The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-23
WALTER G. MANUEL SAID TO BE
THE MAN BOOKED FOR THE
PLACE.
DAVE AND THE WHARVES.
PROPOSED TAX ON BICYCLES AND
OTHER ICLEs-PROFESsoR
HUFF DESTITUTE.

IL is uOW OtllllcIy uuueTSlOOu GlldG
Councilman Walter G. Manuel will be the
president of the new Council. He repre-
sents the Third Ward in the present
Council.
1t has been generally conceded that one
of the old members, or hold-overs, should
occupy the important post of chairman,
and, as both Messrs. Dow and Towle had
held the Office, it was agreed among the
Non-Partisans that some other member
should be chosen. Manuel is the man on
whom the honor will fall.
There is one question which, it is said,
the new administration would like much
to see definitely settled, and that is the
attitude of the old Board of Public Works,
which was voted out of Office by the adop-
ton of the charter amendments. The old
board has threatened to hold on, and its
attorney, George de Cola, has intimated
that he is prepared TO make a fight in the
courts.
Despite these threats however, Mayor
elect Davie, Attorney-elect Piersol and En-
gineer-elect Wilson will meet and organize
as Board of Public Works after the first
Monday in April and proceed to the trans
action of business.
1t is thought that all that is left of the
old board, Miller and Hughes, will do the
same and that Mr.. Carothers will continue
to hold until Mayor Davie appoints his
successor. The Mayor will not appoint
successor because that would be a reCogni-
ton of the old board and Carothers will
continue to hold the office.
This Will make both boards complete as
to membership and both may proceed with
business. Both will at the end of the
month present salary demands and under
instructions from City Attorney Piersol
Auditor Snow will refuse to recognize the
warrants of the old body. This it is thought
will precipitate the contest which the old
board seeks to make in the courts
There promises to be an early conflict
between the Mayor elect and the new
Council over the occupancy of the Frank
lin-street wharf. The old Council has
voted to allow J. P. Taylor portion OF
the wharf for his coal bunkers, and this
the new Mayor has always opposed. The
new Council will have in it sufficient
number OF the old Councils members to
carry the scheme through, and although
the ordinance has been passed and signed
by Mayor Pardee the Mayor-eect has init
mated that there Is relief in the courts
Mayor-elect Davie said yesterday on this
subject:
The effect OF this ordinance will be to remove
my slip and the warehouse and there is no
more money to build either This is port of
entry and ought to have fine warehouse for
the accommodation OF merchants. l will not
allow Mt. Taylor TO erect q bunker there until
the courts decide that he has right to do So
WebSter-street wharf has been used exclusively
for the discharging OF coal cargoes, and there
would be more revenue Tor the city if that
wharf should be used for that purpose, because
the Coos Bay Coal Company, which DISCHARGES
more coal than any other company here dis
charges there. If we must have bunkers let MS
build bunkers for the general use of all the
people. Instead of two docks, one on either
side OF the pier, the bunkers could be arranged
so that they would be an injury to no one
1t is question of money, and that is the only
reason the Council has advanced in favor OF
the proposition, Why not dispose of the wharf
TO the railroad company altogether? They
could fence it up and make everybody depend
upon them, and be willing to pay treble the
amount for it that any other corporation or
person would pay. The Council has more
right to rent that wharf for the exclusive use
OF an individual than it has to rent the City
Hall Park for a cabbage garden. The Council
was speedy about passing the ordinance must
say, especially as l had an application before
that body for the use OF the wharf with the
steamer Mare Island, which would bring the
city in revenue OF $4,000. ] doubt if TAYLOR
ever paid more than $4,000 a year for the
privilege.
In this fight over the city wharves the
Mayor-elect will be backed by the mer-
chants, who have already waited on him
and requested him to keep the wharves
open for the people. The committee from
the Merchants Exchange to call on the
Mayor-eleCt on the subject consisted of
George Fish, NJ Y. Witcher, Fred Sinclair.
Charles Hunt, F. r. Girard, Walter Meese,
Fred Becker, j. A. Fairchild, S. Samuels,
Frank Mott and H. D. Cushing. President
Fish SAID in speaking of the matter: 81
think voice the sentiment of $50 mer-
chants of this city when | say [ am on
posed 70 granting any of the little CITY
wharf OF this city of Oakland, with a popu-
Iation of 10000, to the exclusive use of any
individual or set of individuals"
There will be an election contest for
Councilman in the Siyth Ward Ed,rord
+. Gilligan, who was defeated in that
ward by William Watkinson, is now pre-
pairing contest-papers. Gilligan has re-
tanned Attorney Lincoln Church to act for
him. WatHnson was declared elected by
five plurality over Gilligan.
A New Deal Inaugurated.
The bondholders of the Consolidated
Piedmont Cable Company held a meeting
IN San francisco Thursday and effected a
thorough reorgani cation of that system
1t was agreed that the new company
should be known as the Piedmont and
Mountain View Railway Company, and
Charles Bishop, who purchased the Pied
mont cable road for the bondholders. will
turn the property over to the new corpora
ton.
The capital stock of the Piedmont and
Mountain View Company will be 81 600, 900,
divided into 10000 shares.
The officers elected for the ensuing wear
will be: Charles Bishop president; E. A.
Heron, vice-president; Daniel Grant, secre-
tary, and the Oakland Bank of SAVINGS
treasurer, while Charles Bishop, S. c. Biee-
low, E. A. Heron, John R. Spring and
Homer King are named as directors.
The bondholders were nearly all repre-
sented.at the meeting, and of the 800 bonds
now out the holders of $50 have signed the
reorganization agreement, and the others
have signified their intention to be on the
list when the new company is finally in
corporated.
Reformer Huff Destitute.
Professor A. Huff, who has for years
been identified with all reform movements
in Oakland of a financial character, is in a
destitute condition and sick at S57 Fanon
street. His case was yesterday re-
ported to the Associated Charities by a
friend who has given him aid.
Professor Huff is the author of a book
entitled Looking Into Things; or the
Great Conspiracy That Now Is" The
book treats in a philosophical way of the
silver question and has received consider
able attention from fnanciers Professor
Huff is past seventy years OF age and has
recently been identified with the Populist
movement He has become familiar
figure in all their councils and conventions