The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 6, 1896, Page 8

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1896. PLAYING A GAME OF FREEZE-0UT, The Panama Railroad Com- pany Is Huntington’s Latest Victim. [ tween 400 and 500 tons of througi A MYSTERY IS SOLVED. Why the Southern Pacific Is| tion of the Southern Pacific, which put in | | a rate of 50 cents per 100 pounds. In a conversation with Manager | Schwerin of the Pacific Mail that gentle- man_stated that the present misunder- standing between the railroads and the steamship lines which operate via Panama | was caused by the impatience of the Pan- | ema Company. He claimed that the 60- | cent rate had rot been given a fair test at | the time the Panama people i | the reduction to 40 cents, and ! reduction had forced the railroad com- | - blow on Monday. d whether the Pacific Mail | ! was in position to handle freight for New | York, Mr. Schwerin replied that on the | steamer which left last for Panama be- freight have been carried, but that there | tle movement at the present season | in eastbound freight. He added that the | steamer to leave Saturday next would; have been able to take 500 or 600 tons of | freight had it not been for the reduced in by the rallroad. | ippers have a vastly different tale | At no time for many !u(mths,i to tell. h they say, have the steamers of the Pacific Mail been able to accommodate even the Apparently Hostile to the Pacific Mail i | RATES MAY AGAIN BE REDUCED } Another Demand Made by the Ally | | terday by one of the largest | business between this City and Pana: na | and way ports, let alone through businefs. How the merchants feel on the matter is | clearly shown in the statement made yes- | shippers to | Central America. This gentleman said | the grievance of lack of shipping facilities | afforded by the Pacific Mail to Central American ports was oue of long standing. | He then continued: i The Pacific Mail has certainly undertaken to of the Pacific Mail—Its Help- less Position. | fo carry through frefght to New steamers that leave here. Why, the present phara County, has sent a sample of the | service of the company is entirely inadequate | 2ei P! | to handle the freight offered now for Central do more than it can accomplish when it offers | York on its American ports alone, There are two reasons = for this. One reason is that their steamers are | | not large enough or they have not enough of | Collis P. Huntington is again demon- | them; ana the second is the lack of dock ca- ing that he ise i to Lis boast of | picity. Thelast two steamers {rom Panama | the man His victim this o | brought through cargoes of New York freight. | who has never been | They were discharged at the Pacific Mail dock | time is the | and their cargoes took'up the entire room on | DRIED OLIVES FOR FooD. People Can Live Well on This Diet for Five Cents a Day. MAY PROVE A NEW INDUSTRY. The State Board of Trade Is Preparing a Novel and Attractive Wine Exhibit. Manager J. A. Filcher of the State Board of Trade has received a communi- cation of rare interest from Southern California regarding the raising of olives | for drying purvoses. If dried olives possess all the gualities claimed by their advocate a new industry may be developed iu this State and eco- nomical persons be farnished with a food product, palatable and hightly nutritious, which will cost not more than 5 cents a day. W. S. Manning of Ballard, Santa Bar- dried fruit for the inspection of the Board of Trade. He contends that no product on earth contains as much of the ele- ments of nutrition necessary for the sus- tenance of the body asa ripe olive. The dried fruit will of course contain all these qualities, and all that is necessary to ren= W) I!}wl‘v il Panama Railroad Company. He has) | that company underneath and he isina | vosition to keep it there just as long as he | pleases, judging from the present outlook. | On Tuesday last THE CALL published the | facts showing that a bitterand determined | rate war on eastbound business from this City to New York had been inaugurated | apparently between the Panama Railroad | Company and the Pacific Mail Steamship | Company on one side and the Southern | Pacific Company and its railroad allies on | the other. Recent developments, how- ever, show that the only suffererin this contest is now and is likely to continue to | be the Panama road. As the situation is now, with but a $2 differential between the all-rail route and the isthmus route, not a ton of freizhtis likely to be offered to the water-line car- riers. From a shipper who is deeply interested in through freight, it was learned yester- | day that the Panama people have asked | their ally, the Pacific Mail, to put into effect before the 7th inst., when the next steamer leaves here, a 30-cent rate on east- vound business. The rate at present 1s 40 cents per 100 pounds. With a 30-cent rate | in operation, there would be a difference | of $4 per ton between the rail ratesand the | steamer rates, and it is thought this will divert at least some small quantity of | business to the water line. H. Hinton, general agent of the | Panama, confirmed the report that his company had asked fora 30-centeastbound | rate, but Manager R.P. Schwerin of the Pacific Mail sa:d, late yesterday afternoon, that he had not been officially advised of such a demand, and could not, therefore, tell