Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25

make Los Angeles d city of a million
people within fifteen years." said for
mer Mayor William d. Stephens.
'These are the Owens river project, the
good roads plans and the making of a
great harbor at this port. Nearly
every one of us here will live to see at
least 100 great factories established at
Wilmington if consolidation prevails.
! That one thing, the making of a great
manufacturing center here, is the
greatest benefit to Southern California.
and that thing the public harbor will
do. From that there will be hundred
jobs open where there are two now."
Income GobbIed Up
A. P. Fleming, secretary of the Los
Angeles consolidation committee, Wig
orously defended the honor of Los An
geles. He made a hit with a showing
that the public now virtually gets no
revenue from the harbor on which it
has expended $4,5O0,0O0 the income
being gobbled up by corporations and
a San Pedro publication.
The man who questions the ability
of Los Angeles to make good should be
retired from circulation" said Mr..
| Fleming, and then he hit out with the
! following staggering blows on harbor
! finance:
! Ever since that memorable contest
| between the people and Coils p. Hunt
| ington, to determine whether or not
the people should be allowed to take
advantage of the natural conditions in
San Pedro bay and build one of the
great harbors of the world, or whether
the breakwater should be built at Santa
Monica for the use and benefit of the
Southern Pacific railroad, that great
commercial body, the chamber of COM
merce of Los Angeles, has stood guard
over the harbor and fought private in
terests off and protected as best she
could, the rights of the people in Sap
Pedro harbor. And, considering the
disadvantage under which she worked,
certainly the results show that she has
done we'll. The wonder is, under the
circumstances, that there is any 'front.'
age left that may be improved by the
public.
THE government of the United States
has expended up to this date, approxi-
mately $4500,000, and for this expendi-
ture there has been laid the foundation
for future great harbor for commerce
and refuge, if it can be brought under
the control of municipality with re-
sources sufficient to develop it.
Is Made Private Port
"The sad part of the history of San
Pedro harbor, up to date, is that, while
made with public funds, through mis-
management and grasping selfish in
terests, it is no more nor less than a
private harbor. Not one single foot of
wharfage is owned and controlled by
the public.
In this harbor, constructed by pub
lie r-oney, there has been expended:
The Southern Pacific Railroad
company built a wharf esti-
mated to cost ............... S125, 10000
The San Pedro Lumber company's
Kerckhon- Gunner Mil and Lum-
ber company's wharf cost 49,. 100000
San Pedro Dock companys wharf $4,000
Banning company .............. 100000
Making a total cost of wharves
in the harbor, for which license
is collected by the city, Of. .s1S7,350.00
For some reason or other the ordi-
nance does not fix the value on the
Southern California Lumber company,
the San Pedro, Salt Lake e Los An
geles Railroad company and the Cres-
cent Wharf and Warehouse company
and the National Lumber company
Therefore, so far as the public has
official knowledge, the value of all
wharfs in San Pedro harbor today is
$187, $50
city's Revenue
"The revenue derived by the city for
wharf license is as follows:
Southern Pacific Railroad Coz. s2,335.OO
Kerckhoff- Gunner NJ. & L. Co... 1900
San Pedro Lumber Co .......... 105.OO
San Pedro Dock Co ............. 10000
Banning Co ...,....,............ 10000
Sou. California Lumber Co ..... 195.OO
San Pedro, Salt Lake & L. A. Ry 100000
Crescent Wharf 6 Warehouse Co. $4,000
Total revenue derived. ........ $4,000
"Private interests, by reason of the
paying of the above licenses have been
enabled to collect from the public, over
a period of time granted by the license,
as follows:
7S,15S tons gen. mdse. at s1.25.. S9L697.50
S34 tons coke at soc ........... 10000
3176 tons coal at soc ............ 190560
2342 tons pig iron at sl.......... 2.342.00
1859 tons nitrate at S1.25........ 294S7J
1929 tons cement at 81 ......... 3629O0
439. .959,05 board feet at 90c M. 95,96315
80, 063 tons grain at soc ......... 21,43TsO
492 tons flour at soc ........... $500
276 tons sheep at s1.25.......... 345.00
309 tons cattle at SIPS 1,6S4.SO
244 tons steel rails at S1........ 2440O
l237S4 tons crude oil at soc
(742,7 705 bbls.) .......,........ 74,27o.40
ssO3.s13sO
Deduct for handling lumber 49,
959, ,o5S feet at 35c M.......... 15s.ss5.s7
Net ....................., .sI4s.sazss
To which must be added dockage
dues OF ...................,. sAOss.oO
Assuming ships average over 500
tons. or $3.50 dockage per day,
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