Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-16
HANDLEY SCORES
RATE EXT0RTION
Candidate Declares Federal
Steamship Line Necessity
on Pacific Coast
WOULD AID FRUIT GROWERS
-
Party Nominees Given a Rousing
Reception at Democratic
Rally at San Pedro
AID FRUIT GROWERS

Lorln A. Handley, Democratic can
didate for congress; stephen G. Long,
candidate for superior Judge; Lloyd
w. McAtee, candidate for county
clerk, and w. T. Harris, candidate for
sheriff, were the principal speakers at
the big Democratic rally at San Pedro
last night, They were accorded an
enthusiastic reception, especially Prof
Handley, who devoted his remarks to
the subject Of the harbor and federal
steamship lines.
Southern California is paying $780,
600, 900 tribute annually to the trans
portation corporations in excess freight
rates." declared Mr.. Handley. "These
corporations have arbitrarily added
S5,OO0,000 to this rate robbery. It has
been costing our fruit growers from
$23 to S25 per ton to ship their crop
to the market, whereas their compet-
itors In Sicily could ship their lemons
across the Atlantic for $3.50 per ton
and what is true of our citrus fruits
is true of every other commodity.
zone of the chief reasons why this
conspiracy against the people has been
so completely successful is due to the
fact that though the ocean rolls at
our gates we have had no water COM
petition. The time has now come when
we must have relief. Justice demands
for the Pacific coast a federal steam
ship line similar to the one now on
the Atlantic coast. With such a line
as this we could ship our commodities
to Atlantic ports for from $3.50 to $50
per ton, saving our people millions an-
nually. Nor is this wholly q matter
affecting our own district, but rather
one that influences the markets
throughout the nation. We can sell
our products cheaper and buy their
goods, of clothing and every necessity
price of sugar, of cotton and wooden
goods, of clthing and every necessity
of life and would make the cost of
living less. The government owes II
to this western people as we'll as to
the whole nation to establish the line
which we have asked.
but It is not enough to establish a
federal line. We must develop our
harbor. ] say we must develop our
harbor, for it makes all the difference
in the world who controls it. The peo-
pie themselves must build and control
they always build but seldom con-
troll; but they must prepare the way,
build the harbors, open the gates and
invite the commerce OF the world.
What a great opportunity confronts us
with the floodgates of commerce about
to break open on the Pacific. This har-
Dor must be ready and free. We must
bid for the trade of the world, and If
we start right no one can prophesy our
future possibilities.
NEED BETTER WATERWAYS
Besides securing a federal line, build
ing harbors and preparing for the COM
merce of the Pacific, we must also seek
the Improvement OF waterways gener-
ally. This will afford a competition
with the transportation corporations
that will bring relief to helpless people
throughout this country.
In the matter of transportation, as
in all other public questions, we have
no quarrel with honest business, but
when combines are made to arbitrarily
raise rates and rob the people, the man.
hood and courage of our citizenship
must assert itself. Here, as elsewhere,
we seek only to return to that great
American principle of equal opportun-
ity to all and special privilege to none"
The great problem before the people
is TO choose good men--rnen they can
trust We want men like Folk and
Marshall and Bristow, Gay
nor and Wilson. 1t is solely question
OF men and not of party. Ny opponent
is posing as an insurgent. Mr. Steph-
ems deserted the regulars--T say he de-
serted the regulars, for he has always
been one, because he could not get
their support. He Joined the insurgent
and was nominated on an
insurgent platform. He now goes to
our fruit growers and says: Tell me
what you want, and that I will stand
for" At the same time he advocates
a tariff commission which takes 1t out
OF the hands of any congressman to
fight for anything. How does he rec
oncile these positions?
GOOD MEN NEEDED