The greater availability of recreation and amusement in San Francisco, as compared with any other city on San Francisco Bay, augments the morale of the permanently employed. 4. It is the purpose of the civic league to again ask the Legislature of California, at its coming session, to provide the necessary legislation to accomplish the leveling of Hunters Point out to the naval base site. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. NOVEMBER 13, 1920. CENTRAL BUREAU OF SAN FRANCISCO ORGANIZATIONS, San Francisco, Calif. GENTLEMEN: Your commercial development committee, in accordance with its defined duties, deems it proper and this the opportune time to make a report on Hunters Point as the logical site for the location of the United States naval base on the Pacific coast. This report deals entirely with the economic condition and not with the engineering features, which engineering features were not available for the consideration of your committee. Your committee had before it the attached detail, in six sections, comprising cuts and explanation of facts shown by the cuts, which detail is incorporated in and is the basis of this report. Section I. General report with various maps (4), illustrating points made in the report. Section II. Detailed facts of the Alameda and Hunters Point sites. Section III. Commerce of the United States and its relation to naval bases at Alameda or Hunters Point. Section IV. Detailing facts in comparing Hunters Point, Alameda, and Mare Island. Map particularly deals with the physical features at Hunters Point and Alameda that affect the economic condition. Section V. Item from the Oakland Tribune of November 9, which substantiates contention as to congestion between Oakland and the island of Alameda. Section VI. Justifying campaign of San Francisco in behalf of Hunters Point. The economic conditions brought out in the detail as existing in the bay district convinces your committe that, aside from engineering features, San Francisco excels in natural advantages for industry any location in the bay district. As the United States naval base is an industry in which ultimately $50,000,000 will be invested, and which will employ from five to eight thousand men, it is important that the Central Bureau of San Francisco Organizations take all necessary steps to support the city and county in its effort to locate the naval base on Hunters Point. P. R. THOMPSON. ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED ON COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES. P. R. Thompson, chairman, president Civic League of Improvement Clubs and Associations. Louis H. Mooser, president San Francisco Real Estate Board. J. J. Eppinger, president San Francisco Restaurant Association. Joseph H. Cumming, secretary Down Town Association. W. H. Hammer, president Foreign Trade Club. E. O. Shreve, president Electrical Development League. SECTION 1.-GENERAL STATEMENT ON ADVANTAGES OF HUNTERS POINT. The following natural advantages of the Hunters Point site make it the logical location for a naval base: 1. It is directly on deep water; no dredging has to be done to produce deep water. (See map No. 1.) 2. The character of the land guarantees the proper foundation necessary to a naval base. 3. Shipping and transportation conditions dictated by nature enable a more economical operation of the facility when established than in any other available location on the Bay of San Francisco, for the reason that— (a) Its requirements are dependent particularly upon shipping, and at the present time and for considerable time in the future the San Francisco side of the bay is and will remain the port of call for all shipping, due to the fact that natural deep water does not exist on the east side of the bay, and it is the logical conclusion that deep water will not be artificially created until all of the deep water frontage on the west side of the bay has been completely utilized; and, (b) The Hunters Point territory is now traversed by all three transcontinental railroads, and in addition the railroad can be extended around the water front to the Hunters Point naval base by the time construction begins, and thereby make a direct connection with the Presidio Army base, which will coordinate both branches of the service. (See map No. 2.) 4. Hunters Point is in the heart of San Francisco's great industrial district and unoccupied by industry, and a naval base located at Hunters Point would have available to it the product and energy of the entire San Francisco industrial district, which includes South San Francisco, and which concentration of industry can not be found at any other location. (See map No. 4.) It is considered advisable at this time to deal particularly with the argument that the location of a naval base at Alameda will after all benefit San Francisco as much as Alameda and Oakland, and for that reason and the further reason that San Francisco should preserve its water frontage for future industrial development which it is contended by some is more important than the naval base, that the naval base should be located at Alameda. The committee considered that the argument might well be reversed-that Oakland and Alameda would derive the same benefit if the naval base was located at Hunters Point; in other words, if the argument is sound in one instance, it is sound in the other. Also, the full development of San Francisco's industrial district is dependent upon the location of the free zone or the naval base at Hunters Point; and as the establishment of a free zone, which is the principal argument for preserving the Hunters Point territory, is remote certainly some time in the future in any event-circumstances dictate that in the interest of the welfare of San Francisco and its future development the entire community must utilize all of its energy to secure the selection of Hunters Point. In other words, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. SECTION II-DETAILED FACTS OF THE ALAMEDA AND HUNTERS POINT SITES-SAN FRANCISCO'S SUPERIOR ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL LOCATION. An examination of Map V indicates clearly the relation of deep water to the pro posed naval base sites, and the economic advantages accruing to Hunters Point because of its proximity to deep water and the existing developed San Francisco water front. These advantages are: 1. The natural deep water channel of the bay. 2. The wharves at San Francisco. 