The San Francisco call., 1910-02-28
President of HarbOr Commission
Declares Magazine Article
Would Iniure City
William L. GerstIe, of Chamber
of Commerce, Challenges
Statements

chamber of commerce, as vigorously
challenged the admiral upon other
statements made in regard to the canal
itself and san Francisco's connection
with It.
President stafford declared that Ad-
miral Evans statements regarding
harbor conditions along the Pacific
coast were unwarranted, untrue and
calculated TO work great injury TO San
francisco. He not only voiced his
opinion in positive language, but prom
1sed 10 take steps 10 have the injustice
righted by sending letters TO Admiral
Evans and the publishers Of Hampton's
Magazine. calling attention 10 the mis-
statement Of facts in the Panama arti-
Gle. and asking for a correction of the
matter.
LOCAL PORT MISREPRESENTED
The statement to which stafford took
particular exception was 10 the effect
that the railroads had secured practical
ly all the valuable water front property
i'm every Pacific coast port from san
Diego 10 Alaska. and that Independent
steamship lines were prevented by such
monopoly from securing proper
berthing and loading facilities. His
answer 10 this charge was that Ad-
miraI Evans either was ignorant of
else was deliberately rnisrepresenting
The facts
The essence Of Admiral Evans article
WAS that without municipal ownership
~ docks ia the Pacific coast ports the
railroads would gain a monopoly Of
port facilities and by this means prac-
ttcslly would control the carrying
trade Though the Panama canal.
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP PLEA
Tr-
-1E&ns made this assertion.
Municipal ownership OF docks is
necessary in order that independ-
ent lines Of steamships may hope
Tor proper berthing and loading
facilities The Pacific coast. from
san Diego to Alaska has many fine
ports or harbors where one might
expect TO lind through municipal
ownership Of water front property
docking locations available for new
steamship lines. bUt most Of such
property is now in the hands OF
railroad corporations. An eXamina-
tiOn OF the ports on this coast last
wear disclosed the fact that Los
Angeles was about the only port
that hoped TO have a water front
that could be adVanta geOusly used
by D independent line of steamers.
The harbOr does not exist today.
but the people seem to have made
I'D their minds 10 have one.
Further on the article states:
Through state harbor boards the
railroads nave. Is believed,
cured ali the valuable water front
property Of the ports from San
!. lDicgo north, except in the case of
LOS Angeles. In some cases the
property has first been improved
by the state and then secured by
the railroads.
STAFFORD ANSWERS ADMIRAL
Commissioner Stafford's answer TO
these allegations was TO cite the ex-
listing facts regarding the San Fran
{ cisco hsrbOr. which. he pointed out
was under the absolute control of the
state and not dominated by the rail-
roads. lie said:
The san Francisco water front.
from the Preside to the san Mateo
county line is entirely in the hands
of the state. with the exception of
one small private holding near the
foot Of Van Ness avenue. The first
place that a ship can dock inside
san Francisco bay is at Fisher
mans wharf, at the beginning of
the seawsl, and from there to the
Mon iron works. distance of
three or four miles, the state is
In absolute control OF the facilities
every foot Of the way.
The only exception to present
fun state control is where docks
have been leased under payment
OF rental in advance to provide for
construction, and such leased ia
CilitieS represent about per cent
of the frontage and less than 10
per cent Of the improvements. In
every instance the state has ffIll
ownership and collects its tolls
Independent lines Of steamers
entering this port get all the ad-
vsntages OF privileges and i'm
provements except special assign
ments Of space, and that is pro-
vided to them on application. A
tramp steamer entering the port
of San Francisco Is Immediately
assigned space by the chief wharf
inger. regardless Of its flag. tom
mage or cargo. and when any line
becomes regular IL is given a spe-
Y cisl assignment of space. An plans
+ of the state harbor commission
have such arrangements in view
and the law very clearly provides
for such arrangement
sNO PORT MORE FREE"
There is no port on the surface
Of the globe TODAY more absolutely
free from private or corporation
control than is the port of San
Francisco. There is not a vestige
of truth in the statement attributed
to Rear Admiral Robley ID. Evans
in Hamptonis magazine for March
so far as the port of San Fran
ground for such charge, as far
as 1t applies TO San Francisco. is
that the state has leased some sea-
wall lots for term of years for
The object of these leases is to
provide terminal facilities to con-
meet ships with railroads and pri-
Vate warehouses;. These railroad
Yards are owned by the state and
ere pIobldeo IOI ali lhS IdllFOaO
companies and are operated en-
tirely by the state at a uniform
charge for all the roads.
The state also leases facilities
TO lumber companies and factories
which find IL essential to have
water front connections. but in
every instance the shipping phase
is the major consideration and the
leases are made FOR the sole pur-
pose OF adding to the facilities of
the port. There is no monopoly here.
treated
= eauita BILE basis. with the one idea
in mind of serving commerce with
as little expense for the movement
Of commerce as possible.
eERSTLE DEFENDS CANAL
while agreeing heartily with Pres