The San Francisco call., 1909-12-18
DEVELOPMENT OF
FAVORED SECTION
Advantages Offered by the Po=
trerO Appreciated by the
Wholesalers
By w. I. BARRETT,
Secretary Potrero Commercial and Msnufacture
ers' Association.

The greatest development in any part
of San Francisco will come to the Po-
trero. There are many reasons for
this. The most important is that it has
such a great frontage on navigable
water. The second is that it has the
largest level area of any part of San
Francisco. The third is that notwith-
standing that it possesses many large
commercial and manufacturing plants,
taken as whole it is yet undeveloped.
Out of its water frontage has come
the movement of the transcontinental
roads to develop terminal facilities. 1t
has a back country in two senses, local
and state. There is room for a great
population on its hills.
Equally true is it that there is room
for a great congregation of manufac-
turing and commercial plants along its
water frontage.
How level it is and, therefore. how
accessible ii is for all sorts of transit,
including teaming, was demonstrated
in 1905. A trial was made of teaming
to a given point from various sections
of the city. From the Potrdero a greater
than from any other section equally
removed as to distance.
GROWTH OF COMMERCE
What the railroads are doing in the
Potrero and what they plan to do is of
the greatest possible significance to all
residents in that coming district of the
city, and to every man, woman and
child in San Francisco. There is but
one great bay in California that is
competent to shelter vast fleets Of mer
camille marine. That is the bay of San
Francisco.
1t is not an accident that the West
ern Pacific railroad has crossed the
continent to get share of the future
business that will center in this port,
domestic and foreign.
Financiers and transportation men
throughout the United States see the
significance of San Francisco's position,
taken as whole. Tt falls to us to see
that the various units of San Francisco
are so developed and that the facilities
that they possess shall be SO perfected
that the highest degree of benefit pos
sible may be derived from our labors.
Hence it is that the Potrero CONNER
cial and manufacturers association has
a great duty to perform. We are en-
gagged in trying to have the entire area
improved as fast as may be feasible.
This work includes naturally the i'm
provement of streets, the betterment
OF the sewers and the construction of
new ones, where such are necessary.
and, in short, the performance of all
service that may make the Potrero an
even more desirable place in which to
live for those whose occupations and
business call them to that section of
the city.
ROOM FOR HOME SITES
simultaneously with the vast oppor-
tunities for commercial development it
will be seen that we have in the Po
trero sufficient ground to provide home
sites for the tens of thousands of In
dustrious people who will live there
In a way the situation is ideal for not
only is the industrial feature of the
entire section assured by its Wa
front and by the location of railway
terminals, but also the hills are inviting
as places for homes, and these homes
will be near to the hive of industry-
the Potrero-in the not distant future.
Our association is intensely inter-
ested in having SO blocks of submerged
lands purchased and developed as a
land locked harbor, for that alone
would add four miles of wharfage to
the harbor facilities of San Francisco
DEVELOPMENT OF WHARFAGE
What the concentration of four ad-
ditional miles of wharyes in the Po-
trero would mean. 1T is easy to see.
We have no rivalry with any other
association. The commercial interests
of this community are common to ALL
and that which provides facilities for
the carrying on OF commerce and the
establishment of large manufacturing
plants certainly enhances the pros
perity and the value of all San Fran
cisco. At the same time, the navigable
water being the key to the growth of
California, all California will find it
very advantageous to have miles of
wharfage added to San Francisco's
commercial equipment.
1t is trite to say that San Francisco
finances California and provides the
ready money for the movement OF
crops and the Inauguration and carry
ing on of enterprises in many coun
ties Nevertheless that is very sig
nificant fact, for it shows how closely
related the interests Of the interior and
of San Francisco are intertwined, when
the question of Improvement of the bay
of San Francisco is concerned.
LARGE LEVEL AREA
What will happen to the Potrero
may very well be shown by what has
happened 70 ell other parts of the city
where there is a large level area. All
the fiat places in the north part OF
San Francisco is or value fer manufac-
lures. and these, having been fed by
the states belt railway, have advan-
tages of their own.
All the way along the water front,
including the Potrero, manufactures
and large wholesale establishments
have been located, that they might
have the advantage of spur tracks and
nearness to the water. Back of them,
covering greater part of the fiat part
of the city, are the retail sections. The
people live on the hills, or in the val
1eys removed from the water front
The beginnings of the development
of the Potrero were logical; manufac-
lures were established and homes We're
created for the dwellings of those who
were employed in the factories and for
those who whose interests called them
to the same part of the city. The ex-
tension of manufacturing and com
merce will do for the Potrero Just
what has been accomplished for all
other sections of San Francisco. The
section will be prosperous, almost be-
yond present computation. it also Will
be largely populated.
SHIPS AND CARS
After the fire of 1905. when the old
wholesale sections of San Francisco
were in ruins and it was necessary to
new l0cafions olaealare ord