Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-15
PROMOTION
COMMITTEE
S. P.'S ALLY
DISCLoSES SUBsERvIENCE TO
RAILWAY POWERS
OPPOSES A LINE OF PACIFIC
STEAMSHIPS
San Francisco Men Caught in Trap
Forced to Show Their Hand In
Opposition to important
Resolution

F THERE was any lingering doubt
in the minds of Los Angeles peo-
pie regarding the purposes of a
certain San Francisco organization they
must have been dispelled yesterday
when members of the California pro-
motion committee at the Blanchard hall
meeting fell quickly into a simple trap
and went to the defense of the South
ern Pacific Railroad company.
The chamber of commerce of Los
Angeles has long and steadfastly held
that the promotion committee, So
called, was maintained in the interest
of the Southern Pacific railroad. and
felt that Los Angeles would always
get the worst of every deal fostered
and put through by the committee.
So firmly has this belief been fixed
in the minds of officials of the local
chamber OF commerce that they not
only have long refused to take any part
In deliberations and schemes of that
body, but refused to appoint delegates
to yesterdays meeting.
Smoke Out the Committee
A plan was arranged during the
course of the meeting yesterday to
bring the committee out into the open.
A resolution was introduced favoring
g. government line of steamers between
the Atlantic and California ports in
connection with the California-Panama
rairoad which the government owns
and which now carries freights with
line of. Atlantic steamers under gov
ernment control between New York and
1.-the isthmus.
1T was explained that it was intended
to get an expression from the COM
mittee as a body of representative men
of California regarding the recomnell-
dations of Senator. Bristow. who was
appointed the early. part OF the year
for the purpose of investigating the
advisability of establishing a Pacific
steamship line by the sIsthmian Canal
commission.
The officials of the promotion COM
mittee opposed this resolution, which
stated that the movers most earnestly
favor the establishment of a line Of
government steamers between New
York and California points in connec-
ton with Panama ports, so that trans
portation facilities might be increased
and freight rates regulated in the in
terest of California growers and pro-
ducers.
Declared Out of Order
The committee officials interposed
parliamentary objections and finally
mustered enough votes to table the
resolution on the ground that 1T was
out of order.
This action showed conclusively to
the satisfaction of Los Angeles visitors
present that the promotion committee
is opposed to anything that would
have a tendency to hurt the Southern
Pacific, Notwithstanding the fact that
it would be of immense benefit to the
people of California.
1t was the purpose of the introducers
and hackers of the resolution to show
this fact and they claim that their ends
were readily accomplished.
The resolution was introduced py IL
e. Gibbon.
The mover stated that he recognized
| that the resolution was not germans
| to the subject of the day, Tourists
Knowing this, however. he intro
duced the resolution independently
near the close of the session after the
resolutions committee had made its
report on the ground solely OF the
transcendent Importance OF the ques-
tion involved.
Paramount Question
In this section of the United States
where freights came long distances
and shipments went to distant mar
kets, the question of transportation Il
a paramount one. Hence he thougn'
1t was proper to bring IT up. as mucr
| so as resolution of coincidence OF
other emergency action.
THE establishment of a government
line had been favorably recommends
by a representative of the government
! tCOntinued on Page Three)
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