3. The proposed naval base at Hunters Point. 4. The Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda water front. 5. The island of Alameda. Particular attention is directed to the location of the wharves on San Francisco Bay. The location of the wharves was dictated by nature, which created deep water along the San Francisco shore line, resulting in an economic condition that compelled the establishment of the wharves along San Francisco's shore line. Thus San Francisco's water front is a magnet of the greatest power in commerce. Because of this power San Francisco has become the greatest metropolis of the West, and, quoting from Capt. Robert Dollar's address at the recent foreign trade convention in San F4ancisco, "I want to say to you that many of you are going to see the center of the world's commerce on the Pacific Ocean, and I am not dead sure but that I will live to see it." Approximately 90 per cent of the commerce of the bay region for consumption or distribution is via San Francisco wharves and the San Francisco rail terminal, which is primarily responsible for its financial and commercial supremacy. The same economic conditions will continue to prevail until all of the available deep-water frontage has been occupied, and only then will the economic condition dictate the creation of deep water by dredging sufficient to establish the necessary wharves to take care of ocean-going shipping. SECTION III.-COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES AND ITS RELATION TO NAVAL BASES AT ALAMEDA OR HUNTERS POINT-THE RELATION OF COMMERCE AND TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES TO THE PROPOSED NAVAL BASE SITES. The following statement is made concerning the commerce of the United States and its relation to the port of San Francisco: 1. Distance from the shaded territory via El Paso gateway is the same to proposed Hunters Point naval base and the proposed Alameda naval base. Southeastern territory, such as Alabama, Birmingham-the great steel manufacturing and coal and iron center and points reached via the sunset route of the Southern Pacific is less in distance via El Paso than any other gateway. 2. Distance from light territory and upper part of shaded territory via Ogden gateway to Hunters Point all rail via Dumbarton cut-off and Niles is but 14.4 miles greater than to Alameda (except local territory immediately tributary to Hunters Point and Alameda). 3. Hunters Point and Alameda ocean commerce is via San Francisco wharves. Practically all ocean commerce of the bay region is over the San Francisco wharves. Hunters Point is directly connected with these wharves. Alameda is not, and its ocean commerce has to be transshipped. 4. Freight rates between the points in the above-described territories in the United States and Hunters Point or Alameda are the same regardless of distances. Therefore transportation costs to an industry or to a naval base at Hunters Point are not affected because of the 14 miles differential in favor of Alameda from the territory depicted on the map. 5. Costs on ocean commerce to an industry or the naval base located at Alameda are and will be more than to Hunters Point, for the reason that such commerce of Alameda is and has to be transshipped at San Francisco. SECTION IV.-DETAILING FACTS IN COMPARING HUNTERS POINT, ALAMEDA, AND MARE ISLAND COMPARISON OF HUNTERS POINT, ALAMEDA, AND MARE ISLAND SITES. Map VII, showing the proposed Hunters Point naval base site and the proposed Alameda naval base site, was prepared to show the detail of the two locations. Attention is directed especially to the following: 1. Hunters Point is located directly on deep water-30, 40, and 50 feet in depth. All three transcontinental railroads traverse this territory and rail connection with the Hunters Point site can be readily and easily made. In addition, connection can be easily made with the State Belt Railroad, which runs around the water front, and thus join the Presidio Army base with a naval base located at Hunters Point, which will unite both branches of the service such coordination increasing efficiency and economy in operation and increasing effectiveness in time of war. It has also been stated that the peculiar arrangement of the coast range of mountains on the San Francisco peninsula affords a protection to Hunters Point that would not maintain at the Alameda location. 2. Alameda is an island, reached only via bridges and no transcontinental railroad traverses it. Rail services necessary to a naval base at Alameda would have to be via these bridges across the Oakland estuary, where traffic is heavy, causing congestion which will increase with every development. Alameda has no main line train service. The island of Alameda is not directly on deep water and dredging would be neces sary to create and maintain sufficient depth of water, as the east side of the bay continually accumulates silt, owing to the peculiar currents of San Francisco Bay. Even with the naval base at Alameda it would be necessary for the ships of the Navy to find anchorage in the deep-water channel of the bay, and owing to the ferry and steamer routes, which must be kept clear, they would be compelled to anchor off Hunters Point. 3. Mare Island is located approximately 25 miles up the bay. Economically it is out of position as compared with either Hunters Point or Alameda, and this economic condition would affect the cost of construction and the operating cost. In time of war the naval base should be in immediate vicinity of the Golden Gate for the reason that San Francisco would, due to location, be the first point of attack in the bay region. SECTION V.