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is the amount charged on any incoming merchandise lying upon the wharf beyond a certain number of days. Outgoing merchandise is never charged wharfage, and toll is the amount charged the driver of the vehicle carrying said merchandise upon or from the wharf.

Your Committee have been unable to procure reliable data upon which to compare these charges at the port of San Francisco with similar charges in Eastern ports, but your Committee learn that dockage is charged in the port of San Francisco only from the time a vessel commences discharging cargo, and not from the time she makes fast to the wharf. Dockage here is greatly in excess of that charged in the port of Boston, but whilst this is the case, the wharfage at the port of Boston, (which term includes that charge which is here denominated tolls,) greatly exceeds, and perhaps quadruples the aggregate of the wharfage and tolls charged at the port of San Francisco. The schedule of wharfage at the post of Boston particularly expresses the kinds of merchandise upon which the charges are made; whether it be boxes, bales, bundles, bags, barrels, crates, cases, or mats, and their contents, at so much per package. Here, if the merchandise is not allowed to remain upon the wharf beyond a certain number of days, it is not subject to any charge whatever save for tolls. These tolls, as before stated, are simply a charge against the vehicle carrying the merchandise upon and from said wharves. Under the operation of the existing law, it is difficult to determine, with any degree of certainty, the rate of tolls per ton that is now being collected; but your Committee learn that drivers of large drays and trucks, carrying from five to seven tons, and drawn by three or more horses, are in the habit of detaching, at or near the gate of the wharf, so many of their animals as are not necessary to the propulsion of their loads, and that frequently these large amounts of merchandise pay only tolls as upon a vehicle drawn by a single horse.

Your Committee further learn, that when a shipper is sending or a consignee is receiving any considerable quantity of merchandise on these wharves, that no charge is made upon any fraction of a ton less than one-fourth; they further learn, that the whaling fleet are charged only half rates of dockage and tolls, and that these vessels are now charged wharfage, their cargoes of oil being usually transhipped across the wharves into Eastern bound vessels.

The schedule of rates of dockage, wharfage, and tolls, now being charged is hereto annexed, and marked "Exhibit I." Your Committee are of opinion that these rates are necessary to be preserved in order that the work of constructing the sea wall may be prosecuted to completion; that from the best information within their reach, they believe that the said work cannot be completed under the existing law in a period of less than ten years, and that if the said rates are materially reduced that it will be requisite to provide other funds for carrying on that work. Your Committee, in this connection, respectfully refer your honorable bodies to the statement of S. S. Tilton, President of the Board of Harbor Commissioners, herewith filed, and marked "Exhibit J."

Your Committee are further of the opinion, that it is for the best interests of the State that all of said wharves and water front should be retained by the Commissioners, and the affairs thereof be by them administered, except only such wharves and so much of said front as may be necessary for the accommodation of the ferries, steamship, and other permanent lines.

In conclusion, your Committee respectfully submit that the Board of State Harbor Commissioners have faithfully, intelligently, and prudently

discharged all the duties of their said office; that the plan adopted by the said Commissioners for the construction of said sea wall is safe, and the best and cheapest that could, under the circumstances, be adopted; that the work on said wall is being faithfully prosecuted and performed according to the specifications accompanying the plan and contract; that the material of which the same is being constructed is durable and well calculated for the work designed.

Your Committee therefore respectfully recommend that the said plan and specifications be in no wise changed or altered. That the number of members of the Board of Harbor Commissioners be not increased. That the rates of dockage, tolls, and wharfage now established by law be not decreased. That the Board of Harbor Commissioners be furnished with other and more convenient offices, and particularly that they be provided with a fire-proof vault for the safe keeping of the archives of the office. That the Secretary of the Board be provided with an assistant, and that provision be made for the payment of the Civil Engineer superintending the work of constructing the said sea wall. All which is respectfully submitted.

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Chairman of Investigating Committee:

DEAR SIR-During my examination as a member of the Board of State Harbor Commissioners, you requested me to give in writing a narrative in detail, setting forth the reasons governing the Board in making the leases which have been executed to various parties during the existence of said Board, covering a period of more than four years.

