The San Francisco call., 1904-07-27
BREAKS POWER
OF A COMBINE
HarbOr Board Orders Sign
erS of Potato Compact
to Cease Illegal Acts
WILL REVOKE PERMITS
Formal Charges Are Set for
Hearing Wednesday---San-
ia Fe Obtains Site for Slip

Two important matters were consid-
cred by the Board of Harbor Commis-
sioners yesterday. one was the petit
ton of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railway Company for permission to
move its ferry slip from the foot OF
Fourth street to the northeast corner
of China basin: the other was the ef-
fort of small dealers in produce to
put an end to the operations on the
city wharVes of what is known as the
potato combine" In the first instance
the railroad company won its point; in
the second victory was with the small
dealers.
J. B. Reinstein, attorney for the
wholesale dealers in produce compos-
ing the potato combine" whose ILL
ness had resulted in long delay Of the
hearing of the petition of the small
dealers, was present at yesterday s
meeting, and therefore the matter was
taken I'D for final settlement. Briefly
stated, the grievance of the small deal
ers is this: The members of the "po-
tato combine" agreed to refuse to sell
potatoes or onions to retailers in small
er lots than fifty sacks of the former
and twenty-five sacks Of the latter.
The funds of many of the small dealers
were so limited that this agreement
" OLhtu q ELEdl 4ldLOSl1lQ upon InCHl.
Through Attorney Otto Fl. Wise they
protested to the Harbor Board that the
Woodward law was being violated.
NOTIFIED TO RESIGN.
On investigation the board found the
complaint well founded, and notified all
the parties to the agreement that un-
less they forthwith filed with the board
their designations from the combine
their permits to sell produce on the
wharves would be revoked. The board
also fixed the unit of sale at ten sacks
Of potatoes and five sacks of onions.
This action resulted in immediate ac-
tivity in the combine. Anxious to save
their permits, D. L. Allison & Co., the
American Produce Company, A. Friant
& Co; Lercari, Pera & Co.; Macpher-
son 6, Cochrane, Minaker & Wellbanks,
the Sacramento River Co-operators, l..
Scatena & Co, Wetmore Brothers,
Wood, Curtis & Co. and Wolf & Sons
Immediately resigned from the COM
bine
But others were more anxious that
the combine should remain in power.
Among these were II. Bloom, the Eng
lish- Wallace Company, Giovannetti &
Son; Hunt, Hatch & Co.; Jonas. Err
langer, Davis Co; Marshall, Teggart
& Co.; G. 3. Olcese & Co.; Schultze,
Hanse & Co.; Simoni & Garbini, and
Webster & Dunbar. They employed
Attorney Reinstein and yesterday he
requested that the combine be allowed
TO pursue its course, saying that a
change in the sale unit of potatoes and
onions would result in great confusion,
as many of the members of the COM
bine were Italians who talked little
English and would be overwhelmed in
an effort TO grasp the new situation.
WANTS TO MAKE TEST
He asked that the board at least
agree to a test case; that it revoke the
permit Of one Of the dealers, and that
while the legality of such action was
being tested the other members of the
combine be permitted TO continue busi-
ness under the old sale unit Attorney
Z Wise protested against such action, but
his protest was unnecessary.
Chairman Kirkpatrick of the board
said it was not within the province OF
the board TO consider matters of confu-
sion or the lack of understanding OF
English or the part of the mem RS OF
the compact. All the board knew was
that the law was being violated and
it would proceed accordingly. The
board then directed that those mem
( bers of the combine wLo refused tc
resign therefrom and accept the sale
unit fixed by the board be served with
written charges and directed to appear
before the board next Wednesday al
2 o'clock and show cause why their
permits should not be revoked. If they
! do not resign from the combine imme-
( diately their right TO sell produce on
I the wharves will terminate at the time
/ set.
PETITION Is GRANTED.
This controversy disposed of, the ques-
4 ton Of the petition of the Santa Fe
was taken up. Captain A H. Payson
vice president Of the railroad company
I said that up TO date the corporation
I had expended Sill, ,30S 80 in its efforts
/ to construct a firm slip at the foot OF
! Fourth street, but without success. He
Z asked permission TO construct a sir
at the northeast corner of China Basin
and the right to use the material again
/ in the Fourth-street slip. His request
was granted and bids for the recon
/ struction of the slip at the new loca.
ton will be advertised for without de-
/ lay.
Regarding the story that has beer
! circulated that the Santa Fe might
abandon the entire China Basin dis.
trict, Captain Payson, after the ad
I journnlent Of the meeting Of the board
said:
"There is no truth in this rumor
We have spent 800, 900 in filling il
/ the basin and it is now sound and viii
I meet our purpose admirably. If w,
had any intention of abandoning i
we certainly would not petition tn,
Harbor Board for permission to re-
move our freight slip from anothel
j location to the northeast corner of tn,
BASIN