Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-22
WILL FIGHT FOR
EQUITABLE RATES
Los Angeles Harbor Commission
TO Demand Lower DiStribu-
tive Charges
SECRETARY GIVES OPINION
Says Highways Completion Will
Make City One of Worlds
Greatest Ports
SECRETARY GIVES OPINION

That the Los Angeles harbor COM
mission will soon institute fight for
equitable distrbutive rates from the
harbor inland was the statement made
by A. w. Fleming, secretary of the
commission, yesterday.
The terminal rates which we fought
so strenuously to obtain are now Virtu-
ally obtained, and the next step will be
to secure better distribuitive rates."
he said, (which will mean saving of
thousands of dollars annually to the
shippers and jobbers of Los Angeles"
AS secretary Of the Los Angeles har-
Dor commission, Mr.. Fleming framed
the promise Of Los Angeles to aid San
| Pedro is securing lower terminal rates
after the consolidation, and this promise
after the consolidation, and this
promise has now been kept by the As
ISOLATED Jobbers, aided by the harbor
commission.
Mr.. Fleming recently brought an
action before the state railroad COM
mission to secure an adjustment OF the
| distributive rate schedule, asking that
the railroads be compelled to maintain
team tracks at San Pedro and Will
mington, and to grant equitable switch
! ing rates from these places to other
sections Of Los Angeles.
| Mr.. Fleming stated yesterday that
the terminal rate decision will estab-
| lish terminal points at the harbor as
we'll as on the team tracks inside the
old city limits, which is one of the
| concessions the jobbers and harbor
| commission have been striving to Sc
| cure. Mr.. Fleming regards this as an
| important step toward building up the
! harbor, and in connection with the
harbor highway, which the commercial
interests of the city are now attempt
ir,rr VNAI h. yfcN1
to complete, will greatly increase the
volume of business done at Los An
geles harbor, and help to make it one
of the greatest dfstributive ports in the
world, even before the completion Of
the Panama canal.
without these terminal rates." said
Mr.. Fleming yesterday, "it would have
been extremely difficult, if not impos-
sible, for Los Angeles to have built up
an export trade; but with the terminal
rates and more equitable distributive
rates, and with the completion of the
long-delayed harbor highway, which
will permit the use of motor trucks in
competition with the railway COM
panies Los Angeles harbor will be in a
| condition to take advantage of it's
| position, If I may express 1t in this
language. Equitable distributive rates
will do more, / believe, than will the
terminal rates, to bring about imme-
diate good results for Southern Call
fornia-
"The distributive rate from Los An
geles to San Diego at present is no
more than from Los Angeles harbor to
the business center of the city, al
though the latter distance is but
twenty-five miles. For this reason, the
vessels of the American-Hawaiian line
can bring in Los Angeles merchandise
just as cheaply through San Diego as
through Los Angeles harbor, which 1t
will be readily seen works an injustice
for Los Angeles.
with the Los Angeles harbor rate
reduced to what it should be, these
vessels will have to dock at San Pedro.
more reasonable distributive rate
from Los Angeles harbor to other
points, including the citrus fruit belt,
San Joaquin valley, etc, and Arizona
and Nevada, also will increase the
warehouse business at Los Angeles
harbor."