Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-12
CLEAR. CRISP AND CLEAN
THE HARBoR

fNHE inhabitants of Los Angeles and
| the country Immediately tributary
u thereto look to United States Sena-
tor Flint and Representative McLach-
Ian to assist them, in congress, in resist
ing the efforts of the Southern Pacific
railroad to defeat the will of the people
in the matter of free harbor at San
Pedro. Both these gentlemen know, as
every intelligent resident of this Sec
tion of Southern California knows, that
the development of the region about the
harbor site will not, cannot, proceed
until the public is assured of free har-
Dor privileges.
The plan of Captain Amos A. Fries
who has charge of the work at San
Pedro, has been discussed in the local
press and most persons probably have
a more or less definite idea of the mer-
it's of the case. The one thing that is
necessary to the salvation of the free
harbor project, in the estimate of Cap
tain Fries is the improvement of what
is known as the west basin. 1t has
been shown that to dredge the west
basin at a depth corresponding with
that originally planned for the east
basin will cost but 73 per cent of the
amount estimated as necessary for the
work in the latter. The plan of Cap
tain Fries provides for a wharf 'front.'
age of $4,000 feet in the west basin. To
dredge the entire basin will cost. it is
estimated. s35 per wharfage front foot,
or $4,000. To dredge channels sufil-
cient to enable the transaction of busi-
ness will cost about $40 per front foot,
or $4,000.
The Improvement of this basin will
bring no benefits, however, until the
Southern Pacific company can be in
duced or compelled TO open the harbor
by erecting a drawbridge across its
narrow mouth so that vessels may enter
and leave the basin, or inner harbor
Though all interests unite in demanding
that this be done. the railroad selhshly
opposes every project aiming at the
making .sf a free harbor, as we all
know. The harbor lines above the turn
ing basin, which is located at the en-
trance to the inner harbor, have been
planned, and all that remains to be
done to give to this growing section of
the state a free harbor is to compel the
Southern Pacific 20 accede to the
demands of the people that they shall
permit free entrance to the proposed
basin.
Most unfortunately for the business
interests of the community, Senator
Flint and the other members of the
California delegation in congress are
not taking the active interest in the
matter which the people expected them
to take. Their neglectful attitude leads
to the conclusion that the interests of
the Southern Pacific are worthy of more
consideration on their part than the
welfare of Los Angeles, San Pedro and
the surrounding sections of the COM
munity. Although Mr.. McLachlan has
been in congress for six years, and dur
ing this period has we'll understood the
wishes of the people in this direction,
he appears to have been unwilling TO
endeavor to secure governmental sane
tion OF the plan to create the proposed
inner harbor. He has even gone to the
point of neglecting or refusing to use
his influence toward procuring the pas
sage of an act authorizing the location
OF the harbor lines. Senator Flint has
been equally inactive.
Abundant capital to found and develop
important Industries at San Pedro will
be instantly forthcoming if Californias
representatives in both houses Of con-
gress will concede that the interests OF
the whole people are equal if not para
mount to those of the excessively self
.ish Southern Pacific company, and ask
for aid for this project. A few thou
sand letters sent to these gentlemen
while they are in Washington may meet
with responsive action. If they do not,
the only solution Of the question lies in
The election OF a representative and of
a state legislature which will elect a
senator who VIII take the popular,
rather than the Southern Pacific view.