The San Francisco call., 1896-03-10
MIR. Reynolds Points to Obstacles
Against Acquiring Pub
lie Utilities.
TO PURIFY CITY POLITICS.
Nine Supervisors and All the Board
of Public Works Would
Have to Agree.

this City will be able 10 exercise their votes
with knowledge and intelligence when
election day arrives.
And this is as it should be. Too much
discussion OF so vastly important meas
ure can scarcely be had, and neither the
proponents nor opponents OF the new
charter can view with other than satlstac-
ton the keen interest that is being taken
in the subject and the thorough exploiting
Its various points are receiving. What is,
perhaps, the most important question for
the voters to consider is that which is now
receiving the most Observation-Disclosures or
not the new charter would make it more
difficult to secure City light and water
works, such, for instance, as those which
Philadelphia has long boasted and which
almost every large city in the United
States now possesses.
Upon this point John NJ. Reynolds, who
has been very active in promoting the
movement for a municipal water system
in this City, spoke substantially as follows
yesterday:
Three thousand citizens and nine Or
ganizations have petitioned the Board OF
Supervisors TO take immediate steps
toward the acquisition of public water
and light works. The petition was clTcu-
lated, and all the work connected with it
was done by volunteers without pay,
which demonstrates the public interest.
The fact that 20 community in the United
States has rejected such proposition also
proves the popularity of any proposition
of this kind. Realizing that municipal
ownership OF public utilities is popular,
and also that it is good moyemement,
the advocates of the new charter are en-
deavoriLg to MAKE out that the new
charter will enable this City to acquire
the water and light works. They have
been guilty OF Misrepresentation, II they
are quoted correctly by the Examiner.
For instance, on March synopsis of the
new charter was printed in the Examiner,
prepared for the Merchants Association
by J. Richard Freud, in which he as
serts that the new charter provides that
the estimates of the value of public utili-
ties made by the Board of Public Works
shall be- submitted 10 the voters.
"Thisfassertion [ challenge, and further
l will show that the provisions and hmi-
tations of the new charter are so many
and so strict that it certainly appears as
il ii have been framed by the corporations
I aemseIyes. Let the work speak for itself
and let the voters in and out of the Mer-
chants Association do their own thinking
upon the subject. The general member
ship of the Merchants Association will
disapprove of any misrepresentation, and
l believe they will conclude that the new
charter is not what is wanted when they
read the following: Article VI, chapter l.
section 3, page rs, provides that no order
or resolution shall be passed or business
transacted involving the approval of
bonds or resolutions OF intention recon-
mending work or improvement except by
the concurrent vote of all said Commis-
sioners-that is by the Board OF Public
Works.
Article II, chapter l, section 64, page
%, provides that before any proposition
regarding public works shall be submitted
TO the people the cost and value of such
works shall be first made and recon-
mended TO be reasonable by the Board Of
Public Works.
1.-The same section provides that the
Board of Supervisors shall take into con-
sideration the existing plants if they are
desirable and can be acquired on terms as
reasonable as such works could be pro-
cured by construction. Article XIX, sec
ton 16, page 207, provides that no PROPOSE
ton shall be submitted to the voters un-
less three-fourths (nine) OF the Supervisors
agree to such measures. Thus it will be
seen how securely the associated vii
Iianies'' have fortified themselves by The
new charter. BY controlling one mem Der
OF the Board of Public Works they can
prevent any recommendation antagonlstic
to their monopolies, as all the board must
submit any question regarding municipal
ownership except it shall be first recon-
mended by the Board of Public Works
and even then nine of the Board of Super
visors must be in favor of the proposition,
and at last it requires two-thlrds OF the
electors before the City can be bonded to
buy or build public works. Since we find
these provisions in favor OF the corpora
tions we may reasonably expect to un-
earth others. l ask the members of the
Merchants Association whether they are
in favor of such restrictions and iimiUa-
tlons upon the progress of our City?
This is now the only city of its size in
the United States that does not own pub
lie water works, and great many OF the
other cities are moving toward acquiring
other public works. | ask them also 20
think: Who is it that is corrupting our
Citv government? They must acknowl-
edge that almost all the corruption can be
laid at the doors of these rich corporations,
individuals and contractors. II is certain
iy not corrupted by the laborers, mechan-
les, small shopkeepers or dealers. They
have neither the time, money nor occasion
~ bribe supervisors or other officials.
Therefore. it is self-evident that any law
which places obstacles (Which do not now
erist) in the way of municipal ownership
is very injurious to the future OF our CITY,
1.-The attention of citizens Is called TO the
fact that the advocates of the new charter
indorse municipal ownership, but say they
want the charter first They quote parts
of the new charter which authorize the
Supervisors to enter into negotiations Tor
the ACQUISITION of pubic water works IN
order to win votes for the charter, but
tney leave out the tions and restric,
tions above referred 10. is tnat nonest
Is II not dishonorable to cover up an I'M
nortant feature in a new law that Is so
long and complicated that the people gen.
eraiiy cannot find time to study ana un-
Gerstand It?
There are other Objectionable features
which will be called to the attention OF the
voters later. But for the present this one
is enough TO condemn the new charter ana
also the advocates who have attempted 10
nisinforn the public. The Synopsis pre-
pared by j. Richard Freud reads lhat tne
estimates of the Board of Public "orks
shall be submitted to the people. l ASK
Mr.. Freud, Where in the new charter
does ne find such provisions?
The pubic should bear IN mlnn tnat
the restrictions imposed by the new char
ter, which have been enumerated, DO not