The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-15
WATER EVERYWHERE.
The Last Board Of Supervisors
Advocated Municipal
Ownership.
LESSON OF THE PARK SUPPLY.
Registrar Evans Prevented the
Question From Going on the.
Regular Ballots.

The Union for Practical Progress in its
search for materials to back up its petition
for a special election on the question of the
municipal ownership of water works and
lighting plants is taking great interest in
the municipal reports that tell OF the
actions of the last Board of Supervisors on
the water question.
The question came up then. as it has on
numerous other occasions, and the Water
Committee of the old board saw no ohsta-
Gle in the way OF holding the election and
making the plant success should the
matter be approved by the people.
Supervisor Denman was one of the en-
thusiastic advocates of the measure and he
collected mass of facts and figures from
the municipal records going to show that
the plan was feasible. The committee,
after a careful investigation, decided to
place the matter before the full board and
did so.
The result was that the board as whole
adopted the report of the committee and
instructed Registrar Evans to have the
question, together with a provision for the
payment of the necessary money to acquire
the works in case the deciSlon OF the peo-
pie was in the affirmative, printed on the
ballots at the general election.
Here the first hitch in the programme
occurred, for the Registrar, just previous
to the time the ballots were to be printed,
refused to have the question put on the
ballots and the opportunity to place the
matter before the people was lost.
Mr.. Evans said as a reason for his action
that he had given the legal aspect of the
case careful attention, and that in the
opinion OF his attorneys the printing OF
the question on the ballots of the regular
election would invalidate the same and
make another election necessary. That
would involve great expense and many
complications, and this he desired to
avoid.
AS there was no time to test the question
the matter was allowed to drop, and the
Water Committee of the present board has
taken no action in relation to the subject.
That it will be asked to look thoroughly
into the matter is certain, and the person
mel of the committee gives the officers of
the union every hope that intelligent and
favorable action viii be taken.
The committee, moreover, will not be
compelled to depend on old municipal re-
ports for its information regarding the
feasibility and desirability of municipal
ownership of water works, for the union
proposes to devote its attention for some
time to come to gathering the necessary
facts and figures.
Letters are now being sent to those hav-
ing in charge the water systems Of dozen
large cities, asking for complete informa-
ton as to their cost and the expense of
maintenance, and much valuable data is
expected from this source. 1t is said that
quite large number of cities In the United
States, in addition to Brooklyn, n. Y,
have nothing but artesian water, and that
their supplies are very inexpensive.
A 11T1ro har of California TOWNS opaopp
them Palo Alto, have awakened to the
value of artesian water, and the university
town is preparing to go into the well-sink-
ing business on an extensive scale. a large
number OF private wells exist about that
locality, and now the municipality is in
vestigating the matter.
w. T. Boardman, engineer of the Al
varado Artesian Works near Oakland, has
been employed for some time in making
an examination of the artesian supplies
round the town for the purpose of getting
up detailed plans for a complete water
system and a rough estimate of its cost.
From his investigations SO far he is con-
fdent that the works can be put in for
very much less than the original estimate,
which was between $4,000 and $4,000, ac-
cording to the extent of the system.
From one well only 100 feet deep now in
operation at Palo Alto 100000 gallons of
fine water is pumped every twenty-four
hours.
At the engineers advice a test well $50
feet deep will be bored on the southeast
edge of town. The land will be purchased
this week, and before two or three weeks
the first well will have been completed
If water be struck, pump and engine
will be rented and the extent of the water
supply ascertained. Should everything
prove satisfactory, detailed specifications
and estimates will be submitted to the
people at q special election, for all this
work is being done by the Town Trustees
uniting the bonding of the town to popular
vote.