Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-23
CAPT. FRIES REMOVAL.

making this harbor an adequate port
for the accommodation of a world COM
merce, the recall Of Capt. Fries from
the position of engineer in charge Of
that work by the war department is
most unfortunate, and very disquieting
to our citizens.
1t is true that Capt. Fries has been in
charge of this work for nearly three
and one-half years, a period as long as
an engineering officer is usually per-
rnitted to remain in charge of any par
ticular assignment. At the same time,
there is no hard and fast rule upon this
matter, as engineering officers under
special conditions have been kept on
the same assignment for periods more
than double the length of Capt. Fries
service on San Pedro harbor.
1t is hoped that Capt. Fries recall
was not due to any sinister private or
corporate influence, and The Herald
would be glad to believe such to be the
case. At the same time there can be
no question that Capt. Fries. In the
honest discharge of his duty to the
public which required him to use his
utmost efforts to protect the public's
interest in the harbor, has earned the
ilI-will of some very selfish and very
powerful interests by standing like a
stone wall against their attempts to
acquire unjust privileges in the harbor
which would destroy It's usefulness TO
the public.
When Capt Fries took charge OF the
harbor work a considerable portion of
the frontage In the outer harbor had
been already unwisely granted away
by the city of San Pedro in the form
of what are popularity known as the
Huntington and Miner concessions |
There still remained, however, upon the
outer harbor the frontage bounded by |
the government reservation of about |
eighty acres upon that harbor; the 134
acres lying next to the breakwater, as
we'll as all of that structure. One OF
the first things that Capt. Fries was
called upon to face after he took charge
of the harbor work at San Pedro was
an effort upon the part of the Southern
Pacific company to secure title to the
government reservation on the outer
harbor and also to secure rights over
the 1874 acres still controlled by the
public and along the whole Of the break
water.
Had the Southern Pacific company
succeeded in these efforts it would have |
completely dominated all Of the outer |
harbor, and the public would have been |
shut off from any use or control
thereof.
That the Southern Pacific did not
succeed in any of these efforts is prob
ably due to the fact that Capt. Fries !
took the most positive stand against |
them-not only refusing to recommend |
them, but making positive and strong
adverse report when they came up for
consideration by the officials of the
government.
Since that time he has been forced In
the discharge of his duty TO stand In
the way of the efforts of grasping pri-
vate interests to acquire privileges on
the inner harbor which have seriously
infringed upon the rights Of the public
ana largely ueSlIO5eu It's FshiuS oS "
free public harbor.
The last instance of this sort Of ser-
vice to the harbor on the part of Capt |
Fries was his splendid efforts in assist
ing The Herald in defeating the appli-
cations of the Southern Pacific COM
pany and its friends for wharf and rail-
way franchises on the inner harbor.
These actions on the part of Capt |
Fries have not only endeared him in
expressibly to the people of the city of
Los Angeles, and indeed to all the pub
lie for whose benefit this harbor is be- |
ing constructed by the government
but they have above all things demon |
strated the fact that he is essentially
the right man in the right place.
It, therefore, not only becomes the !
right, but the paramount duty, Of every |
citizen Interested in the proper develop |
ment of San Pedro harbor, to use his
utmost efforts in appeals to the author
tiles at washington to have the order
relieving Capt. Fries from his position
as engineer In charge of the San Pedro
harbor work rescinded.
In this matter a Southern California |
senator in Washington can be of more
service than any other single influence; |
in fact, the influence which Senator
Flint has attained in Washington |
should apparently enable him to at once
have this order rescinded and the re-
tention Of Capt. Fries in his present |
position assured.
The Herald believes that Senator
Flint will use his utmost efforts in this
behalf, and it feels we'll assured that
if he does so it will beyond question
result in Capt. Fries retention.
1t is, Of course, reassuring to know
that should it be impossible to retain
Capt. Fries upon the harbor work his
duties will be taken up by Lieut.. Leeds, |
who has during the past eighteen
months served as Capt Fries assistant
upon that work.
At the same time the harbor work at
San Pedro and upon the Southern Cal |
ifornia coast would seem of sufficient
Importance to enlist the services of
both these able officers, and the re-
moval of either one OF them at the
present time from the work with which
they are so well acquainted and for
which they have shown such able
capacity would be nothing short of a