The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-07

water company-Chief Engineer Schussler,
Attorney Kellogg and Adjuster Quinlan.
Mayor Sutro presided until the board
formally resolved itself into a committee,
when Supervisor Taylor took the chair
The proceedings were opened by Attor-
new Kellogg, who read an extract from the
municipal report of 1877, in which it was
set forth that the city and county had then
offered $l1 900, 600 for the water works
The offer was refused. ain 1898" Mr.
Kellogg went on, sc. W. Reynolds, the
well-known expert accountant, was en-
pIoyed to bring down the report from 1877
TO 1893. | offer al, the testimony of Mr..
Reynolds that is found in the reporter S
transcript OF February, 1898, of the pro-
ceedlngs OF the Water Committee" This
being admitted, Chief Engineer Schussler
was recalled for examination. He went
over his records in response to questions
in order TO show what had been invested
by the company since 1877 and UP TO 1894.
1t showed as follows: In 1888, about
$4,000; 1880, $62, 627 II; 1881, LAS 80 ;
1882, $51, 687 80; 1888 81 ,050 085 "a; 1884,
1892, 464 81; 1883, 1881, 4C6 25; 1886, 1852,
SIS 80: 1887, ST. 257, 951 rs; 1883, So, 723 251
1889, $685.. PSI a. 1890, $685., 454 IS 1891, $685.
156 20; 1892 1926, 1897 19; total So. 70S, 53S S6.
In 1893 the construction account was $780,
799 GO and in 1894 S312 ,9S2, making grand
total in round mum bers of so, $40, 900. This
sum, Mr.. Schussler explained, represented
the simple cost and no interest was counted
on it. Added to the $11, 000, 600 offered for
the works in 1877, the value OF the works
alone amounted to 81, 500, 900. This was
without the land owned and the enhanced
value of the property through improve
ments. These figures were shown by the
experts report.
tstV hat do Won estimate tbe precep+ va Inc
of the works at ?" asked Attorney kellogg.
Engineer Schussler hesitated, and said
there were two ways OF looking at the prop
osltiOn. One was to take the cost and CON
slider how the property had deteriorated or
improved; another way was TO find out
what the cost would be to bring the same
amount OF water from another source, to-
gether with the surety of increasing the
supply In the future at cost. Mr.. Schussler
also went into long dissertation upon
how IN the past propositions for bringing
water to this city had been considered by
competent engineers, and all had
agreed that the expense would be
American, Mokelumne and San Joaquin
rivers were held very high at
the present time. The people in those sec
tons were only waiting for a chance to
clneh the city of San Francisco by getting
1t as taxable customer. In fact Mr.
CChusSIer ureW dismal picture OF what
would happen to the city if it tried to get
water from the interior. 1t would cost
$20,OUO,OOO Tor from 20, 100000 to %, 600, 900
gallons day; then there would have to
be system OF duplicate pipes, which cost
about two-thirds of double the original
amount. In this mass of matter which
the voluble Mr.. Schussler unbosomed him
sell OF the original question of what he
thought the works were worth was lost
sight of.
Mr.. Kellogg then asked the engineer if
he had approximated the operating ex-
penses for the coming year.
The engineer had done so, saving the
total estimate would be about 1892, 800.
Some of the main items were as follows:
Lake MERGED, $4,000; Belmont pumps,
$1,000; Lott-street line, $4,000; Bald Hill
line, $4,000; Lobos Creek, $1,000; Crystal
Springs reservoir, $4,000; city reservoir,
$4,000; Black Point station, $22, 600; city
stables, $4,000; main repairing, SIS, 900;
meter expenses, 5000; general expenses,
$500; office expenses, $1,000; Ashbury
Heights reservoir, $4,000; Ocean View
pumps, $500; salaries, $4,000.
Attorney Kellogg then brought ND the
Clarendon Heights proposition, and the
matter of the property-owners' urgent
petition to have a sufficient number of
pipes laid to give the district a good water
supply.
Mr. Schussler said that the company in
tended to lay twelve-inch pipes through
the district as follows: From Seventeenth
street to Corbett road; from there up to
Twenty-fourth street; thence to Ellen, one
block; thence to Twenty fifth, to Douglass,
one block; thence to Clifford, half block;