Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-18
HARBOR BATTLE
RENEWED TODAY
LINES TO BE ESTABLISHED
FOR SAN PEDRO
ORDER OF LEACH HAS NOT BEEN
MODIFIED
------
6annings to Ask Narrowing Of the
Channel at East End of tho
Turning RasIn--The
Hearing

A new epoch in the battle for free
harbor at San Pedro will begin at Will
mington today.
The hearing on the proposed harbor
lines as devised by Capt. Amos A.
Fries, United States engineer in charge
of the harbor improvements. will be-
gin at 10 o'clock in the Wilmington
town hall and may occupy the entire
day, The board Is composed OF Col.
John Biddle of San Francisco, Capt.
Fries and Lieut.. Charles T. Leeds of
the government engineering office here.
White the friends OF the free harpor
have the assurance that the lines Will
be determined finally according to the
satisfaction Of the commercial organi-
cations by the secretary of war the
board is proceeding under the instruc-
tions of May % as transmitted by Col.
Leach acting chief Of engineers. These
instructions were telegraphed and were
as follows:
Secretary of war directs that har-
bor lines in east and west basins be
established without conditions as to
consent or waiver, with the under
standing that lines as established will
not become final until owners of lands
underlying the channels have donated
lands needed or waived all claims for
damages against the United States"
Leach Order Stands
"This direction has not been modi-
fed nor rescinded," said Capt. Fries
yesterday.
From this it is understood that after
the harbor lines have been fixed, with
out consideration Of the claims Of the
tide land owners, the friends of the
free harbor must carry the contest be-
fore the secretary OF war and this will
be done through the several CONNER
cial organizations. These include San
Pedro, Long Beach and Wilmington
and the Los Angeles organizations. The
certainty Of a change in the office of
secretary of war is also considered by
the free harbor protagonists
Accordingly the board will proceed to
determine the lines and will hear the
notifications asked by various inter-
ests. The principal notifications asked
are those sought by the Banning in
terests and affect the width of the
channel at the east end of the turning
basin. The lines fxed by Capt. Fries
provide for turn with diameter of
2200 feet, which would be a little less
than the width of the channel. but the
Bannings think that a diameter In the
turning circle of 1900 feet will be am
pie. They also ask notifications in
two slips. Whether these notifications
would affect the use OF the harbor by
the largest classes of shipping Is to be
determined.
At the Hearing
At the hearing today II Is understood
that the Bannings will be represented
by Judge Gibson of Los Angeles and
that Col. Huer of San Francisco will
participants for them. The Los Angeles
chamber of commerce will be repre-
sented by President George H. Stewart
and the harbor commission by T. E.
Gibbon.
The argument TO be filed by the har-
Dor commission is understood to be a
very important document and focalizes
the thought OF all the communities in
terested In the free harbor.
Wilmington is prepared to entertain
visitors to the hearing and has pro-
vided a free luncheon to all who at
tend. The Los Angeles visitors will
leave from the Pacific Electric station
at o'clock by special train of two
cars.