The San Francisco call., 1903-12-08
HEARING WILL
BE DEMANDED
Commission Merchants Take
Preliminary Steps 10 Test
Validity of Woodward Law
WISH TO HOLD PERMITS
PeriShable Products Gather on
WharveS and No Attempt Is
Made TO Take Them Away

WOif g. Sons, McDonOugh & Runyon,
Termore Bros and L Scatena & Co,
the four commission firms that were
recently deprived Of their permits 10
sell peTishable products on the
wharves. have decided TO appear before
the Board OF Harbor Commissioners by
their attorney. J. 3. Reinstein, at
meeting 70 be held tomorrow, and ask
for q hearing They wish to have some
points presented concerning the Wood
ward law and iii make several claims
II the beard wishes 10 listen 10 them
A statement in writing viii be sub
mitted by Attorney Reinstein, in which
some OF the provisions OF the law viii
be attacked II VIII be asserted that
the provisions are loosely drawn and
that they command impossible things.
The strongest attempt VII be made to
show that the law does not confer upon
the Harbor Commissioners jurisdiction
10 act Where sales take place anywhere
except on the whsrves Of the State in
san Francisco. What win come Of
This is only q matter Of conjecture, but
IL is known that the commission men
expect 10 brin- the entire matter into
court by some sort Of a test case
POSSIBLE PLAN.
It may be decided TO have one Of the
parties who has been denied permission
10 sell perisha bic products on the
wharves openly proceed TO sell, with
the understanding that an arrest viii
follow and tEat by this method the law
VIII be CONSIDERED by the Judges. At
present the Ha-bor Commissioners are
adhering to The line OF action that was
marked out by them last week when
they revoked four permits TO sell.
10 sales were attempted on the
vharTes yesterday by the four houses
that have been deprived Of permits.
Potatoes. beans and onions are the
principal farm products now coming
into the market. The Jackson and
Washington street wharves show a
great accumulation Of these vegetables
piled uD there within The last forty
eight hours Such a quantity OF pota-
toes thousands Of sacks, has not been
held On the wharVes before in a long
time The four firms without permits
did not attempt 10 cart away the goods
consigned TO them by the farmers.
OTHER FIRMS ACCUSED.
rumor was circulated yesterday
that the commission men. If they are
finally defeated in the courts. may
drop all their permits, cart the goods
that they want 10 their stores as they
ere received and charge up the cost of
cartage and storage and handling to
the producers by whom the consign-
ments are made.
The HarbOr Commissioners now have
two af1davits before them. In one Of
these several firms that still hold per
mits 10 sen are accused Of refusing 20
sell perishable products 10 the retailers
who 90 not belong 10 the Retailers As
sociarion- Commissioner Spear said
last evening that the Commissions srs
would not take any fuSher action IN
Isl after tO-norroW. when the commits
sion men would probably indicate what
their lire of procedure would be. Com
missioner Spear also said that proba-
bly, z test case would be made up by
the commission men This is the gen
eral opinion OF business men.
Yesterday passed without unusual
happenings On the wharves- The pro-
recdfng before the HaTbor Commission
RS to-nOrrow are expected to be In
teresti1g-