The San Francisco call., 1910-01-22

GREAT PROGRESS
OF PORT REVIEWED
Wonderful Strides of San Fran
cisco as Factor in Commerce
\. Noted in Pamphlet

Wi tle millions Of dollars are being
cxpeI Wed 10 give san Francisco first
lass Whipping facilities. while the gev-
rrnme at is constructing great trans
PORT dock TO facilitate the movements
of suni VIisi and men between san
francisco and the island possessions.
I'd whi v hundreds Of millions of dol
7rs arc be ing spent 10 create an inter
c-eanic wa terway that win vastly in
e-esse the importance of san Francisco
little vtslume opportunely appears
"a hich briI ESs into striking contrast the
rresent nj immediate commercial
riture Of tsn Francisco with its past.
Appropri3 tuely, this pamphlet issues
rom the o ksest commercial organiza-
on on the Pacific coast Its author is
chester ". E5urks. secretary Of the
1ambcr of G. Commerce of San Francisco
This body SIS just held its sixfieth
annual meet. tg. In the annual reDorts
:, the body {, " 1903 il appears that the
7 -EsniZstion low has 200 members. in
,'lding indivi duals and firms which
ARE prominent in the business activity
- the Pacific coast The Organization
IS therefore ncE only the Oldest on the
Pacific coast. but IL is the most repre-
sentative in nu mbers, in the amount Of
capital represel lied by its members and
1 the diversity OF industries promoted
nE its members The publication
is well timed. That the chamber of
soul u1erce may speaE authoritativeIy is
cmpbasized in one or the first para
graphs OF the pamphlet
When the chamber was formed by
-
an American court in the city there
was no 6xe d water front. there were no
harbor de6enses. no steamers running
20 the orie nt and NO railroads The
community was a law unto itself. The
community conhded its business inter
csts TO the chamben
HISTORY OUTLINED
In one portion Of the history, which
is entitled Annals of the Chamber of
commerce" ii9forma tion is given for
rhe benefit Of ghe younger generation
and for all later oomers 10 San Fran
cisco II shows how narrowly San
Francisco escsp sd losing the use of
IT'S water front. which is the key to
The commercial situation Of the future
being a regulator OF all rates made by
rail lines on through business.
The bulkhead bill was pending be
Core the legislature Of California in
rS59. A very strong effort was made
nr interested parties to appropriate
-le public property. including the water
'front.'. through the passage of the
measure. which was finally defeated
HARD FIGHT
That the fight TO preserve San Fran
cisco's most valuable asset was a hard
one is indicated by the following quo
tation Burks makes from a report sub
m.tred by Daniel Gibb. who was then
president Of the chamber
In my last report I had occasion to
allude TO the persevering attempts Of
screminE individuals to obtain from
4 legislature OF California the ex-
A lsiWe right Of erecting a bulkhead on
y water front of this city (San Fran
ctsco) upon terms oneroBs to commerce,
oIering no tangible guarantee for the
completion OF the work. rega ardless of
The city's rights to the franchise, and
fl short. upon terms alike repugnant
10 common sense and adverse TO public
interest. These attempts were renewed
This year and carried on with zeal
worthy OF a better cause and were so
nearly successful as to create a little
alarm in your minds. ..
Your unanimous action on this sub
lect and the strong expression of the
views OF the chamber conveyed to the
legislature. strengthened by similar ac-
lion on the part Of other public bodies.
opened the eyes Of many members
from the interior TO the demerits of the
bulkhesd bill showed them the actual
state of public feeling here regarding
81 and beyond question was the means
OF defeating the obnoxious measure.
A. similar attempts will in ali prob
ability be resumed next session your
standing committee should be contin-
ued with instruction to bring under
your notice any fresh moves in the
direction Of creating any such monop-
oly- whether emanating from the state
or city government"
II also appears from the annals"
that in its early days the chamber of
commerce was largely instrumental in
encouraging the esta blishment Of a
steamship line between San Francisco
and the orient. in the institution of
lighthouses and in the clearing of
dangerous Instructions in the channel
leading from the ocean to the bay.
DEFENSES PLANNED
An extremely interesting part of the
commercial annals Of this port is con-
tsined IN the report dated May Is. 1854.
which was addressed 10 the chamber
nd which contained an outline Of the
plan for the fortihcation Of San Fran
cisco. This was signed by James J. /
Barnard, United States engineer in
charge. An extract follows:
The key to the commerce of the pa
and 70 our own possessions on
these waters is unprotected: the third
com merciaI city in the United States is
defenseless at a moment too when a 1
general war IN Europe seems inevitable. 1
which is likely TO reach US and which
IN all events is best avoided by being 4
IN the most perfect state of preparation /
10 meet IT.
TO allow the enemy TO hold for \ +
day even this city and harbor would
infict an unretrievable disgrace on the
national arms, vet at this moment the
FIRST stone is not laid for the defensive /
works at Fort Point and those at Alca- 4
traz arc scarcely commenced
1T can not be too strongly insisted /
upon that against a concerted and for
midable attack we are utterly help
less.
The idea has been held up in con
aress that the large sums demanded /
could not be adva ntsgeously expended /
in the short time contemplated. Major 1
Tower and myself DO not hesitate to
pledge ourselves TO apply all the means /
FOR which we have asked and in the
most sdvsn geous maner. There is /
no country in the world where work 4