Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-10-29
WANT LINE OF
STEAMERS RUN
BY GOVERNMENT
PACIFIC MAIL COMPANY NOT
TRUE COMPETITOR
STATE RoMoTlON COMMITTEE
WILL TAKE ACTION
Establishment of Service That Shall
Touch at Main Points to Be
Urged on Senators and
Congressman

At the meeting of the counties com
mittee of the California promotion com
mittee in Los Angeles November II the
proposition of a government steamship
line between Pacific coast ports, espe-
cially Los Angeles and San Francisco
and the Panama canal will be Urged
The passage of a resolution condemn
ing the service of the Pacific Mali
Steamship company will be asked, and
the following resolution on the subject
has been prepared:
"Resolved That, in the absence of
any assurance of Improvement by the
Pacific Mail company of it's service be
tween California ports and CentrHi
America and Panama. we urge the sen
ators and congressman from this state
to work for the establishment by the
United States government of an ade-
uuate steamship line in the Pacific
waters in connection with the Panama
railroad, to touch at important Cali
fornia and Central American ports"
such a resolution is in line with
those which have been passed by the
Trans Mississippi Commercial congress
and the California Traffic association"
said a San Francisco man who is in
terested in the meeting of the counties
committee. 1T is entirely in line with
the objects of the California promotion
committee, and the plan has already
been giving a strong impetus in san
Francisco. If, as seems likely, Los An
geles will have some port which can
accommodate such a line by the time 1t
can be established this part of South
ern California should be intensely in
terested in securing government line.
''The feeling which has been aroused
already in the northern part of the
state is shown in this circular issued
to it's members by the California Traffic
association, which considers the matter
of considerable Importance to the mer-
chants of San Francisco, as they are
on record as censuring the present ser
vice, which is VIGOROUSLY bad. 1t is
well known that water competition, so
far as this line Is concerned, is nil, the
rates and service being so arranged as
to force business by the rail lines with
out regard to the requirements of our
trade and the Importance of our port.
"As / understand your local situa-
ton, such a line probably would make
Los Angeles deliveries at the San Diego
harbor, but that should not deter Los
Angeles from taking an active interest
in the project, and the published tariffs
show that the rail rate from San Diego
to the business section of Los Angeles
is but 50 ton, or trifie less, consider
ing discharging rates, higher than from
San Pedro. Such a line will bring to
California a closer touch with with the
southern trade that ought naturally to
come here instead of going abroad, as
it does now to large extent. In addi-
ton, it will facilitate to great extent
trade with our ports from Central and
South American points that now dael
altogether with New Orleans and the
Atlantic coast.
$50, you see, it means a great deal
to all California, and no one who COM
prehends the situation will attempt to
show that the development of trade
that is possible can safely be left to
the Pacific Mail Steamship company.
The problem is like that of the Panama
canal in a much smaller and subsidiary
way. 1t is, too, one of the big prob
lens of future development which now
so strongly confront California"