The San Francisco call., 1898-12-21
UNION FREIGHT
 DEPOT SOON
 ID BE BUILT Preliminary Work Is Being Done. MERCHANTS WANT DEP0TS KRUTTSCHNITT SAYS THERE IS NO NEED OF THEM. Contrast Drawn Between the South eru Pacific Sheds and the
 Valley Railroad
 Depots.
MERCHANTS WANT DEP0TS
KRUTTSCHNITT SAYS THERE IS
 NO NEED OF THEM.
Oakland Oflce San Francisco Call.

9OS Broadway, Dec. 20.
 General Manager Kruttschnitt Of the Southern Pacific Company has contded to the Oakland Board of Trade the fact that the company is now engaged m the preliminary work for a large union freight depot to be built at West Oak land east of the railroad shops. For long time work has been going on, pile driving and filling fin the marsh, and many large jobs have been undertaken, but It was not known with what object. In the conference between the Board of Trade committee and MT. KruttsChnitt he made known the intentions of the company, which are of vast interest to the western section of the city.
 The Board of Trade is anxious to se- cure adequate depOts in this city in place of the present unsatisfactory structures The committee having the matter in charge consisted of Frank J. Mott, chair man. J. F. Towle, E. w. Marston and Secretary Craigie Sharp. MT. Krutt- schnitt agreed that the present depot at First and Broadway is not what 1t should be. but says there is no suitable land at that point for depot purposes. The com mittee also suggested that brick and stone depot be erected at Sixteenth street.
 That" said MT. kruttsChnitt, "is out of the question. The railroad IS not Tn the business of constructing brick build ings. Even this proposition of placing awnings about the present old depot at Sixteenth street was regarded as tmprac- ticable. It is not the policy Of the com pany 10 eXpend so much meney on depots as it is to make outlays for perfecting equipment. The Oakland mole is prac- tiCally the Oakland union depot and the city in that regard is pretty well cared for"
 Secretary Craigie Sharp asked a few questions which brought out the informa- tion that the big union freight depot is TO hp heinz east of the Peralta street yards.
 M. J. Keller, vice president of the Board of Trade, said the depot at First and Broadway ought to be improved, And present good appearance. It is not good enough for this city and is an important station It Is practically Oakland's over land depot. AS to the Oakland mole, that is as much depot for San Francisco as for Oakland. The traffic at Sixteenth street warrants important improvements. However, 1 believe that as a result of the conference there will be some improve mentS."
 Referring editorially to this matter, the Oakland Enquirer says:
 General Manager kruttschnitt tells the committee of the Oakland Board of Trade that the Southern Pacific Company is not in the business of constructing brick or stone depot buildings, and that the Structure-if 1t can be called a Struc- ture-at Sixteenth street station, will have to answer, although he intimates that he may introduce a few minor improve ments. We suppose Mir Kruttschnitt has noticed that the Valley railroad builds better depots than the one at Sixteenth street at stations where there is scarcely a house in sight, and that in towns of one-quarter the population of Oakland if puts up buildings which are really orna- mental although comparatively inexpen- siVe. The Southern Pacific should dis Charge a politician from some one of it's departments and use his salary to pay an architect"