what would be done toward putting such a rate into effect. But even if this rate is put in, the strain in the situation will not by any means be | relieved, and before harmony is restorea | there will have to be a complete readjust- ment of rates. This can only be accom- | plished by making rates that will give the | steamship people a differential of not less | than $5, as was the case prior to 1893, when | the Pacific Mail had complete control of | the Panama route traffic between San Francisco and New York. Jonsiderable speculation has been in- dulged in touching the peculiar situation of affairs, which apparently places C. P. | Huntington, president of the Southern | Pacific Company, in direct opposition to | C. P. Huntington, president of the Pacitic/| Mail Steamship Company. i To the uninformed and disinterested ob- | server it appears as if Mr. Huntingtion : | | | were using his railroad property to injure the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and through it the Yanama Railroad Company. | But Mr. Huntington is too shrewa a finan- cierand manipuiator to indulge in any such unbusinesslike practice. He is, according | to facts ascertained yesterday, simply try- ing to play a game of freezeout against the Panama Railroad Company, and would have been completely successful but for the prompt and energetic action of the Panama people. Shortly after the contract between the Pacific Mail and the Panama road was signed, last December, both rail and steamer rates were advanced, leaving a difference of $3 between the rail and water routes, the latter, of course, quoting the lower schedule. This differential, it was | found, failed to bring business to the Pan- ama rtoute and, despite the fact that the | recently signed contract provides that the Pacitic’ Mail should furnish a certain amount of 'tonnage to the steamers of the | Columbian line on the Atlantic siae, the Pacific Mail failed to do anything to in- | duce freight to move via Panama. This inertia brought out g demand from the Panama people for a reduction of the 60- cent rate between San Francisco and New York to 40 cents. After a corresponderce extending over two weeks the Pacific Mail finally acceded to the reguest of its ally and announced such a rate to go into effect on the steamer to leave on the 7th inst. All the benefit that ought to have accrued from this action was pre- vented, however, by the prompt -retalia- | | weel | to them and are only too glad to | nuisance and inconvenience to the dray- | | by having to give up some of its space | space for through New York freight which the dock. This prevented the steamers from receiving Central American cargo until -all this freight was hauled away. The Central American business requires that freight shall be very carefully packed and that strict atten- | tion be paid to all the details of shipping. | There are long invoices to be made out in the | Spanish lepguage, and it requires & good s time to prepare some of the Central jpments. By the steamers not uate dock room and not receiving | freight uniil two days before sailing the mer- chants are greatly inconvenienced, because their goods caunot be shipped in_proper con- dition with these drawbacks. The necessary papers cannot be made out for lack oi time, and to ship even what we do necessitates keeping our offices open all night for one or two nights before the steamer’s departure. In New York and other ports all steamship companies receive freight whenever it isofferad | et it, but the custom here is A most provincial one, requir- ing as it does that freight shall only be offered | certain days before a steamer sails.” Now s to the incapacity of their steamers. | On the steamer that leaves Saturday we de- | sired to ship about 600 tons of freight for | various Central American ports, butcouid only | secure the privilege of shipping 300 tons. The left over freight will only be taken on subse- | quent steamers, some of it not until the third steamor after this one. How in the face of this they can undertake | to handle any eastbound New York freight I | cannot see. | That the Pacific Mail Company has come | at last to a realization of its dockage in- capacity is shown by the application ithas | made to the Harbor Commissioners for | the use of the Lombard-street pier for New York freights. The matter was considered | by the Harbor Commissioners yesterday | and the secretary was instructed to com- | municate with Goodall, Perkins & Co., who now have the use of Lombard vier, and ask them to have a representative | present at the next meeting of the board. | It is proposed to give the Pacific Mail the | use of one-half that dock if such an ar- rangement can be made. This lack of dock facilities is also a great American having adec men who haul the freight for shippers, and a visit to the Pacific Mail dock yes- | terday showed & long line of trucks and i drays stretched outside of the wharf, each | drayman impatiently waiting a chance to get rid of his load. This continued nearly all day long, and is a scene that occurs every ten days, two days prior to the sail- ing of each steamer for Panama. It is further claimed by shippers that these in- adequate provisions for handling Central American pusiness is tending to drive that trade in part to other ports. All mystery regarding the apparent hos- | tile attitude of Mr. Huntington’s