Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-03-30

|
! the result will be to divert all bond money
from the outer harbor.
The council resolution submitted after
careful consideration of the different elements,
legal we'll as practical, that entered into
the problem of harbor improvement, consist
ent with a fair construction of the recon-
mendations of the consolidation committee, IN
view of the general policy of the city relative
to the development of the waterfront. In bond
proceedings It has uniformly been deemed
prudent to conduct them as not TO place
any more restrictions upon the acquisition or
construction of proposed public Improvements
than is reasonably necessary to accomplish
the results desired. This rule has been de-
parted from occasionally, 1t is true, but when
this has been done difficulties have ensued
of a character which the city should not De
forced to contend with in its harbor work.
The reason of the designation Of the turning
basin as the point of division between the San
Pedro and Wilmington improvements is that
unless il had been so designated the channel
portion of the harbor would have been en-
tirely disregarded and would have been placed
beyond the power of the city TO improve Inc
precise location Of the harbor improvements
was not stated in the council resolution, be-
cause It was practically impossible to do so
and avoid dangers that might, and in all
probability would, arise hereafter
And, furthermore, it seemed reasonable TO
adopt the view that II any improvements were
to be made along the channel frontage Of San
Pedro they should be paid for out Of the
81 600 900 as being development in which san
Pedro's interest was directly concerned. l
will explain. The turning basin is n large
circular area in which ships entering the har-
Dor can turn around upon leaving IL. which has
been dredged by the government, and Is To-
Gated just easterly of Smiths island and be-
low the southerly end of Mormon island.
II should be said here that the waters Of
San Pedro and Wilmington bays are natu-
rally divisble into three more or less dis
tinct portions. Proceeding inward from the
open sea, there is first the large body of wa
breakwater; leading nortEward from this there
is a channel about two miles long and 500 feet
in width, between the mainland and Termi-
nal island, directly in front Of san Pedro,
and extending from Dead Mans island to the
turning basin just referred to. Above the
turning basin is another large body of water.
known as Wilmington bay, consisting Of an
east and a west basin, and extending to the
waterfront at Wilmington. In order to under
stand the technical distinction between the
inner and outer harbors as officially made IL
should be here noted that the United states
government which has jurisdiction over all
navigabe waters, recognizes Dead Man
island as forming the point Of demarcation
between the inner and outer harbors; all wa
tiers north of Dead Mans island up to the
Wilmington waterfront, including the long
channel In front OF San Pedro and Wilmington
bay are recognized by the federal govern
ment as constituting the inner harbor; and
the waters southerly Of Dead Mans lsland
are considered comprising the outer harbor.
presumably for the purposes Of convenience IN
laying ont and making appropriations for
government improvements. Under 1t the Jet
ties leading from Terminal island to Dead
Mans island ana Timms point into the outer
harbor waters at the southerly end of the
channel are classified as Inner habor' I'M
provements, and the only outer harbor IN
provements of any note has been the break
water.
Definition of Terms
In the preparation of the draft of the reso-
luton declaring the necessity Of the harbor
improvements preliminary to the harbor bond
election, It was apparent that If the report OF
the consolidation committee in its use OF the
terms Inner harbor and outer harbor,'
was to be rigidly construed, in the light Of the
definitions of the inner and outer harbors, as
recognized by the federal government, the en-
tire portion Of the harbor Of Los Angeles be-
tween Deadman's Island and the turning
basin. or in other words the -FOUR miles OF
water frontage along the two-mlle channel
between the San Pedro water front and Ter
minal Island, would be entirely omitted from
public improvement for any purpose, so far as
the city of Los Angeles was concerned. 1t
was not reasonable to assume that this result
had been deliberately intended. on the con-
trary. as a member of that committee, l knew
that its purpose from the beginning had been
to consider the needs and development of the
whole harbor with due regard to the more or
less local interests OF San Pedro and winning
ton, and TO look upon the entire water front
as a subject of proper public improvement
wherever possible or practicable, as municlpal
and commercial necessities might require. And
Furthermore, as one member Of that commit
zee / knew that IL was never intended TO
recommend that large portion of the harboT,
or any available portion Of the water front
that should fall into the city's hands, should
not be improved If the opportunity TO develop
the same should arise.
The only specific recommendations that the
consolidation committee made for municipal
harbor improvements at san Pedro were the
..ft Ha IF ~
LAND In the westerly side Of the outer har-
Dor, Immediately south Of the government re-
serve and extending to the breakwater;' the
establishment of a municipal ferry between
san Pedro and Terminal Island and the
tablishment Of a public fish market and wharf
''on the water front" The report declared
that the improvement Of the JAG acres was "a
most essential feature Of the development Of
the outer harbor" affording il does "a
most advantageous place for the construction
Of docks slips, wharves, piers and warehouses,
particularly because it is large enough to ad-
nit of progressive improvement the neces-
stiles of commerce require" Now, the re-
port of the consolidation committee expressly
names all these improvements as outer har-
Dor" improvements, when as a matter of
fact. only the 146-acre tract is in the outer
harbor. The ferry must be in the channel,
and the hshermen's wharf is not located by
the report at ALL but the most available
places for 1t, and the only ones that were
ever mentioned, far l know, were both
north of Deadman's Island, one Of them being
IN the GHdllNel mus ON llt very lace u Nllc
report of the consolidation committee 1t is APP
parent that improvements in and along the
channel were contemplated, and described
under the heading of outer harbor improve
ments. The consolidation committee could not
formulate a complete scheme for harbor de-
velopment because Of circumstances that
will refer to presently, but it singled out the
improvements upon which the public inter-
ests in San Pedro was particularly centered,
and recommended their construction. But, as
would be gathered from any fair view, the
spirit and purpose of the entire report is that
the entire harbor should be developed for the
purpose of making the whole a port for free
And to that end. that improve
ments should be made wherever the city could
get a f0othod, as we'll as at the points and
for the purposes specifically pointed out in the
report There Is nothing in the report of the
committee TO lend color to the
Claim that the city of Los Angeles, by rat
flying that report, had thereby put a veto
upon any possible improvement Of that part
OF the harbor and water front between Dead
mans Island and the turning basin, and de-
clare that it did not intend to and would not
improve any portion thereof that might fall
into its hands.
From the fact that the turning basin was
by the committee the southerly |
terminus of the Wilmington bay improve !
ments recommended by it, if any hard and /
fast conclusion is to be drawn, 1t could fair !
y be that the turning basin had been select |
ed by the committee the dividing point be- |
tween the san Pedro and Wilmington i'm /
pTovements At the time the committee was |
engaged upon its report one portion of the |
harbor in the city limits Of Wilmington |
and another portion of the harbor was within |
the city limits of San Pedro The members /
Of the committee representing Los Angeles re-
garded the portions Of the harbor and water |
al cd wit ba da,,ia opf