The San Francisco call., 1909-01-04
INDIA BASIN BILL
OPPONENTS ACTIVE
Ship Owners to Lead Fight in
Legislature Against Water
front Extension
Dick WEIGH to Introduce
Islais Creek Measure as Re-
drawn by Matt Sullivan
Special Dispatch 10 The Call

Call Headquarters, Chamber of Com
merce building, SACRAMENTO, Jan. 5.
The interests which fought the India
basin act in San Francisco and Los
Angeles and which helped to secure
its defeat in the last election, are pre-
pared to renew the assault when the
bill is once more introduced in the
legislature.
The fight against the extension of
the water front on the south side of
San Francisco will be led by the Ship
Owners association. George McRae,
of football fame, arrived in Sacramento
today as the representative of the ship
owners. He will be reinforced later by
III. l.. Stoddard, secretary of the asso-
citation.
Just looking around" is the stereo-
typed phrase by which McRae explains
his, presence here when the direct ques-
tion is not pressed; but on cross ex-
animation he is willing to admit that
as the representative of the ship own
ers he considers the Islais creek project
just as premature and just as unneces-
sarily expensive now as when he cam
paigned against it south of the Te-
hachapi.
WILL INTRODUCE BILL
The Islais creek bill will be intro
San Francisco. AS redrawn recently
by Matt l. Sullivan, attorney and mem
Der of the Mission promotion associa-
tion, it will ask for an appropria tion of
s2,000,000 to be spent in the aequisi-
tion and Improvement of the lands in
the neighborhood of Islais creek. 1t
will also provide, on the authority OF
the recently adopted constitutional
amendment, for 75 year bonds.
The SppciaI iOi11t legislative harhOr
committee appointed during the last
session of the legislature and consist
ing of Senator'S Wright. Wolfe and
Kennedy and Assemblymen Percy john
son and Walter Leeds. Will recommend
the Improvement of a blocks in the
Islais creek district. The remaining
19 blocks included in the project by
the 1slais creek association are ex-
cluded from the recommendation of the
commission on the theory that they
belong to the navigable waters of the
bay held in trust by the state by virtue
of the act of congress admitting Cali
fornia into the union and therefore
incapable of being alienated.
DISPLEAsEs SHIP OWNERS
This recommendation will not please
the ship owners association or its rep
resen tatives, George McRae and III. L.
Stoddard. They would be satisfied TO
see bill introduced providing for the
improvement of the land lying outside
of Massachusetts, street, the project ap-
proved by federated harhor commission.
but any more extensive scheme viii be
opposed.
The San Francisco delegation may be
expected to work for the Islais creek
project, and against the compromise
proposed by the ship owners and their
allies. Several members of the dele
cation placed themselves on record TO
this effect as soon as they heard that
the enemies of the project had mani
Tested renewed activity.
They share the feeling of Dick
Welch that the state will pass the Is
lais creek act when 1T is again placed
upon the ballot, giving as the reason
the fact that the exploitation of the
agencies which secured its late defeat
have brought about a better under
standing of its true purpose and the
manner in which it is to be worked
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