Southern | Pacific Company to Mr. Huntington’s Pa- cific Mail Steamship Company disappears | when it is shown that the Pacific Mail | Steamship Company is in a position, to make vastly more money by being de- prived of through eastbound business than 1o it. And this can be readily seen to be the case when it is known that Central Ameri- can business pays from $8 to $20 a ton, and that through freight only costs, under the present schedule, $8 a ton, 55 per cent of which, or $4 40, goes to the Panama Rail- road Company. It is therefore a choice, so far as the Pacific Mail is concerned, between carrying freight that will return it from $8 to $20 a ton or freight that will give it but $3 60. And Mr. Huntington is cleverly utiliz- ing his Southern Pacific Company in such a way as to prevent any possibility of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company being asked to accept any through eastbound business. Meanwhile the Panama Railroad Com- pany’s steamers on the Atlantic side con- tinue to sail from Colon with plenty. of never comes. Tire Department. The Fire Commissioners yesterday afternoon met and fined William Douglass, engineer of engine 19, five days’ pay for llee;(’dn_l' on his waich, and T. Driscoll, hoseman of engine 16, ten days’ rl)’ for remaining away from his uarters al nlgm. The resignation of Peter osta of truck was accepted. -~ A French railway company has ordered clocks to be placed on the outside of every locomotive. | warrant sending to the Eastern markets. der it pleasant to the taste is soaking and salling it. The oil of the olive is equal to meat, and the pulp is as good as bread. “The idea of drying olives originatedin Europe,'” said Mr. Filcher yesterday, “and frugal people have lived on this dried fruit in the countries of Spain and ltaly from time imm emorial. “This is the first time. however, that the industry has been introduced into this State. The pickli ng of ripe olives origin- ated in California, and the superiority of the ripe in preference to the green olive pickled is conceded by all who have eaten them. People were highly surprised to find the ripe fruit finely flavored after being treated in the usual way. *‘Threec or four years ago there were only 300 or 400 gallons pickled in this State. Now you can safely assert that there are tens of thousandsof gallons. The demand has ever grown in rapid increase over the supply, and to this time the supply has not been large enough to Pickled olives sent there have met with a warm reception. There i, in fact, an un- limited demand for the rive pickled olives.”” Near Sacramento they are planting an olive orchard of 230 acres, and in Southern California one grove of 300 acresis being set out, W. 8. Manning is the pioneer of the dried olive m this country. He has a large orchard down in Santa Barbara. He says he finds that a nickel’s worth a day seasoned with other fruit amply suf- ficient to nourish a man fora bard day’s work. He finds people not fond of them at first, but after eating them awhile they acquire a taste which prompts them to prefer dried olives to any other dier. The fruit resembles dried prunes, but has a peculiar flavor. The Board of Trade in installing its ex- hibit in its new quarters is preparing one feature beretofore lacking by proposing to make a strong and attractive exhibit of California wines independent of the regu- lar county exhibit. The idea is Mr. Fil- cher’s. “No sxhibit of California products in my estimation,”” said he, ‘*‘is complete without wine being a chief feature. This State produces 60}:81' cent of all the wine produced in the United States. The inten- tion is to make this a very prominent and attractive exhibit. “Along the entire length of the rear end of the room I have caused to be made eleven large frames with plush on the bevel and burnished gilt moldings. These are 3 feet by 5 feet. In each one of these frames one producer is given space to ex- hibit his bottled wines. ‘‘Above the row of frames a series of electric lights will reflect down on the wines. A card on each frame will give the name of the producer. “The California Viticultural College has and hesaid he had no dou bt as to the reli- ability of the telegram.” MARRIED UNDER AGE. Family of Rosie Oliver Nee Brady Anxious to ¥ind Her and Her Spouse. The big brother of 17-year-old Rosie Brady is very desirous of laying hands on one Emmanuel E. Oliver who procured a marriage license yesterday on the strength of his oath that Rosie was 18 years of age. Oliver is a man about 35 vears old and the family of the girl declare they have found out that he has been thrice married in the past. His two first wives are dead and he is divorced from the third. Rosie disappeared on the night she was married and no trace can be found either of her or of Oliver. John Brady, her brother, reported the case to Ofticer Holbrook yesterday morn- ing. He stated that Oliver was a contract- ing painter and ihat he had been under Oliver’s emfiloy. Oliver had been stopping at his mother’s house, 143 Minna street, for several days, and on Monday Oliver, Rosie, himself and_a young lady. a relative, had gone to the Orpheum. After the theater they had supper together. The girl disappeared after this with Oli- ver, A marriage license was granted by the clerk, and the two were married by the Rev. Mr. Fuendeling. The brother said that Oliver had been told