-LETTER FROM PRESIDENT OF CIVIC LEAGUE OF IMPROVEMENT CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS, EXCERPT FROM REPORT OF DR. B. M. RASTALL, AND COPY OF RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY CENTRAL BUREAU OF SAN FRANCISCO ORGANIZATIONS, AND EXCERPTS FROM TESTIMONY BEFORE NAVAL COMMISSION AT CITY HALL SUBSTANTIATING CERTAIN PARTS OF THIS REPORT. NOVEMBER 13, 1920. BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE CIVIC LEAGUE OF IMPROVEMENT CLUBS AND AssoCIATIONS. GENTLEMEN: Your attention is called to the fact that some conscientious San Franciscans have criticized the campaign of the Civic League of Improvement Clubs and Associations for the purpose of bringing out and developing the advantages of Hunters Point as a site for the naval base. The point made by these critics is that disclosing the facts at this time gives our competitors an advantage. In other words, it will cause an anticlimax. It has been pointed out to them that our endeavor is to aid the congressional naval committee by presenting all the facts as we see them, and by doing this to cause our competitors for the naval site to also present every fact possible in order that the congressional committee may have before it all of the facts for consideration to facilitate the proper determination. We do not wish to take advantage of any technicality in the presentation of the matter. Also it has been pointed out that the citizenry of San Francisco and the entire State are entitled to all of the facts, for the reason that in the final analysis they, after all, must judge from the facts. Also every occasion has been taken to call attention to the fact that the Civic League of Improvement Clubs and Associations is a rock-ribbed San Francisco organization, and that it is the desire of its executive committee that the congressional Naval Committee and the people of California have this knowledge to enable them to consider zealousness along with the facts presented by this organization. The naval base is an industry which will invest in its site approximately $50,000,000 of the people's money and will employ from five to eight thousand people, and, all things being equal, the fact that San Francisco's portion of the taxes necessary to the naval base investment far exceeds that of any of its competitors will undoubtedly receive the consideration of the Naval Committee. This for your information should it be necessary to call a special meeting of the board of governors during the time the Naval Committee is in San Francisco. Yours, very truly, P. R. THOMPSON, President Civic League of Improvement Clubs and Associations. CIVIC LEAGUE OF IMPROVEMENT CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS OF SAN FRANCISCO, This is to certify that the board of governors, on Tuesday, November 9, and the delegates on Thursday, November 11, at their regular monthly meetings, ratified all the actions of the executive committee in the matter of Hunters Point as the site for the naval base on the Pacific coast. CIVIC LEAGUE OF IMPREVEMENT CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS. By GEO. W. GERHARD, Secretary. Attention is called to the report, on file at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, of Dr. B. M. Rastall, industrial engineer, of the Harlem Board of Trade, who made an industrial survey of San Francisco for the chamber of commerce in 1916. He has recently again been employed by the chamber of commerce. Below is an excerpt from the 1916 report to substantiate several points made in our report. "This city has one of the most remarkable physical layouts for intensive development of a modern industrial section, but so far has been entirely lacking in the particular local adjustments and facilities requisite to such growth. The result is that this territory in the presence of unequaled opportunities lies practically vacant. "The southern portion of San Francisco has the only natural deep water frontage now available on the bay, making possible the construction of pier systems with the necessary depth for large seagoing vessels at moderate cost and in conjuction with industrial tracts. Direct connections with a complete system of all main radiating railroads, an absolute fundamental to intensive manufacturing location, are immediately available to all the western transcontinental lines in this area. In fact, the principal terminals of the Western Pacific, Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific lines are already within this area. Close contact with the business and mercantile centers * * * of this city, together with direct radial trucking routes, can be comparatively easily secured. Immediately back of the area also are hilly sections, ideal for the construction of workmen's residential areas." MEMORANDUM. The "particular local adjustments" mentioned in the above report of Dr. Rastall in 1916 have been the object of the effort of various organizations to accomplish, and the South San Francisco Chamber of Commerce has solved one of the particular adjustments, which is the extension of the switching limits to include South San Francisco; and when the Civic League succeeds in obtaining the necessary legislation to complete the leveling of Hunters Point, the other particular local adjustments will take place and with the location of the naval base at Hunters Point the development of the entire territory, as evidently foreseen by Dr. Rastall in 1916, will be rapid until it has reached its fullest development. RESOLUTION ADOPTED AT MEETING OF CENTRAL BUREAU OF SAN FRANCISCO ORGANIZATIONS HELD NOVEMBER 12, 1920. Whereas it has been called to the attention of this organization that the Senate and House Naval Committee, charged with the duty of recommending to Congress a naval site on San Francisco Bay, will arrive in San Francisco on Monday, November 15; and Whereas the commercial development committee's report, pointing out in detail that Hunters Point is the logical site for the naval base from an economic standpoint, has been adopted: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Central Bureau of San Francisco Organizations cooperate to the fullest extent with the city and county officials for the purpose of presenting all the facts concerning the Hunters Point site. CENTRAL BUREAU OF SAN FRANCISCO ORGANIZATIONS. Rotary Club. United Commercial Travelers of America, Golden Gate Council No. 80. CENTRAL BUREAU OF SAN FRANCISCO ORGANIZATIONS. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true copy of a resolution adopted at the meeting of the Central Bureau of San Francisco Organizations, held Friday, November 12, 1920. R. L. WEBB, Executive Secretary, Central Bureau of San Francisco Organizations. |