foreign or domestic, San Pedro Is as
near every part of the United states
east of Salt Lake City as Is san fran
cisco. and likewise as near as Portiano,
Seattle and Tacoma to all but rev Oh
the northwestern states.
"It now has three transcontinental
roads and more coming.
Better Railroad Routes
"Tts railroad routes to the east are
better than San Franciscos, ana the
eouaI of those at Portland or Puget
Sound. =,
"The coast and country back OF It is
naturally free from storms, and with
an even mild climate. Ships may en-
fer the harbor at all times and men
can work every day in the year. OIL Tor
fnel il cheap and plentiful, with vast
denosits of orc not far in the interior
waiting to get out.
"Dirt is flying on the Panama canal
at a rate that bids fair to open IL 10
ships in 1918. And then! Being the
nearest commercial center, on the
shortest route from the canal to the
orient. the trade must and VIII come
here. San Pedro should become port
of call for every vessel traversing tne
canal whether bound north or south.
cost or west. besides being the home
Of MANY steamer lines of it's own.
"The possibilities are wonderful The
Atlantic has it's harbors, large cities
and manufacturing sites by the score
from Galveston, Texas, to Portland,
Me hui the Pacific coast OF the united
states has only four important centers
Puget sound, the Columbia river,
San Francisco bay and Southern Call
fornia,"