dlstlnctlg that Rosie was 17. He thinks that Oliver came to their house simply to ingratiate himself with the fam- ily and the girl. The girl's family in following up the record of the man claim to have discov- ered him to have been connected with the nbducuqn of a girl from Sacramento. Oliver's headquarters were on Market street, near the ferries. A policeman tele- honed to General McComb that he had ound a sign in that locality with Oliver's name on it. The family intend to prosecute Oliver for perjury in swearing Rosie to be of a marriagable age, and the brother swears to make it otherwise unpleasant.for him. FEWER CHILDREN DYING Results of a Rigid Inspection of the City’s Milk Supply. . Arguments That Will Be Used by the Board of Health on the Supervisors. Secretary Godchaux and Assistant Sec- retary Zobel of the Board of Health have just finished the compilation of a mass of figures tending to show that the rigid system of milk inspection established by the present board has largely decreased the death rate among children in this City, and that Inspector Dockery’s work has been of vast importance to the Health Department. These figures will probably be used as an argument to convince the Board of Su- pervisors that the additional milk inspec- tors which the Health Department desires to appoint are necessary, and that the in- terests of the public health demand that these offices be created. The most prevalent diseases among chil- dren that can be traced to an impure or adulterated milk supply are cholera, en- teritis, marasmus and inanition, the latter being traceable more to insufficient strength in milk than to any other cause. Inspector Dockery has izeen in office about five months, and a comparative statement of the deaths among children from the diseases mentioned during his incumbency and of tbe deaths for the five months preceding his appointment has been drawn. It is as follows: Previous to Dockery’s appointment: Maras- mus En- and In- Chol- ter- ani- era. ilis. tion. May T Jun 1n 13 July . 9 29 Augus 10 18 Septembe: 1 80 Total...... 48 49 107 Since Dockery's appointment October .. 13 3 November 75 8 December. 10 2 Janusry 8 10 15 Februar 1 4 21 Total. 44 108 Thedifference appears greater when it is understood that the death rate from the disease mentioned is naturally larger dur- ing the cold months of the year than it is in the warm season. The scarcity of typhoid cases is also noted by Dr. Parramore, who states that the water used to dilute milk usually comes from the ranch well into which ty- phoid germs are quite likely to find their way from the filth of the cattle pens. The reqiirements of the new ordinance in re- lat:on to the strength of milk has pre- vented the use of such copious quantities of water as were formerly introduced into the milk. PROTESTED TAXES. The Trustees of Mrs. Fair's Estate Want Some Money Back. The trustees of the estate of Theresa Fair are suing the City and its Tax Collec- tor for the recovery of taxes, paid under protest, on the personal property left by Mrs. Fair. 5 The amount sued for is $28,445, and the parties suing are John W. Mackay and R. V. Dey. The property assessed improperly, it is claimed, consists of bonds held in New York. These were 1855 $1000 bonds of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company of Arizona, valued at $1,855,000, and twenty- seven $1000 bonds of the West Shore Rail- road Company. of New York, valued at $27,000. W?hen the Assessor first inspected the estate he was satisfied with including only $3000 worth of household furniture, owned by the estate, but the Board of Equalization added the bonds afterward. Subsejuently, however, the assessment was reduced $600,000 by striking off 600 of the bonds of the Southern Pacific Com- pany, leaving 1226 at a valuation of $1,225,- 000, and the $27,000 worth of other bonds. The City tax e for the year ending June 30, 1896, was set at $1 56}¢ ¢ State tax rate at 68)¢ cents. This made the City taxes $20,063 30 and the State taxes $8781 70, These amounts were paid into the Treasurer’s office on November 19, 1805, and at the same time a written pro- test was filed, setting forth a variety of reasons why the taxes should not be paid, promised to furnish us abundant aid in the perfecting of this idea.” A dispatch was receiyed by Mr. Filcher Lasterdly afternoon from Charles J, rooks of New York City, which reads as follows: J “A. Filcher, State Board, of Trade: Mark Stone states proposed California State Exposi- tion closed its doors. Your article was effect- Sent letter to-day. Full particulars. CHARLES J. BROOKS, “I sent a statement thm&gh Jeffreys, A. D, Montague,” said r.