The San Francisco call., 1906-05-16
DOWNTOWN
BUSINESS
MEN READY
All Are Anxious to Re-
build on Former
Sites.
viii Consult With IRSuP-
aRCG AdiuStGFS Next
Tuesday.
Have Hopes of Securing
Permits to Begin
Work Soon.

Association. with n. i. de Young in
the chair. held its seccra meeting yes
terday morning in the Chronicle
building More thar eighty realty
owners iu the commercial district,
representing nearly twice that num-
ber Of estates ana Svndicates, were
present All are anxious TO rebuild on
their ol6 sites at the earliest possi-
bic moment and from The encouraging
reports received il would appear that
their plans win be carried out shortly.
The committee Of i've appointed last
= eek on Insurance first made its re-
pert through Samuel knight, The
chairman. knight reported that the
committee had hel5 lengthy confer
Cuce with the underwriters and insur-
apee Interests and thar much progress
was made.
Knight said thar the underwriters
. d. cussc1 at length with the commit
zee The question Of the coming loca-
lions Of buiidiugS cleaning away Of
e1ris, building permits and the like.
The underwriters informed the COM
Hui,tee that they We're just as anxious
.-s The business men tat the town
should be cleaned up and rebuilt as
rapidly as possible anC would be
.eaEy 20 discuss the matter ia detail
eishin few days.
ANXIOUS TO BEGIN WORK.
The committee Informed the under
writer's that TIE bus-Less men were
Eery anxious TO get a start at clean
isg away the wreckage II the earliest
opportunity. The insurance men an
swered that permits for this work were
SIN IN allegiance They added that If
any property holder Fe'd policies in
less than six comu4nies. permits
would be granted rigt, away in bulk,
hu1 that all those w,ao were insured
in more than six concerns must wait
and receive individual permits from
lhe underwriters.
Knight repOrtea that the underWrit-
ers had established neadQuarters in
lhe Ferry building ana would be ready
so receive all property owners Of the
. downtown business section and talk
matters over with them IN detail at
any time. Regarding settlement of
policies Knight explained that the un-
derWTiters were still undecided and
were anxious TO confer with their at
l0rneys before taking any definite ac-
tion.
The underwriters arc at present in
conference with their legal advisers
throughout The world. and when the
latter hand I'm their OPINIONS they viii
bc ready 10 talk Of settlement at short
notice. A form Of the losses of practi-
cslly all the large insurance compa-
uics has been printed already and
copies viii be distributed among the
business men within few days.
A. A. Moore Jr., who represents the
BlKthe estate and other great inter
ests, said that he had been in con-
ference with prominent Insurance men
and that they informed him that they
had on file al the present time more
than 1000 applications for payment OF
losses from property owners through
out the city. The insurance officials
Informed Moore that in nearly every
instance these people svore falsely as
20 their losses, most Of them claiming
total destruction by fire and immunity
from the earthquake.
WIDENING OF STREETS.
Moore suggested that as a matter
of safety all the business men make
honest acknowledgment OF their losses
and not try 10 work any 'bunko
scheme" on the insurance companies,
Tor. he added, the companies were
prepared 10 fight all unfair claims.
The insurance men have splendid
photographs Of The un5urned district
OF the city showing the damage done
BY the earthquake The insurance men
are claiming that like damage was
done by the temblor IN the business
section.
At this juncture a resolution was
unanimously adOpfed inviting Henry
~ Spencer Of TIE underwriters TO be
present with his committee at the
next meeting Of he business me- next
Tuesday morning when the matter
VIII be thoroughly II. eshed out and
details fully discussed
Chairman Moore Of the building per-
Tnits committee reported that much
progress had been made by il. He add
ed that in his opinion permits would
'e granted for reconstruction work
within the next week Moore said the
7post important zetau this committee
would have to look after was that of
fslc proposed plans Of widening and
~Ntending the streets and that re-
.l,ort iJl full from the committee would
lo necessary before any rebuilding
'o1ld be done.
ln MO0res opinion. 60 holder of
foDerty on Montgomery street VIII
in a position 10 5ebuild till he
H"ws just what wiz be done with
f3oroDGbfs-e. At the present
Continued on paoe Q Column 4