The San Francisco call., 1898-06-10

California Regiment of Volunteers The Call has sinned in the eyes of Schwer- in and the corporations controlling him.
 There are other troop ships to be fit- ted out and The Call will see that every possible accommodation will be made for the men.
 Czar Schwerin says, however, that no representative of The Call will be allowed on the Mail dock. He is mis- taken, however, for The Call will, If necessary, carry the matter to the highest court in the State and see that those who leave this port to fight for our country and flag will not pass the Golden Gate in deathtraps to save a few dollars to Uncle Collis P. Hunt ington and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
 After The Call published the facts concerning the way in which the City of Picking was fitted up Sehwerin gave orders to the captain of the wharf that nc representative of The Call be per mitted inside the gates. Two days later he issued another order that the reporters of all the papers be kept away from the Mail dock. There were things going on in the fitting out of the other troop ships chartered from the Pacific Mail Steamship Company that might cause criticism, and Schwerin lOCh lUS view lIdI IL NOulu DC dONlS- able to make a general rule, to be broken when he saw fit. in the interest of other papers.
 Schwerin did not have long to wait for an opportunity to vent his petty spite on The Call. When the steamer Belgic arrived bringing news from the Hawaiian Islands and the departed troop ships the representatives of all { the papers other than The Call were al- lowed tn 1n fha wi Ia passengers. A Call representative passed the gate with the others and was at once stopped and forcibly eject ed by one of the gatekeepers, who said that he was only "obeying orders.'
 It is in such small and despicable ways that Schwerin proves his great ness to the displeased and disgruntled corporations.
 It is probable that Schwerin has never had time to read the law bearing on the rights accorded the corpora tionS he represents. A few excerpts are here given to enlighten him and show him if such a thing is possible that the water front and its facilities belong to the people and that the Pa cific Mail Steamship Company can, with three days notice from the State Board of Harbor Commissioners, be deprived of the many privileges it now so shamefully abuses. Under an act of the State Legislature the power to grant leases of water front rights to private persons or corporations was rescinded, so that the Harbor Commis- sioners have only the right to assign or rent wharves from month to month for the purposes of commerce. That the Commissioners have the authority to take back any property rented, when they so desire, is found in chapter CLXXI, section 6, page 194. of the Statutes and Amendments to the Codes of California:
 "The said Commissioners shall have the possession, jurisdiction and control blocks formed by the change of the water front and the extensions of the streets to the thoroughfare aforesaid and remove any Instructions placed thereon in the same manner as provided for the removal of obstruc- tions from the piers, Wharves and thor oughfares. The Commissioners are au- thorized to keep and maintain said blocks and parts of blocks as open spaces for the use of the public, or they may. in their discretion, inclose them. The Commissioners are also authorized to assign the use of such portion there of as they deem expedient for such purposes solely as will be most advan- tageous to the commerce or the port, and upon such terms and conditions as they may determine. All such as- signments shall terminate at the pleas ure of the Commissioners"
 It will be readily seen from the law quoted above that the people, in the name of the Harbor Commissioners, still hold the water front as State property. This may be news and un- pleasant news to Schwerin and the Pa cific Mail Steamship Company. IT they have in the past been misled The Call cheerfully calls their attention to the mistake.
 Another section, and it is not quoted for the reason that it is included in the agreement signed between the State through the Harbor Commissioners and by the Pacific Mail Steamship Com pany through it's officers, provides that the privileges now enjoyed py the cor poration can be taken away upon three days notice. The steamship company now holds the property at monthly rental of $500 and is only guaranteed possession from one month to another It is explicitly set forth in the section above quoted that the assignment of water front rights shall be made upon such terms and conditions as they (the Commissioners may determine. It is confidently expected that before the month expires the Commission CTS will by resolution add terms and conditions that will prove to the Pa cific Mail Steamship Company beyond the shadow of a doubt that they only rent and do not own the valuable prop erty now occupied by them. The terms and conditions will be that every one, including the forbidden representatives of The Call, shall be entitled to free access to the Mail dock. The Harbor Commissioners fully appreciate the ridiculous and untenable stand taken by the self-important Schwerin and will let him and the corporations he represents know just where they stand on the water front management of af- fairs.
 If Schwerin and his superiors had ever given attention to the decision rendered by Judge Hebbard in Novem- Der, 1895, in the suit of Morton Brothers against the Pacific Coast Steamship Company they would not, unless they believe themselves above the law, at tempt to deprive any one of the right of entering the Mail dock. In the Morton case the steamship company sought to .,;,,a n ,,,apono1u of fhn transfer hllSi-