The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-08-29
WILL FINISH
THE SEAWALL
Board of HarbOr Commits
siOners Hope to Continue
Work on Improvement
BENEFIT is APPARENT
Largely Increased Wharfage
Assured to Meet the Grow
ING Needs of the City

ms -NCCuo VI JllC lily
The insertion into their platforms Of
the San Francisco "seawan plank" BY
the two political parties Of the State
has brought the great question Of this
harbOr's Improvement once more to the
front. 1t is now a second step nearer
the people, before whom 1t must stand
for approval at the next general cleo
ton. The first step was taken when
the last Legislature authorized a per
cent bond issue 10 provide funds for the
completion Of the seawaI and docks on
the water front of this city. The third
and last viii be when this bond issue
comes up for popular approval in No
vember.
For years the successive Boards Of
Harbor Commissioners have IabOred
faithfully on San FranciscO's seawaI.
Beginning at the western end OF Meiggs
wharf this line of solid concrete has
been built, yard by yard, In a southerly
crescent to Folsom street. Substantial
wharves on supports of metal and ma
sOnry have followed in the march OF
Improvement Splendid piers reach out
into the bay and browning all this IS
the noble ferry building at the water
gateway Of the city.
For want of the necessary funds the
work stopped at the Folsom street
docks. and from that point around the
crescent line of the front to Second
street the old and worn wooden
wharves, with the tOTedo-eaten timbers
and uneven plank approaches, are still
used. At Second street two modern
piers, each 500 feet long, to be occupied
by the Pacific Mall Company. VIII be
constructed and seawall at that point
is being built The work mapped out
by the board if the bond proposition
meet the voters approval is the con-
structlOn of 400 feet Of wall. that will
approximately cost $500 paving and
curbing East street, 12O feet wide, and
the 400 feet along the new seawal,
costing about $125. 900; building thirteen
modern cylindrical piers along the new
wall having a total length of 5000 feet
and a width of 120 feet, amounting to
s1.1O5, 900, the total cost aggregating 81
900, 900.
VAST WHARFAGE CREATED.
These improvements will create eight
new seawall blocks, as there will be
large spaces between the new wall and
the shore end. and these can be filed
in rapidly after the concrete work is
completed The area thus reclaimed
will be about 357, 400 square feet, equiva-
lent to twenty ffty-vara lots, which
will be rented for commercial purposes.
This will increase the harbor improve
ment fund revenue something like $780,
900 a year and would be worth over
81, 100000 There will be an additional
having to the Harbor Commission be-
sides the rentals OF thNseawall lots
About $4,000 a year is spent at present
in maintaining pile and plank drive
ways and bulkheads. The life OF a pile
dock is ten years. The average cost OF
one Of these structures is $4,000, and
thus it dies at the rate Of $1,000 year.
All new docks will be built with the
cement and metal cylinder supports.
which are almost imperishable, instead
of the deCaying wooden pile OF a past
decade. The total saving in wharf re-
pairs and the increased revenue from
the rental of the new seawan lots will
amount Of $4,000 a year. This viii pay
the interest on the proposed s, 0O0. 900.
1t may not be generally known
throughout the State, but It Is a fact
that the water front OF San Francisco
is self-suppOrting. The running ex-
penses and the vast sums paid for I'm
prOvements in the past have come from
the earnings of the docks-the rentals
and the tolls. The bonds and the an
nual interest on the same win be paid
out Of the seawall sinking fund, which
the commission must maintain for the
bond redemption. In no other way
will the proposed bond Indebtedness
be Iiquidated. Not one cent can be
appropriated from other sources, and
not one cent will be added to the voters
taxation.
FINANCIAL REFORM.
The present method OF getting money
for large Improvements is by virtue OK
the law authorizing the State Harbor
Commission to anticipate It's revenue
for fifteen years and issue warrants