In complying with your request, I shall proceed to take up said leases in detail, commencing with those first executed by the Board, embracing that portion of the water front along the outer line of East street, from the southerly line of Market street to a line two hundred and seventyfive feet north of the northerly line of Folsom street, a distance of about thirteen hundred and seventy-five feet. This portion of the water front is exclusively occupied by persons engaged in the lumber business, and is divided into lots of forty-five feet ten inches by one hundred and thirtyseven and one half feet, and is a portion of the property known as water front property, each lot having a frontage of forty-five feet ten inches on

Stewart street and the same on East street; depth, one hundred and thirty-seven and one half feet.

A great number of these lots are owned by the parties in occupation, the others by lessees of the owners; and all of the improvements upon the property, as well as upon East street, were made by the owners or lessees, and had been occupied for several years and had never paid any revenue to the city or State.

In advertising said water front, the Commissioners, being desirous of giving the parties owning and occupying the lots an opportunity to secure the frontage to the same for the accommodation of their business, advertised to receive bids for each lot separately for the term of three years. The bids received in response to the first advertisement being only twenty-five dollars per month, were considered by the Board as too low and were rejected; and as it was impossible to control the frontage, the streets not being built and no access thereto being possible except across private property, it was determined to re-advertise, and the bids made in response to the second advertisement being fifty dollars per month, were accepted and leases made accordingly to the parties making said bids, each lease covering the number of lots bid for, and owned or occupied by the bidders, respectively. By making said leases, the State received a revenue of about one dollar and ten cents per lineal foot per month, where no revenue could have been obtained in any other way without a large outlay of money, which at the time the Board were unable to make. All of those leases having expired, the frontage has been again advertised and bids received for two years, which are now under consideration by the Board.

The Board are now making estimates of the cost of building the outer half of East street, for the purpose of determining whether it will not be more to the interest of the State to build than to lease, and if, in the opinion of the Board, the revenue can be increased sufficiently to warrant the expenditure, the work will be performed and no further leases granted. In the meantime the parties are paying as wharfage the same amount as heretofore paid for rent.

In all the leases referred to above, the lessees are obligated to make all repairs at their own expense, and turn over to the State all improvements upon the State's property at the end of the term.

MAIN STREET-RISDON & PLUMMER.

Next in order in our report to the Governor, comes the lease of the outer half of Bryant street, to Risdon & Plummer, made for a period of three years, at a rental of two hundred and fifty dollars per month.

The circumstances under which this lease was made, are as follows: The lessees, as owners of the property bordering upon the water front as above described, had piled and capped a portion of said property, and in doing so had projected the improvement beyond the outer line of Bryant street, contrary to law and without the consent of this Board. Upon the same being discovered, the Board ordered a survey to be made, which showed the structure to be about twenty-seven feet at one corner and a few feet at the other, as near as I can recollect, beyond the line, and the parties were ordered to remove so much thereof as extended beyond said line. After notice, the parties requested a lease of the front and desired that the structure might stand as built, as a vessel could lay at the front as it then was, being built to correspond with the current, better than if it were removed. The Board declined to accede to their request or make

any terms with them until they had removed so much of their structure as they were ordered to remove, which was, after some delay, accomplished.

The Board was then requested by them to advertise the frontage, in order that they might obtain a lease and be secure in the enjoyment of the improvements there made and contemplated.

In discussing with them the value of the frontage, one member declined to accept any bid for a less sum than two hundred and fifty dollars per month, and as the law required the unanimous consent of the Board to make the lease valid, the parties were compelled to bid that amount or lose the use of their improvements. The lessees protested against what they called an arbitrary proceeding, and that the amount was entirely in excess of the value of the frontage to them, but as they were trespassers upon the rights of the State they concluded they could not help themselves, they made their bid and obtained their lease, they being the only bidders therefor, the frontage having been previously advertised according to law.

