Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-15
MONoPoLY'S GRIP MUST BE
SHAKEN
SAYS FREE HARBoR SHOULD BE
RESCUED FROM CLUTCHES
NOMINEES for Congress Talks Plainly
to the Fifth Warders, Promising
Fight on Speaker Cannon
If Elected

James McLachlan, last night sent a
fiery streak of enthusiasm into Fifth
ward Democrats
Vice presidents numbering a score
backed the speaker on the stage, the
affair having been arranged by the
| Southwest Democracy which meets at
| Normandie and jefferson avenues.
Thomas e. Gibbon introduced the
| speaker, calling attention of the aud
fence to the fact that another attempt
to steal San Pedro harbor through the
creation of a state harbor commission
similar to that at San Francisco was
| Matching.
Then Mr.. Rush advanced, receiving a
tumultuous demonstration.
II take 1t that we are all interested
in the development of our country"
said Mr.. Rush.
| "I take 1t that our legislators must
may have a chance to enjoy liberty
fairly.
Producers and DespoiIers
1--WE may divide mankind into the
producers and despoilers
1.-THE producers have ever been in the
majority They have always been able
to shape the destiny of their country If
they pulled one way. But lacking CO.
operation the minority gained control.
did not change much after all. While
| the civilized world decided that mere
physical force must not prevail the
same old disposition fingers. We do not
engage in physical force, it is true, but
we enjoy an intellectual battle.
ITO despoil his brother the unscrup-
ulous man has developed stock and
other schemes with which to work his
| fellows. They formed corporations.
The rest was easy Trusts followed.
"I am not condemning corporations.
They are absolutely necessary today.
Men must combine their capital to
carry on great projects. 1t is no more
necessary now to kill off all corpora
tions any more than 1t was necessary
to kill off the sttrong men in olden
| times.
what we must do is to make them
walk straight under the law.
THE great armies of commercial con-
quest swoop down on the people today
| and despoil them. 1t is the trusts that
do it. Now the majority of people are
opposed to that. Here and there are
| trusts that we must fight.
Depend on Railroads Now
I'm Southern California we are pecu-
liarly situated in this that we have the
most beautiful country. the most splen-
did civilization anywhere, the most en-
| ergetic people.
However we of Southern California
are compelled to drop everything we
produce beyond the Missouri river, and
everything we do not produce must be
shipped to us from distant points.
Hence transportation, roads and rates
are important factors with us.
1.-THE Panama canal Is being dug.
Water transportation is cheaper than
rail. We must have it.
Freight on oranges is now $23 ton,
AtrrI,f 1xF fa,.
ought not to be over 81 a ton when the
canal is built.
"Steel for our buildings is $15 a ton,
but with water rates it will be 81 ton.
Joseph Call, one of the most careful
statisticians, has estimated that the
saving in Los Angeles county alone
after the Panama gateway Is open will
be more than $20,000,000 a year.
wonder If that is worth the saving.
I'VE have our great embryo harbor
of San Pedro. A sea is s. grand thing
to sail on. but to avail ourselves Of 1t
there must be real harbor.
1.-THE people of Los Angeles have
been hugging the delusion that we had
a harbor. 1t is far from that now.
"Messrs Gibbon, Mcguire, while in
years gone by all worked hand in
hand and the transportation monopoly
was against them, but they won. We
are building a monument now to COM
memorate Senator Whites splendid
services.
But somebody has been sleeping.
There has been a hitch. 1t was only
half victory.
Bighting Hand
"The old monopoly has placed it's
bIighting hand on the harbor and
grabbed it.
you remember the coal famine of a
fy.oy y1ti
tors said patients were sick and suf-
fering because of lack of warmth.
about that time there came Ger
man vessel, coal-laden, which wanted
to come in and unload. The powers
told the captain to wait till tomorrow,
as there was no room.
"The captain went to Santa Monica
day after day he was kept waiting on
one excuse after another and he turned
away and no coal was landed for Los
Angeles.
wasn't that fine condition for a
free harbor?
"If you want free harbor you must
have access to it,
1.-THE transportation monopoly does
not want the government to go into
the wharf business. Why not? The
government has wharves at Panama,
Colon, in the Philippines and else
where. Why not dredge out the inner
harbor into the city limits of Los An
geles?
"somebody could have the wharves
then.
"They tell you Uncle Sam has set
aside 100000 to build world harbor.
Just, think of 1t!
Pump out a little sand so the ships
could get up to the Southern Pacific
wharves.
1.-THE government has spent millions
annually, but we get less than 5 per
cent for our seacoast.
Every vessel to and from the orient
will pass within seventy miles of San
Pedro,
''If we but exert ourselves the worlds
chance are ours. Opportunity is thun-
dering at our doors and demanding adj
mission. / am surprised in the people
if they do not say we will get and
keep control.
eve ought to accommodate the big
gest shipbuilders in the world. One
shipyard man told me the men can
work out of doors all the year round
here. That will save us 20 per cent
on labor alone
"Take off the tariff on steel plates
and we can establish the biggest ship
yard in the world.
exHa have OnnortunitieS that are