Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-13
CAPTAIN FRIES
SHOWS NEED OF
HARBOR LINES
ENGINEER MAKES REPORT TO
GOVERNMENT
URGES IMPORTANCE OF LOS AN
oELEs IN COMMERCE
That San Pedro Port Is of Importance
to Warrant Deepening Is Burden
of Officials communi-
cation

In his report on the improvement OF
San Pedro harbor, which has just been
transmitted to congress by the war
department, Capt. Amos A. Fries pays
a compliment to the importance OF Los
Angeles. He uses language more read
able than the average official report TO
demonstrate to the government that
Los Angeles is the leading commercial
center of California outside of san
Francisco, and that its future grown
will continue to outstrip the predlc-
tons of the real estate agents.
THAT the harbor is of ample impor-
lance to warrant deepening the present
harbor to thirty feet, and to deepen TO
that or lesser depths as may be re-
ouired other portions of the inner mar
Dor north of the turning basin, is eVl-
dent" said Captain Fries in his report,
when it is considered that the main
commercial center of California south
of San Francisco is Los Angeles, with
San Pedro as it's seaport. Los Angeles
has today about 275,000 inhabitants
while nearby is Long Beach with over
10000, Pasadena with over 10000, San
Pedro with about 5000 land Santa Mon
lea with about 10000. These are all In
Los Angeles county, and in addition
there are a number of smaller towns
containing from few hundred up TO
two or three thousand inhabitants.
Near by are the rich agricultural coun-
ties of Riverside, Orange and san Ber-
nardino, so that within radius or
sixty miles of San Pedro there is
present population of about 100000
This population is growing rapidly, and
agricultural and manufacturing de-
velopments are keeping pace with that
growth.
THAT Los Angeles will remain the
commercial center is also evident from
the fact that the best pass over the
Sierra Nevada mountains to the east
in the state of California is the San
Bernardino pass, traVersed by three
transcontinental railroads reaching Los
Angeles"
Although the report has just been
received by congress, it was transmit
ted to the war department by Captain
Fries a year ago. At that time the
harbor lines were not established and
Captain Fries could not anticipate the
starting of the tidelands suits with any
certainty Harbor progress in the last
year, however, has made important
Parts of the report prophetic.
Asks for Harbor Lines
Captain Fries urged establishment of
the harbor lines, and this was accord
ingly accomplished through authority
under a special congressional resolu-
ton The report covers nearly thirty
typewriter pages and goes at length
into the history of the tidelands, the
desira bility of deepening the inner har-
Dor throughout to thirty feet, and the
necessity for adequate consideration of
the west basin along with the rest of
the harbor. The recommendations
made are:
THAT the inner harbor be deepened
to thirty feet along the lines of the
present approved project, beginning at
the 30-foot depth in the outer harbor
and extending to the uper end of the
turning basin, and that the government
build a new dredge for the purpose.
The total cost, including the dredge
and all contingencies, is estimated at
S530.000
That 100000 be appropriated for
channels 175 feet wide above the turn
ing basin along the lines proposed in
the plan of improvement shown on the
map accompanying this report, the
work to be extended simultaneously or
nearly so in both the east and west
basins by government dredges.
THAT If no money be appropriated
| for work above the turning basin, con-
! gress authorize the establishment of
/ harbor lines in both the east and west
/ basins in order that private interests,
whether corporate, company or indi-
vidual, can dredge channels, reclaim
| land and build Wharves wherever they
| without further reference to the war
department, providing they keep with
/ in the harbor lines that may thus be
established"
The report was sent to the war de-
partment December II, 1907, but was
not made public until transmitted to
/ congress. In the meantime the harbor
| lines have been established as recon-
mended, and the city of Wilmington,
Los Angeles Harbor company, Console
Gated Lumber company and other in
terests are taking advantage of this.
The war departments recommended
ton is for deepening of the channel
thirty feet throughout the limits of
the present project but not with the
construction of an additional dredger.
Captain Fries urged In his report that
the 30-foot depth In the present project
be considered the important matter,
and that other recommendations be
considered as secondary, so the main
features of his report-establishm of
harbor lines and a 3O-foot channel