The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-12
FAVORS THE REDUCTION,
The Water Committee Recon-
mends a Lowering of
Rates.
RAPID EXCHANGE OF WORDS.
A Lively Meeting and Large Guam
titles of Spring Valley Con-
Sumed.

In stuffy committee-room at the City
Hall, amid sweltering heat and copious
perspiration, nine members of the Board
of Supervisors for two hours last night
struggled with the much vexed water rate
question.
The preliminaries opened with a rapid
exchange of shots between Captain Taylor
and Supervisor King. When the mem
bers were seated Supervisor Dimond sug-
gested that Supervisor Morgenstern as
chairman of the Water Committee occupy
the chair. The splendid proportions of
the Supervisor were no sooner enthroned at
the head of the table than Supervisor
King moved that Supervisor Benjamin be
called to the chair. The motion rather
staggered some of the members of the COM
mittee, but after consuming large quanti-
ties of ice-water the orators who favored
the reducing of water rates found their
tongues and flood of opinions followed.
What is this meeting for? Who called
it? What are we here forP" Captain Tay-
lor asked these questions, looking all the
time at King.
"You are out of order" said King.
~ am no such thing said Taylor; "but
you are out of ORDER" he continued, 'be-
cause you are not in order"
King called loudly for his motion and
was determined to have Benjamin for
chairman.
Taylor was equally determined that he
should not, and for few minutes there
was deadlock. No person seemed to
know what the meeting had been called
for, who called, or what its object was.
Finally Captain Tailor said that the Wa
ter Committee had report to make to the
ord ~ nrtyic0 nd ha mo rod n
the committee be called to order at $3.50
o'clock. AS it was within a few minutes Of
that hour the discussion quieted down and
the Supervisors disposed of some more
Spring Valley on ice, while a light breeze
swept through the open windows from
Butchertown.
When the time came for the committee
to meet Captain Taylor presented report
and the visiting Supervisors who were not
members of the committee were invited to
join in the discussion, but they were silent.
Messrs. Taylor and Diamond did most
of the talking. The report was only re-
cital Of the reduction in water rates made
by the committee at Its meeting few
evenings ago. A cut of 10 per cent was
made over last years rate, and the COM
pany suffers loss of 6 per cent The
hydrant rate is increased from 81 so to So.
1.-The rate is not radical enough for me, !"
said Supervisor Dimond, but | must be
satisfied, l suppose. l should like to hear
from the outside mem bers, as the question
is now open for discussion.
Taylor said that the people demanded
reduction in the rate to the consumer of
from 10 to 20 per cent or more. He said
that the first resolution was for reduc-
ton of per cent, which would reduce the
income of the company about $4,000 a
year.
But the committee reconsidered that
resolution and fixed the reduction at about
500, 900, or about 10 per cent to the people
and per cent to the company.
Herman Schussler said that the Spring
Valley Company could not afford to make
the proposed extensions, particularly to
Clarendon Heights and out the Mission
way, if the rates were reduced. The pro-
posed extensions would take in seventy
new blocks He said that the City still
owed the company $4,000 for this year
and $50, 900 for fast on bydranto, and if the
rate is doubled there will be that increase
in the deficit. The company owed on
over-drafts about $3.50, 900, and the only
means it had of paying this obligation was
by the sale of stock
Now, if the rate was reduced by per
cent it would be necessary to sell 5000
shares at par and 1900 shares at 80, to which
figure he thought the stock would fall.
He said that the committee, by reducing