__ Filcher, ‘‘which was published in the New York Sun. Isaid in that article that no reputa- ble person and certainly no representative budy had any connection with this under- ulm'fi]nnd knew nothing whatever about it, originators advertised that their headquarters were at the Mills buildin, and that their agent was Wells, Fargo Co., but I made inquiries and found that neither the Mills building people nor the f:breu company knew anything about em. “Letters have been flooding the State about this tning and many people have subseribed for space. Their whole scheme was to sell space and they cared not a whit whether there was an exposition held ornot. I bave telegraphed to W. H. Mills ive. and notifying the Tax Collector that he and the City would be made responsible for the amount. The points of the protest are made part of the complaint. It is nlleged that the bonds taxed are not. in this State, nor are the companies which issued them located in this State, and therefore they are not liable for taxation bere. A Wagner Concert. The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra will render the following Wagner programme this afternoon at 3:30 o’clock in Golden Gate fall: Overture, “Egmont” (Beethoven); vocal, aria from “William Tell” (Rossini), Miss Caroline Schindler; intermezzo, ‘‘Cavalleria Rusti- cana” (Mascagni); vocnl, s:ag “Jocelyn” {Godara), () “Hage Guerdoo ( adwick), Miss Jaroline Schindler; overture from “Flying Dutchman,” *Elsa’s Dream” from “Lohen- grin,” funeral march, “Goetterdammerung,” and march from “Tannhauser” (Wagner). Preparations have been made to flve Gou- nod’s “Redemption’ March 31 at Metropoli- tan Temple by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Ortorio Bociety. B SRSy s A perfectly proportioned man weighs twenty-eight pounds for every foot oi iu height. y PILOT FEES DISCUSSED, The Committee on Commerce Adopts Measures for Economy.* FAT INCOMES OF THE PILOTS. In the Interest of the Port’s Pros- perity a Bill Will Be Prepared to Reduce Them. An interesting report on pilotage in this port was read yesterday before the San Francisco committee of commerce in the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce. The report came from a sub-committee and was adopted, with its suggestions and rec- ommendations, for a rew system that would secure lower rates oi pilotage in the harbor.” Reviewing the subject the sub-commit- tee stated: The amount of money which the pilots actu- ally collect and the amount which the present law authorizes them to collect are widely dif- ferent. This is due to a system of discrimina- tions in the collection of pilotage, One result of the present extravagant pilot monopoly is that the pilots seek to fortify their position and to head off and keep down opposition by means of widespread preferences in the col- lection of pilot charges. A ship-owner who possesses political intluence or who is known as a vigorous man and likely to give trouble is relieved from paying a large portion of the pilot fees the law says he should pay. The pilots eimply do mot collect the full amount. A regular system of differentials has been thus built up by which the powerful are favored at the expense of the weak. It is unnecessary to E:h“ out the evil of such asystem. It would much better for the community if the pilot fees were rigidly collected from all alike to the full amount allowed by law. In an investigation into tne pilot charges held by a committee from the State Legislature in 1883 it was brought out from the books of the Pilot Commissioners that the pilots col- lected for the year 1882 the gross sum of $198,625, or nearly $10,000 for each of the twenty pilots. During the same h:vesuiltlon the system of discrimination practiced by the pilots under the name of rebates was also shown. Your sub-committee saw no reason to conclude that the amount of pilotage collected now_was any less than the amount collected in 1882. There had been no reduction in the charges and no exemptions from pilotage since that date. On the contrary, a certain class of vessels—{o-wit: coasting vessels under reg- ister—which were then able to avoid the pay- ment of pilotage have since been compelled io pay. Your sub-committee, therefore, was led 10 conclude that the amount of pilotage col- lected now was as great as in 1882, unlesgthe commerce of this port had greatly decllned or the system of discrimination above referred 1o had becn greatly extended. A request for information was sent to the Pilot Commissioners last December, and the following reply was received and read vesterday Hugh Craig Esq., Chairman Sub-Committee on Pilotage, Committee on Commerce—SIR: To your note of December 20 we reply. Some of the information desired by the committee on com- merce in reference to pilotage we are unable to furnish. However, a?l that could be gath- ered is forwarded you herewith. The pilot-boats are owned by the pilots. The Commissioners are expressly forbidden by law from baving any interest in the boats and are only re?\l(l’ed 1o ascertain that they are maintained in a seaworthy -condition, and are safe and suitable for the pilot service. Conse- quently the cost of maintenance of these boats could only be ascertained from the private accounts of the pilots. No return is made of the nationality of the ships or vessels from which pilotage is collected or whether they are enrolled or registered. There is no pilotage collected from any American vessel sailing under an enrollment. The number of pilots in the service for each of the past eleven years was twenty. The actual earnings of the pilots for that period was $329 88 each per month. The number of pilot-boats in commission for the same period was four, viz.: The Lady Mine, costing $15,500; America, $18,000; Bo- nita, $19,000; Gracie S, $18,000. There are employed on each boat five sailors, whose wages are paid {rom the earnings of the ilots. I The net and gross earnings of the pilots for the last eleven years were as follows: GROSS EARNINGS. $141,312 21 1,804,672 79 145,879 00 $69.589 81 66.354 57 -8870,583 68 tevereee 19,171 00 The difference