If they had not built beyond the line of their private property they would not have been obliged to recognise this Board at all, and it could not have deprived them of the use of the front without a heavy outlay, which the small amount of business in that locality would not warrant. In the above lease the lessees agree to make all repairs and turn over to the State all improvements upon the property of the State at the expiration thereof.

SPEAR AND BRYANT STREETS-TO BAKER & HATHAWAY.

Next in order comes the lease to Hathaway & Baker of a portion of the outer half of Spear street, between Harrison and Bryant streets, and the outer half of Bryant street, between Spear and Main streets, at a rental of one hundred and fifty dollars per month for the term of three years, after duly advertising according to law, only one bid being received.

At the time the above lease was made, only a small portion of Spear street was built upon, with no improvements upon Bryant street.

The above named lessees are the owners of the property fronting upon the streets above named, and had built the improvements alluded to as a part of Spear street, and been occupying the same for several years.

Before advertising the above, the Board came to the conclusion that no large amount of revenue, over and above the cost of repairs and collecting the same, could be obtained, and when the bid was received it was accepted and the lease made.

VALLEJO STREET, BETWEEN FRONT AND DAVIS STREETS.

Next in order is the outer half of Vallejo street, between Front and Davis streets, to Charles Minturn, for three years, at three hundred dollars per month, as a landing place for his steamer Petaluma, running between this port and Petaluma. This lease was made after advertising according to law, only one bid being received, the lessee being confined to the use of said landing place as a berth for said steamer, and for no other purpose whatever.

The object in making this lease was to give a particular berth for said steamer, where it could come and go at any time without finding the same occupied by another vessel when it returned from Petaluma, and

compelling it to seek a berth elsewhere. As the said steamer makes a round trip daily, it seemed absolutely necessary that the same landing used one day should be secure to it the next.

The lessee is allowed to collect tolls on merchandise carried upon his boat, and obliged to keep the frontage leased in good repair, and perform all dredging required at his own expense.

Before accepting the bid and making said lease, the Board had ascer tained the value of said frontage to the State, by controlling the same and collecting the revenues therefrom for a period of several months, and bad ascertained that the amount offered was equal to the net reve nues that could otherwise be obtained.

FOLSOM STREET WHARF.

On or about the first of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-four, the the premises occupied and owned by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and known as Folsom Street Wharf, became the property of the State by the expiration of the lease made by the Common Council of the City of San Francisco ten years previous. This wharf, although known as Foslom Street Wharf, does not project into the bay from the foot of Folsom street, as do other wharves which receive their names from the streets of which they are a continuation, but embraces about two hundred and seventy-five feet of East street, northerly from Folsom street, and the width of Folsom street on the outer line of East street, making that frontage about three hundred and forty-five feet in length, or sufficient for one first class vessel. It also includes the south side of Folsom street, between East and Stewart streets, about two hundred feet, or sufficient for a medium-sized vessel; also a portion of Stewart street, sufficient for one medium-sized vessel. This wharf had been occupied by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company for several years, and was mostly covered with sheds to protect the freight of the company. Several months prior to the above date, the agent of said company expressed a willingness to surren der the property to the State on the termination of their franchise, and desired to lease the same for a period of three years thereafter.

Accordingly, in due time the same was advertised according to law, and the only bid received was made by the agent aforesaid, and was for the amount of two thousand dollars per month, the company to make their own repairs and perform all the dredging necessary for their business.

The bid was accepted and a lease executed, they being confined by the terms of said lease exclusively to their own business, being allowed to use the same only as a landing place for their steamships and coal vessels. Before passing from this wharf, and to avoid the necessity of referring to it again, I will here state that said lease expired October first, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven; that before its expiration the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, having no further use for it, assigned their lease, (with the consent of the Board,) to the California, Oregon, and Mexico Steamship Company, and the property was subsequently adver tised and leased to the said California, Oregon, and Mexico Steamship Company, they being the only bidders therefor, at one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars per month, for the term of three years, they making all repairs, dredging, etc., as in the former lease. It will be noticed that the last lease in its terms gives to the State two hundred and fifty dollars per month less than the first.

In consideration for this two hundred and fifty dollars per month, the

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