The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-16
WORKING HARD FOR
PORT BETTERMfNTS
Oakland Businessmen Have I'm.
p0rtant Conference With 1t.
Col. BiddIe, U. S. A.

OAKLAND. July l5.-Members Of the
wharves and water front committee Of
the chamber OF commerce, accompanied
by Assistant City Engineer Brown, held
. conference with Lieutenant Colonel
BiddIe OF the United States corps OF
engineers IN san Francisco this morn
ing 20 outline 10 him Al further length
the plans OF Oakland for harbor i'm
provement, with the hope OF Inducing
him 10 recommend that the federal
government undertake the work Of
deepening the channel Of the haroor.
The committee from the chamber or
commerce comprised Dr. George c
Psrdee, n J. Laymance and Z. c SEES
EionE.
LETTER FROM MAYOR
The following letter from Mayor Mott
was laid before Colonel Biddle:
Tho hsrbor and water front committee Of the
chsmber u commerce, the hoard Of pubic
works and myself held conferences yesterday
afternoon tn reference 10 the city's plans for
barber development IN the Oakland estuary
The matter was discussed at length and the
committee fully Informed IS 20 The DropOsed
Immediate Improvement u the harbor
This city intends 70 call an election within
80 davf when q proposition involving fhe eX-
pe1diture Of several million dollars FOR this
work uli Do Submitted 20 the people Detailed
fnaps and reports q the board ~ pubhe wofks
sud engineering department were furnished the
committee. i. r. Brown, assistant city en-
giueer. who prepared the report, VIII accom-
pauv the committee
] beIieve your position Is 10 the improve
meuts on This side u the bay is well taken
and that some Information should De furnished
me federal government 10 what private or
municipal enterprise Is planning 20 do can
assure rou that our city has finally ana post
lively determined 70 20 on With the building
~ municipal wharFes ana oocks-tbe type OF
construction, a. you viii note from the plans
s. the best that engineering science can oeEign
or suggest and Il IS intended 10 dredze 70 a
depth ~ 81 least 30 feet within the slips.
n We can furnish you with any other informs
ton we viii be glad 70 90 so Very truly
sours FRANK X MOTT, Mayor.
ARMY OFFICER NONCoMMITTAL
Colonel Biddle did not commit him
SELF as to his future course Of action
concerning the proposed improvements.
but he listened attentively TO the ar
guments presented by the committee.
They showed him a series OF maps
showing the location Of the proposed
whsrves which the city council had
considered AZ the recommendation OF
the board OF public works last year.
together with the drawings OF the pro-
posed piers 10 be established on the
estuary between Broadway and Jefrer-
son street and on the East Oakland
wafer 'front.' Blodle CARED the attention
OF the committee 10 the fact that just
outside Of the mouth Of Oakland harbor
there was q depth OF only IS feet, which
made IL necessary 70 dredge there also
eefore dredging the harbOr channel to
. depth Of 30 feet.
After Colonel Biddle has carefully
- amined the maps and documents sub
mitted to him by the committee today
he viii probably forward a recommen-
dalton for a plan OF action 10 the fed
srsl authorities in Washington.