The morning call., 1893-01-11
A FINAL PROTEST
Made by Playter With His
Dying Breath.
THE BOULEVARD CONTRACTS.
Something About Deal in Which
Oakland Is Interested Guess
work of Citizens.

All Oakland is talking about the strange
taking off of K. w. Payter, the COmmis-
soner IF Public Works. who died suddenly
on Monday evening while protesting against
the awarding of the Lake Merritt boule-
ward contracts.
The action OF his colleagues in awarding
the contracts at the same meeting soon
after the death of Commissioner Playter
has been commented on with much feeling.
Oakland is divided into several factions
over the boulevard construction contracts
that were awarded TO Messrs. Haekett and
A Is. Stone.
The consensus OF public opinion tends to
show general desire for boulevard. as
being an Improvement to the interests OF
the city, but with regard to the engineering
questions az issue opinions are strongly
divided and murmur has arisen charging
indecent haste 20 the commissioners con-
cerned in awarding the contracts almost
over the dead body OF their opposing fellow
commissioner
81 am distinctly in favor of a boulevard"
said Il. M. Fitzgerald, lately a member Of
the Board of Works.
"At the same time / am distinctly opposed
TO the manner In which it is going 10 be
constructed. The proposed line of the
roadway is practically inside the lake.
They are going to dump rocks into the mud
until they have sunk to limit which no
one has an estimate of. This is to form
breastwall.
"Then they are going to dredge mud out
of the lake TO fill IN behind that wall and
level up the boulevard. That means they
remove the supporting base of the breast
wall. which will collapse into the lake with
pToportionate waste of public money. |
have obtained engineers opinions on the
matter before taking this view OF the situa-
ton.
I'VE voted down the present uagement
with a majority some fifteen months ago.
My view is the same as that which Dir.
Piayter contended for all along. We want
the boulevard run round the outside edge
Of the lake, on solid ground, so that there
can be no doubt about the stability of the
work on which so much money will be laid
out.
THE city is practically committed to build
the boulevard. Some two years ago certain
citizens went to lot Of trouble in arranging
a give-and-take principle with handhOlderS
round the lake. By this arrangement prop
erty-Owners yelded mp their rights to spurs
of fore shore which fell within the proposed
boulevard line In exchange for little estu-
aries of the lake which ran With out the line.
1.-The City Council then passed an orei-
nance accepting the spurs and deciding the
provement within one year and complete 1t
within six"
Ex-Mayor J. r. Glascock gave his opinion
very calmly as follows:
II can't discuss the engineering questions
at all, but. from general point of view, |
consider not only that the boulevard Will be
OF advantage to the city interests. but that
the city is in honor bound 10 continue the
construction. With regard to West Oak
lands agitation over the claims of Sixteenth
street swamp | quite agree with the idea
that something should be done in the city in-
teresis to improve that DeighborhOod, but
that does not affect the question of keeping
our pledge to the Lake errlttimprovement
scheme"
Thomas Prather Of the Union National
Bank was very decided in his opinions
Gu can say that | have thoroughly
satisfied myself that what is being done is
the best that cOuld be done. and the city S
interests are being we'll attended to in this
matter"
Commissioners j. T. Carothers aud r. A.
Hughes were graVely satisfied with their
action.
open TO any one who chooses TO consult
them for tie engineering opinions and data
which have nodded our action in this mat
ter" said Mr.. Hughes.
With regard to the murmurs against the
alleged unseemIy haste with which the con-
the tragic sequel to the late Commits
sinneT Playter's opposition Commissioners
Carothers explained with grave dignity.
I'VE acted in accordance with parlia-
meniary law. After we had paid every
attention 10 our unfortunate colleague We
found ourselves in this position:
No new developments had been made IN
the matter Of the opposition. The citizens
were urging the carrying cut OF the b0ule-
ward, and Monday was tile last day allowed
us TO settle the question. The unfortunate
death of Mr.. PiayteT was, in parliamentary
language, an interruption OF business un-
der discussion
Accordingly. an hour after his removal
we completed the business under discus
sien and then adjourned In respect to his
memory. Looking al 1t from r public-duty
point of view, we are satisfied that we ola
right for public interests and IN private
good taste"
Engineers expressed varying views.
From the official data in the City En-
gineeI's Office il appears that Mr.. Hackett
has to Gil an area of 1900 cubic yards with
material 10 be dredged from Lake Merritt
at two given points, the dredging Of which
will bune6t the city sewerage system aud
the bottom levels OF the lake.
For this he Will be paid 80 cents cubic
yard on material exeaVated. which is es-
tlmated at 6o,000 cubic yards, making allow
ance for shrnkage.
In the opinion of some the amount OF
money thus provided will not cover the
expense of building the necessary dredger
required
Others contend that the advantage thus
gained Will be amply repaid in future bids
for labor for excavation purposes.
The contractor will build temporary re-
tanning wall, containing 5000 and 100 cubic
yards of earth and stone rest ectively.
A. Il. Stone will dump wagor-irad }
large broken rocks along the given Inc
until he has built a solid wall, eight feet
wide on top. with slope OF y to on III,
lake side and tn ! on the shore side.
The stone Will be measured by the wagon
load on the ground. and, to meet the I'M
settled question Of how many yards will he
required, the contractor is paid at the rate
OF % cents Oh 20, 900. 90 cents IN 10000 and
81 y cents on 10000 CUBIC yards.
10 meet both contracts, the sum Of
$4,000 has been appropriated. but many
engineers shake their heads oyer the loose
manner IN which the securing of any actual
data as to quantities has been dealt with.
Meantime Messrs. Haci1ett and Stone are
satisfied with the prospect before them.
Commissioners Hughes and CArothers
met as Board Of Police and Fire Commits
siODers yesterday afternoon, and afterward
as Board of Public Works. At each SEES
sion resolutions Of respect and coincidence
at The loss of Commissioner PIayter were
adopted. No other business was transacted.
At The meeting of the Board Of Public
Works. Commissioner Carotlers read an
address eulogiZlDg the dead. The funeral
will take place at 2 p. NJ. Tomorrow from
the residence, 1867 Castro street The city
officials will attend in body.
Social Notes.