The San Francisco call., 1896-01-17
Congress Will Be Asked for
100000 for Surveys and
Blasting.
COMMERCE COMMITTEE ACTS.
Commercial Bodies Make Haste in
Outlining Plan for Removing
DISTINCTIONS.

The San Francisco committee on COM
merce met yesterday at the Chamber of
Commerce rooms. There was a poor at
tendance as many mem bers of the COM
mittee were out of town and others sent
excuses for their inability to attend.
Chairman 7. J. Parsons said that the
meeting was special one for the purpose
of considering the report of sub-commit-
tee on removal of harbor distractions.
Professor Davidson said that $4,000
would remove all the dangerous obstruc-
tions in the bay. At Mission Rock there
were three dangerous rocks of which the
Government was entirely ignorant, but a
minute survey of them was in progress,
and still other surveys would be made OF
Mile Rock and some obs tructlons not al
ready examined minutely.
DID | understand you, professor, to say
that $25, 900 would remove all the danger
Gus distractions? ?" asked the chair.
'Twenty-ive thousand dollars for each
one" replied Professor Davidson. Though
l made estimates of $500 to $4,000 yet l
have since made up my mind that $4,000
would be quite sufficient"
The professor suggested that copies of
the report be sent to all members OF Con-
gress, and the original to one representa-
tive chosen by the committee.
Mr.. Jacobs wanted memorial prepared
for presentation to Congress with the re-
port
The chairman asked Professor Davidson
If it would not be advisable to petition
Congress for 100000 for removal of the
specified dangers.
Not at ALL" was the reply; "the work
would not require anything like that sum,
and you could not get such a large sum
from Congress without definite informa-
ton and data, to be obtained only from
minute surveys. What we ought TO do is
to ask for an immediate survey by Gov
ernment engineers, who would go into all
details"
William M. Bunker said that definite
proposition should be put forth, as Con-
gress always wanted to know exactly what
was needed, and this should be presented
in the memorial to Congress.
George w. Dlckle suggested that an ap-
preparation to pay for removal of one OBJ
struction be asked, and then if balance
remained 1t could be applied to the next
rock.
Isaac Upham argued for an appeal for
comprehensive and minute surveys first,
on which to estimate the cost of removing
the dangerous rocks. With this approxi-
mate of the cost the committee could in
telligently memOrialiZe Congress for an
appropriation with which to remove the
submerged distractions. Bunker took
issue with him, holding that there should
be no delay but immediate action taken
in formulating the memorial to Congress
asking for fixed sum for minute surveys
and beginning of the work of removal.
Chairman Parsons said he believed
Bunker's suggestion was the most feasible,
and asked some mem Der to make motion
to that effect-that 100000 be asked for.
Jacobs made the motion, which was
promptly am ended by Dickle, to make the
! amount $2000 The motion was carried
unanimously, and committee will be ap-
pointed to prepare the memorial and to
notify all commercial bodies in San Fran
cisco of the action taken.
committee consisting of Bunker,
Jacobs and Rich was appointed on PRINT
ing.
The committee decided that the usual
monthly meeting be held on the first
Thursday of each month at 2 80 P. NJ
The report of the finance committee was
accepted and its recommendations were
adopted. To secure the revenue necessary
for the work of the committee it was rec
commended that funds must be raised from
firms and corporations interested in or
whose business depended on shipping.
Also that assessments be made on a
monthly basis and on classes designated
A. B. c, D and E. Glass A represents
shipping and will be asked to contribute
one-eighth of l cent ton each month, B
So a month, c 81, D 81, all three represent
ing firms not ship-owners, but largely de-
pendent on shipping. Glass Z will be
asked for so cents a month, as it repre-
sents the general commission community.