between the gross and net earnings is $733,289. This sum comprises the pilotage charges returned to ships, the mainte- nance and repairs to boats, office rent, etc. RECAPITULATION. Gross earnings for eleven years Net earnings for eleven years. Actual earnings of each month. Yours The report continues: An examination oi this statement of the Pilot Commissioners reveals some striking facts. Firstthere is A remarkable shrinkage in the amount of pilotage collected since 1882, Between the amount collected in 1882 and the amount collected in 1887 there is a difference of $81,000. This difference is far too great to account for upon the theory of a shrinkage in commerce; and since there has been no reduc- tion in pilot fees, it i3 only reasonable to con- clude thet the system of discrimination in the collection of piiotage had been more widely extended. By such methods the pilots sought to maiutain their monopoly. Atter 1887 the amount of pilotage collected begins to increase and to betray a tendency to returnto its former proportions. The yearly average of the gross pilotage col- lected for the eleven years given in this state- ment is $145,879. The yearly average of the net pilotage 1s $79,171, leaving the enormous difference of $66,708 for operating expenses for each year. It does not mitigate this state- ment to say that some of this has been re- turned to vessels. There should be none re- turned. If the pilot charges are so high that the pilots voluntarily return some of the money collected, the rates should be reduced by law. Itshouldnot be left to a handful of men to levy toll upon vessels passing the Golden Gate or to remit that toll &t their own sweet will and for their own profit. This is not what & Filot system is created for. Further- more, this $66,708 does not include the whole ;{]fi:.e subsidy in the form of rebate which the 0ts pay. But taking the figures of the Pilot Commis- sioners themselves and accepting as true that there is merely & yqarly average of $79,171, divided amoug the twenty pilots, the pilots have each received, according to the above statement, the sum of 329 88 for each month of the eleven years covered. After deauctin, the enormous rebates and discriminations .n§ extravagant “ allowances for expenses, the pilots stili, according to their own statement, pocket a clean little income of $329 88 per month, When it is considered that the highest w-ge;gnld to the master of & coasting vessel is $125 per month and that there are twenty pilots to do the work which ten can easily do, the compensation is seen to be out of all pro- portion to the services rendered. 1n this connection it may be said parentheti- cally that there is a practical object lesson of the overcompensation of pilots in the fact that pilots gell their commissions at irom 000 to $o apiece. Whenever, for any reason, & pilot wishes to retire from the ser- vice, he is eble, by the aid of alittle political diplomacy, to name his own successor, and for so0 doing he invariably charges from to by way of compensation. Whether the whole of the amount remains in the pocket of the retiring pilut or some of it finds its way into the pockets of persons sup- posed to have influence over the appointment of pilots is not material; the fact that the money is pald shows that the returns from pllotage are considered to be so much in ex- cess of the services rendered as to give the position of 1;.noc & market value of & pretty considerable amount. As compared with these extravagant figures your sub-committee has made an estimate of -$1,604,672 79 870,883 66 329 88 , Secretary. the amount necessary to maintain, under rational provisions of law, a pilot service at this port adequate for all the necessities of its commerce. And, first, in this connection, your sub-committee calls attention to the fact ihat, under rational pilot laws, ten pilots are enough to do all the work of theport. In former years, when tnere was greater need of ilots than now, the number was kepi at Efleen,and it was raised to the full limit of twenty, allowed by luw, simply to relieve the then Pilot Commissioners from the nuisance of being bothered by applicants for_ positions. Ten pilots, seiccted for efliciency and not of a superannuated age, can readily do all the work actually necessary to be done at this ort. p\'o\lr sub-committee holds that $200 per month is an exceedingly liberal compensation for & pilot. The highest wages paid to ship- masters on this coast is $125 per month, and the duties of a pilot require no greater skill or intelligence than the duties of the master of a first-class sailing vessel. With this standard in view, your sub-com- mittee submits the following estimate of the necessary expense of a pilot service for this port per year: 10 pilots at §2400 per vear. .. .$24.000 Cost of maintaining pilot-boais. . 18,000 Salary of Pilot Commissioners 3,600 Salary of secretary or clerk. 1200 Office rent and sundries. 