The San Francisco call., 1897-02-04

I stated-it was practically free pilotage.
for every one expected to pay for services
that were actually rendered.
Figures on compulsory pilotage were
asked for by Senator Gillette, and they
were given for sailing vessels only by Mr..
Frank, who stated that the pilots had not
had time to get out those for steamers.
The statement submitted showed that
$349, 1886 had been collected for the eleven
years ending with and including 1894.
Then Frank threw another and success
ful bomb into the camp of the Craigites.
These gentlemen come before you," he
quietly, slowly and significantly said,
''purporting to represent certain organi-
cations of San Francisco. Ostensibly you
have before you the Chamber of Com
merce OF San Francisco, represented in
the person of it's president. but in reality
that gentleman is not authorized to repre-
sent that body here in this matter have
a letter here from the secretary of the
Cham Der of Commerce which will bear me
out.'
He produced and read the following let
ter addressed to Louis Sloss, one of the
trustees OF the Cham Der of Commerce, who
had asked the secretary for information
on the subject:
At your request I have examined the
minutes of the Chamber of Commerce for 1896,
and find that no action has been taken either
by the Board of Trustees or the chamber on
the piotage question, except to petition Con-
gress to enact Federal pilotage law, which
will control pilotage at all United States ports
to the exclusion OF State control, under the
provisions of the constitution of the United
States that Congress shall legislate all
matters connected with interstate and foreign
commerce, the chambe holding that pilotage
and quarantine are distinctly included in this
provision. With much respect, your obedient
servant, WILLIAM L. MERRY,
Secretary and Treasurer
am under the impression tnat the mem
bers of the chamber generally are of the opin-
ion tn at pilotage rates should be reduced, but
no action of the chamber has been proposed
as above stated.
After Frank had read the signature,
and before he had time to read on, Craig
was up and asked him to please read on
Frank. without deigning to even glance
IN Craig's direction, said he would finish
reading the letter if he were not unneces-
sariIy interrupted. He added that the
postscript was put on the letter at the
personal solicitation of Craig, and then
took another center shot at his willy ad-
]
versary.
ii had talk with number of mem
! bers of the Cham Der of Commerce." he
| said, ION this subject, and | found none
who emed to be in favor of the bill be-
| fore this committee. One of them went so
far as to say that he considered it to be
nothing m ore than an unad ulterated clnch
on the pilots
| Mr.. NayIor, one of the members of the
San Francisco Committee on Commerce,
arose III wrath and said he thought the
action of Frank was discreditable.
! Craig's lace became scarlet, and in a
| frenzied manner he exclaimed that he was
the gen ntlen.an whose veracity had been
questioned. He then attempted to show
that be was the delegate of the body he
claimed to represent.
He said action had been taken by the
| Cham Der OF Commerce in 1895 looking to
a reduction of pilotage charges, but he
failed to show that he was present on be-
| half OF the Cham ber of Commerce, unless
he as president of that organization had
appointed himself without the knowled ge
and consent OF that body.
But Frank had another "stem- winder."
as the street gamin's vernacular would
phrase it. He charged that neither George
Dickey nor ]. N. Knowles, who were
alleged to be representatives of the San