The San Francisco call., 1906-07-20

blocking traffic and making food for
billions of flies. Their presence Is a
violation of the provisions of the San
Francisco charter, which being a leg
islative act covers East street, which
is State property. as well as any other
street of the city. The police have
been repeatedly appealed to to abate
these nuisances and their hands have
been tied because some power greater
than the police is working against
| them.
STANDS ON SIDEWALKS.
The bootblack stands which by law
are not permitted to encroach upon the
sidewalks are being let at the instiga-
tion of men who stand in with those
infiu entially connected with State and
municipal politicians. The water front
is filled with these stands and there is
no record of how much money they
pay, or If there is 1T must be kept in
a memorandum book and settled in a
lump sum.
Varney & Green. billposters, have
been allowed to deface the approaches
to the ferry depot with advertising
signs, although it always has been the
express understanding, If not the law,
that such signs should not be permit
ted on State property.
The Board of Harbor Commissioners
met yesterday afternoon and refused to
grant permission TO q printing firm to
issue advertising matter at the depot,
and when the board was asked for its
reason 1t evaded the issue. But Varney
& Green's signs are still there and
there is no money being collected for
rent for the space they occupy.
Bills for much lumber appear on the
records of the Harbor Board and yet
there is no apparent reason for them.
The docks never In the history OF the
water front were In a worse condition
and in the face of this 1t is known that
If rents were collected from ali of the
larger revenue for harbor improve
ments than the commission has ever
heretofore enjoyed
Chief Wharfinger Welch simply says
that the commission has everything in
it's own hands now and that he has lit
tie to say about the business OF the
docks. He does not care to enter into
details. but from other sources Ii was
learned that there is a feud on between
President Spear and most of the State
employees. Spear is the whole thing
and he ignores Henry Crocker ap-
pointeeS and also plays with John
Mackenzies political henchmen as he
sees fit. 1t is understood that Crocker
has objected TO the indiscriminate use
of the ferry depot by corporations and
has protested against the rows of
shacks that have been allowed TO
crowd the docks so that 1T is almost
Impossible for men who are handling
shipments to work their teams
FIRMS GIVEN SPACE.
All manner of firms have been given
space on State property. If they were
all shipping firms there might be some
excuse for the temporary" structures,
but there are many Stockholders who
don't know a ship from a tenstory
building. 1t all goes in 5pearville.
A buttermilk concern has obtained
the right to draw flies from the Pacific
Mail dock to the seawall. and the
board gave the concern the privilege.
But there is no record in the minutes
that this venture was ever accorded
the privilege to break the law.
The fruit stands in front OF the ferry
depot are rented to a man named
Flanagan, a brother-in-law of Spear.
A man named Lynch has for several
years held the other fruit cart privi-
leges at ridiculously low rental. The
CoweIl estate and c. Neumann e. Co.
have repeatedly called the attention of
the police to these nuisances and they
have not been abated. A petition is
being prepared to send TO the Police
Department and the Mayor asking that
affairs be removed from East street A
copy OF this petition will be sent to
the Harbor Board.
SOME QUEER LOGIC.
Spear does not wish to have his par
ticular stamping ground interfered
with and resents interference He
says that the State laws fully protect
the Board of Harbor Commissioners in
granting rights to litter the docks
and give away valuable concessions.
Perhaps they do; others say they don't.
Secretary of the Harbor Commission
ers John .Foy says that the railroad
and telegraph companies were only
given temporary privileges to occupy
the ferry depot and will soon remove
therefrom. He is not so sure about
the shacks that line the docks and
which might result at any time in the
destruction by fire of the city's most
valuable asset-its shipping center.
Golden Jubilee Number