Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-18

some or the audience gathered ABOUT the
speaker and President Storer Of the San
Pedro chamber of commerce, discussing
the point next brought up. namely
Would Leave Way Open
would not the ..ierhead line In that
case, as suggested by the speaker, close
up sixty feet of water now open to
traffic?"
.The question of the Salt Lake road be-
ing the only one who would be powerful
enough to bid upon any land or property
lining the harbor was then brought up In
| the discussion over the map which was
being examined, and the president of the
San Pedro chamber OF commerce argued
that there would be another competitor
besides the Salt Lake, possibly the Pa
cific Wharf and Storage company, which
Mr.. Bulia represented. The latter argued
that the only interest powerful enough
would be the Salt Lake road. The group
around the may broke away and the next
speaker Senator w. II. Savage was In
troduced He sroke to the point along
the following lines:
1.-The interests of individuals should be
laid aside entirely at this time, and we
should see what can be done for the IN
terest of the general public and for al
the cities Interested in the development
of California harbors. Perhaps some of
us do not understand what we have in the
way of a harbor here and In the way Of
harbor rights. In few years some fran
chises will expire and revert to the city of
San Pedro.
Must Make Arrangements
Some arrangements must be made so
we can control those franchises. There
are thousands and thousands Of yards of
water front belonging to this city. I've
heard 1t intimated that there are some
parts of the outer harbor which we can't
use because they belong to the govern
ment. We are the government, L say.
And II is for our interests that harbors
are made.
1.-The city will have the power and the
right to grant fra chises here. l wish
the state of California to obtain control
of this harbor and to control and man
age it for the people. The state has only
that part between the low water mark
and the extreme high water mark. Inc
general government has control beyond
the low water mark, and you must apply
to it to use that.
Railroad companies with wharves tx
tending into the harbor must obtain per-
mission from the general government. All
harbors are made for the benefit OF COM
merce and to reduce the expense of COM
r.erce. We, here at San Pedro, have
personal and a property tax and har-
Dor tax and then a tax on shipping
which is not imposed on you and me.
I'VE should make San Pedro as free
as any other port. Whenever two bodies
control thing and one cannot grant any
thing without the others consent there
is always conflict.
State Should Control
ST say the state should control this
harbor and expend money so vessels can
L. ~xtft nv
pense as possible.
1--WE would then be able to dredge not
only from one side to another of this
harbor, but up u my friend from Ala
mitos (referring to Mr.. Willard of Ala
mitos) and he would then be part Of
this harbor himself. 1, for my part, wish
to be guided by the wishes of the people.
provided they stop their chickering's and
prove themselves business men not seek
ing personal advantages do not care
whether the state harbor committee
comes from San Francisco or Los An
geles.
..The harbor il here for the people to
use. And / want to see the day--and
I'm going to be with you long time to
come-when the city OF Los Angeles will
be merely a suburb OF the city of San
Pedro"
Applause and laughter greeted the close
of the remarks of the senator, and Assem-
blyman Walter r Leeds or Los Angeles
was then introduced by President storer.
He said:
IT do not wish to speak to you. but
am from Missouri myself and seek to
know about this whole matter. / am
interested in San Pedro, as are all who
live within a thousand miles Of it. for we
all are wrapped up in its welfare. I
have learned more today than I ever
knew before about San Pedro harbor."
Questions Submitted
Senator Wright then spoke of how the
state committee had submitted forty-nine
typewritten questions to the chamber Of
commerce of San Pedro, through their
president, Mr.. Storer, and thus hoped