The record-union., 1897-03-02
WATER FRONT REVENUES.
Mayor Hubbard'S Second Message on
the Subject.
He Wants a HarbOrmaster Who
Might Collect Dues for
the City.

The following message from Mayor
Hubbard on the subject Of the collec-
ton of wharfage dues was read at last
nights meeting of the City Trustees:
To the Honorable Board of Trustees:
presented to your board an or
dinance creating the office of Harbor
master, defining his duties and fixing
the dues, etc, to be paid for the use Of
our water front.
For some reasons you have declined
to act on this proposed ordinance. The
old ordinances governing the city in re-
lation to harbor dues are still in force,
but unless some officer is placed in
charge of our water front these dues
cannot be collected.
There is no other city, I believe l can
safely say in the civilized world, hav-
ing such large and navigable river
passing through or in front Of it, which
derives such a small and insignificant
revenue from the use of it's Wharves
and water front.
AS you all know, the Sacramento
River is a large and navigable stream,
and if by proper municipal regulation
of the use of our water front an oppor-
tunity or chance could be given to pri-
vate parties or to other corporations
than those who have been in possession
or use of the water front for many
years past, I believe that the Sacra-
mentO River in a few years would be-
come commercial highway Of vast i'm
portance not only to the people Of this
city, but to the people living in the en-
tire Sacramento Valley.
I find that the city of Stockton, which
has no better water front than Sacra-
mento, receives revenue of S1,20O to
81 800 per month for the use of it.
What little revenue this city derives
from the use of it's water front is re-
ceiVed from persons not connected with
the city government, and the amount
thus received is dependent upon their
kindness and generosity to the city of
Sacramento.
/ believe It is time that this city
should have some one in charge of this
water front, who has authority to look
after the interests of the city, and who
will have power to give directions re-
garding the landing or mooring of
water crafts and the use of our levee,
in order that all persons or corporations
an equal advantage in loading or un-
loading their cargoes.
The city owns and should control all
the water front from K street to the
Brannan Addition, a distance Of 1000
feet. The franchises given in former
years to the California Steam Naviga-
ton Company and the Central Pacific
Railroad Company for the purpose Of
erecting wharves to receive and dis
charge freights, have been abandoned,
as the parties to whom these franchises
We're granted have long since failed to
comply with. the conditions named in
them, and consequently the use of the
Wharves and water front reyerts to the
city, and should be under the control
Of the Harbormaster, with authority to
enforce the rules and collect a reasona-
BILE revenue for the benefit of our peo-
pie.
l therefore cannot too strongly urge
upon you the necessity Of passing the
ordinance which T some time ago sub
mitted to you, or a similar one, in or
der that the city may derive q revenue
which will be, at least to some extent,
commensurate with the value of the
use of our water front. Respectfully
submitted, c. H. HUBBARD, Mayor.
In answer to a question by Leonard,
Collector Robertson said that his depu-
ty was collecting harbor dues, but that
he had not authority to do so.
Pennish said that Sacramento's
water front was not TO be compared
with that of Stockton. He thought
that if the Collector demanded from
the San Joaquin Company the same
rate paid by the railroad company it
would be paid.
On motion of Kent the Levee Com
mittee was instructed to have an
ordinance drawn up fixing harbor
dues along the river front