500 Total 47,300 Your sub-committee calls attention to the fact that this estimate is 100,000 less than the amountgiven in the statement of the Pilot Commissioners as the average yearly amount actually collected, and is more than $150,000 less than the amount of pilotage collected in 1882, In estimating the compensation of the ot Commissioners and their secretary or clerk, your sub-committee has kept in mind that under the provisions of the proposed law submitted betow the Commissioners would re- celve a large sum from the fees for granting special pilot licenses. Your sub-committee believes that any meas- ure to regulate the pilot feesof this portshould take into account the fact that it has become the custom for vessels passing through the Golden Gate to do =0 in tow, and that when in tow a pilot is altogether superfluous. The masters of tugboats belonging to this bay are s good pilots as the regular pilots themselves; and where a vessel has secured the services of one it seems to_your sub-committee to be an unnecessary burden. to make the vessel pay for both. In framing the following outline of the proposed amendments to the State law governing pilots your sub-committee has kept this in mind. Itis also to be bornein mind that the com- petent master of a steamer regularly trading with this port who has, upon examination, shown himself thoroughly familiar with the harbor, is much more competent to pilot his steamer than is any regular pilot with equal kuowledge by reason of the fact that he knows his own steamer best and can best handle her. Your sub-committee recommends/ that amendments to the pilot laws of this State be drafted which will embody the following features: First—For purpose of classification pilots to Dbe designated as general and special. Second—The number of general pilots to_be reduced to a maximum of ten; the reduction o be brought about by the simple process of not making appointments to fill vacancies as they occur. Third—The masters of all tugboats regularly cruising the waters of this bay and the ap- sroacnes hereto to be examined by the Pilot ommissioners and licensed as special pilots. Fourth—The masters of all steamers and steam craft regularly trading with this port to be examined by the Pilot Commissioners and licepsed as special pilots. Fifth—The masters of all sailing vessels reg- ularly trading with this port to be examined by the Pilot Commissioners and licensed as special pilots. Bixth—Auny sailing vessel or other craft in tow, having as master a licensed special pilot, 10 be exempt from all pilot fees, unless & gen: eral pilot be actually employed. Seventh—Steam craft under the command of a master licensed as & pilot to be exempt from all pilot fees, unless a general pilot be actually employed. Eighth—Any sailing vessel under the com- mand of a master licensed as special pilot to be exempt from all pilot fees, unlessa general pilot be actually employed. Ninth—Every master examined by the Pilot Cownmissioners and granted & special license to pay a fee of $10. Tenth—A special pilot license granted to the master of any tug, steamer or sailing vessel shall entitle the holder to act aspilot for the vessel for which the license is granted only; masters duly licensed to act as special pilot for one vessel may, however, have their license transferred to act for another vessel upon the paym nt of a fee of $1. enth—A provision making it a misde- meanor,with proper penalty, for pilots to make any discrimination in the collection of pilot fees or to pay any rebatcs except such as are expressly provided for by law. ‘welfth—A provision requiring the Pilot Com- missioners to make each year to the Governor of the State a full report of all the I\llouge col- lected, h other necessary statistics. On motion of T. J. Parsons, the sub- committee on pilotage was instructed to employ a competent person to draft a bill in accordance with the report for presen- tation to the next Legislature. Captain Thayer was appointed a com- mittee to prepare resolutions suggesting to the Merchants’ Exchange that a tide clock, indicating the hours of high and low tide in the harbor, be erected on the floor of the exchange. The secretary stated that Congressman Loud had received a promise from the Committee on Ways and Means that it would recommend the appropriation of money for surveys of the more dangerous rocks in the bay of San Francisco. The report of the sub-committee on finance showed that the total monthly subscription to date was §25220. It was adopted, and George Plummer, treasurer of the Ship-owners’ Association, was elected treasurer of the committee. T0 AEMOVE OG BHACHE The Supervisors Will Act on the Bay View Petition To-Day. A Once Charming Dwelling Place Now Rendered Uninhabitable by Stench. i The hog vens at Bay View, South San Francisco, still send forth their stench into the windows of the hundred or more resi- dents of that pretty little valley. The foul refuse is piling up higher on the beach day by day and increasing the danger of epidemic disease. The petition from the property-owners there to the Board of Supervisors, for the removal of this nuisance, will be acted upon to-day by the Supervisors. The petition contained some forty or fifty names, headed by Mr. Piper, who owns considerable land in that district. The petition was gotten up hurriedly, and as a consequence contains about half the number of names that otherwise would have been appended to it. The matterof the removal of these places has been agitated for some time. Before the advent of the hog ranches Bay View was one of the most charming spots for residence in San Francisco. The purity of the air and splendid view of the bay, which then touched a beach as white as that near the Cliff House, made the locsl- ity particularly favorable for the building of homes. Since