The morning call., 1893-10-17
SERIOUS CHARGES.
A Sensational Letter to
the Governor.
THE HARBOR BOARD SCORED.
The League of Progress After the
Commissioners Scalps - Will
Winter Defeat Competition?

Members Of the board of control of the
League of Progress have drafted letter
addressed to Governor Markham, in which
it is charged that the State Board OF Har-
Dor Commissioners are mot impartial or
fair, but on the contrary are prejudfced.
derelict and unworthy of filling such
position"
The attack of the league upon the Com
missioners is due to recent decision OF
the latter body against the Davie Ferry
Company occupying the berth now ten
anted by the ferry-boats Encinal and Ala
media of the southern Pacifc's creek
route. which the Davie Company applied
for and was refused.
Winter months are approaching and the
berth now allotted to the Davie Company's
steamers is considered 10 be dangerous
and incoE venient.
The address to Governor Markham fur
ther alleges that: ''During the past few
months competitive ferry systems have
been running boats between San Fran
cisco and Oakland. and one of these CON-
peting ferry systems, the Davie Company,
has been running hourly boats. carrying
from 5000 to 1000 passengers daily.
"The Davie Company applied for one
of these slips near Market street, but it
was refused 1t by the Com missioners, and
they have been given a landing place at
the end of Mission wharf /. The reason
assigned for refusing this application by
the board was that the Southern Pacific
Company needed all of the slips now
leased to it, and that they aUOuld not de-
prize 1t Of ana of them.
1.-THE board was shown that the needs of
passengers demanded that the slip be used
for passenger travel and not for freight or
for lay up purposes. 1t was also shown
70 the board that it had assigned to South
ern Pacific Company boats, carrying
freight mostly, berths that are more desir-
able for passenger ferry service.
when this request was presented it was
developed that the said Board of Harbor
Commissioners receives from said South
ern Pacific Company rental for any Of said
ferry-slips assigned to it that might be
undergoing repairs, and when unused by
it. although sale slips might be Incapable
of being used because Of repairing for
months at time, and we respectfully
represent that it looks as though said
rental was taken by said Harbor Commits
sioners and paid by said Southern Pacific
Company for the purpose OF creating
equities in favor of said Southern
Pacific Company, and adverse to
the interest of the State, and that the same
is In violation of the law and endangers
the control and possession Of the people
over said water front and may give rise TO
the same contention res pecting water r-front
property argued against the city Of Oak
land by a corporation. We take this
action in behalf of the people and not the
Davie Ferry Company. or any other COM
pany, but the competition mentioned has
been the mean of calling our attention to
this matter. If the Harbor Commission ers
can throttle the efforts now being made,
they can prevent any other company from
making San Francisco terminal point"
The leagues communication ard SUBJ
stantial charge against the Commissioners
struck Governor Markham like a bomb
she'll The letter was drafted by some Of
the leading merchants of San Francisco,
among whom are Louis Saroni. w. FL.
Metson, the attorney. r. E. Starr of Starr
s. Co.. E. E. Kahn, c. l.. Pierce and
numerous others.
In defense of their actions the Harbor
Commissioners quote Judge Wallace's de-
cision in the case of the Union Trans
portation Company. which corporation
occupies berth at Clay-street wharf. An
attempt was made to eDjoin the Union
Transportation Company from landing its
steamers at Clay street dock, but the court
ruled that the Commissioners had no
power to remove a steamer from its regu-
lar berth for the benefit OF another steamer
or line of steamers. A long communi-
cation was addressed to the league calling
attention to the courts decision.
The case of the Union Transportatio
and California Transportation companies
bears no comparison to that of the
Southern Pacific and the Davie Company.
Had the Union Transportation Company
claimed the whole Of Clay-street wharf
and used portions of it at intervals only,
then the court would have ruled differ
emily undoubtedly.
The League Of Progress and Traffic As
sociatio claim to believe in the existence
OF plan to crush the opposition ferry COM
pany the coming winter.
The Southern Pacific employees at the
foot Of Market street have made open
boasts that competition would be crushed
out during the winter months. Much
stress has been laid on the fact that heavy
seas when southeast winds blow would
prevent people from patronizing the
Davie Company, as in winter time it will
be almost impossible at times to land a
vessel at the end of Mission wharf,