the hog ranches moved onto the beach the entire valley, the greater part of the time, is almqst unbear-- able owing to the terrible sterich arising from the refuse thrown on the beach. The residents assert in warm weather they are frequently compelled to leave their homes to escape the odor. They claim that down near these ranches sick- ness is continually prevalent, and in their | };e}mon they hold that it is extremely un- fair that four se:glo should render the homes of a hundred others uninhabitable. ——————— PATRIOTIC RALLY. Major T. C. Ryan Will Lecture on Im- migration To-Night. A grand vatriotic rally will be held at Metropolitan Temple to-night. Major T. C. Ryan, the brilliant Eastern orator, will deliver an address on ‘‘Foreign Imm’igru- tion, the Foe of American Liberties.” Addresses will also be made by Dr. W. 'W. Case, Donali M. Ross and others. It has been decided to charge 10 cents admission for the purpose of keeping out those who only go to a free entertainment- ————— The best corks came from Algeria. There are 2,500,000 acres of cork foSt in that country. FIRED INTO IS MOUTH, John H. Peters, the Well-Known Photographer, Commits Suicide. THE ACT WAS DELIBERATE. His Family Can Assign No Reason Why He Should Have Taken His Own Life. John H, Peters, the well-known pho- tographer, committed suicide yesterday afternoon by shooting hims&"A in the mouth in the waiting-room of his photo- graph gallery at 914 Market street. The gallery occupies the second and third floors of the building, the aeco.nd floor being usea as an office and the third as the operating and waiting rooms. At noon Peters went out to lunch and returned about 1 o’clock. His daughter and an office-boy were in tne office. With- out saying anything to them he went up- stairs. A few minutes later the report of. a revolver was heard and the office-boy ran upstairs. He looked into the waiting- room and immediately ran downstairs and out into the street, where he met Po- liceman Royston and said, “Come quick; the boss has shot himself.” 3 Royston followed the boy, and when he entered the waiting-room he saw Peters seated in an armchair in front of a mirror, with his legs resting upon a settee. A re- volver was clutched in his right hand, which rested upon his breast. Blood was oozing out of his month, and he was un- conscious. The officer rang for the patrol wagon, and Peters was taken to the Receiving Hospital. Drs. Bunnell and Rinne made a hasty examination, and came to the con- clusion that he could not live many min- utes. He had fired into his mouth, and the bullet had penetrated into the brain. Peters expired about 3 o’clock, and his body was removed to the Morgue. An examination of the revolver, which is a Smith & Wesson 32-caliber, showed that he had fired twice, but the first car- tridge had not exploded, and he then fired again with fatal effect. Peters was a married man, 62 years of age, and a native of Germany. e lived with his wife ana four children at 2021 Howard street. The family was at once notified of the affair .and Eigert Peters, the eldest son, hurried to the hospital. “My father left home as usnal this morning,” he said, “and so far as we know he was in his usual health. There was nothing wrong either in his business affairs, so far as we were aware. He was doing & good business and his home re- lations had always been of the most pleas- ant kind.” Mrs. Peters also called at the hospital, but she was in such a hysterical condition that nothing could be learned from her as to the cause of her husband’s suicide. Peters left no letters to his family that would throw any light upon the matter. It was learned from other sources that business had been dull with him for some time back, and for the past two or three days he had been acting in an erratic mannery. : He wasa member of the 0dd Fellows’ society, and that society will take charge of the funeral arrangements. WANTS A DIVORCE. Charles T. Cook Files a Rill Against His Wite Emily, Alllgisg Infidelity. Walter H. Linforth, as counsel for Charles T. Cook, filed a petition in di- vorce yesterday against Emily M. Cook. Charles T. Cook is in the internal revenue service, stationed at Port Costa. The grounds for the divorce, as stated, are re- peated acts of .nfidelity, and the respond- ents named are several. The couple were married on the 22d of December, 1888, in this City. The acts of infidelity charged are al- leged to have been committed on Thurs- day, the 20th of February, and on Satur- day, the 29th of February, “at that cer- tain place known as the ‘Poodle Dog,’ sit- uate on the corner of Bush street and Grant avenue,” with a man whose first name is “Will,” the second name un- known. The first name of another respondent is ‘‘Harry,” his full name unknown. With him the actions complained of took place between the 1st day of March and the 1st day of July, 1895, at San Jose, at Livermore and at Mendenhalls Springs. The defendant is charged with similar conduct on various occasions during the year 1895, with one Percy Smith at Men- %enhalls Springs, at Livermore and in this lity. The same charge is made in relation to defendant and one Duval and various others at various places in this City. NEW TO-DAY. GOMFORT FOR ALL! RELIEF FOR EVERYBODY! NO MORE BLACKENED EYES, Or CRUTCHES, or FACE, or TOOTH, Or HEAD, or TOE ACHE. 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