The San Francisco call., 1896-02-19
How the Union for Practical
Progress Will Work for
City Water.
WILL PLEDGE CANDIDATES.
Immediate Action by the Board of
Supervisors on the Water Petition
Looked For.

"No movement like ours was ever lost. 4"
said ]. M. Reynolds OF the Union for
Practical Progress yesterday. when a
city or town starts out to get a municipal
water supply she gets it-that is history.
We expect the Supervisors to take some
action on the petition asking that the
people of this City be permitted to vote
on this question of issuing bonds for
water system. We are not, of course, over
sanguine that the Supervisors will grant
the request, though l rather think they
will. 1t is certainly very reasonable re-
quest, and it seems to me that those who
are inclined not even to let the people ex-
press their opinions on the question must
have Spring Valley reasons for their atti-
tuue.
''Of course, if the question is left to the
people 1t will be Overwhelmingly carried
1t always is.
But suppose the Supervisors do not
permit the question to be placed on the
Official ballot and the people are thus pre-
vented from voting on the proposition.
What thep? Why we will make it a clear
cut issue Of the campaign. How can that
be done? In many ways. We will pledge
the candidates for Supervisors to SUPPORT
such a measure after election, or will vote
them down.
OF enough of us to do that? You
don't know the feeling there is on the SUBJ
iect in this City. By scarcely turning
hand, and without the expenditure of
single dollar, we secured 1000 signatures
OF voters and home-owners and house
holders to our petition to the Board of Su-
pervlsors, and every signer was voter.
"Only moderate effort is needed to
focus and concentrate the feeling on the
water question in this City. That effort
Will be made in the coming campaign by
the Union for Practical Progress if the
present Supervisors deny our most reason
able request.
1.-The Spring Valley tax is enormous, and
the people know it. Their profits are also
enormous, and the people know that as
we'll. municipal water system means
greatly reduced taxes, and reduced tax
rates would bring manufactures and many
enterprises to this City. Our individual
water rate is much too high, and what the
City has to pay each year to the Spring
Valley Company is enormously a bove the
value returned. Both are MANIFOLD greater
than they would be if San Francisco owned
her own water system. The savings would
amount TO more than a million dollars a
year.
Now. the best of all this is that the
people know it all. They are quite wide
awake to the Importance of the question
City are at all apathetic on the question
will be surprised at the result OF little
investigation.
You can be very sure that the water
question will be big issue in the next
municipal campaign if the present Board
of Supervisors refuse our petition to place
the matter before the people in the way
provided by law, and that it will not be a
dead issue by any means.
No; l do not think the Union for Prac-
teal Progress will favor an independent
municipal ticket for this purpose alone l
think it will be better to work upon the
material afforded us by the existing par
ties. We will go to their supervisoral can
didates and request them to sign our
waterworks pledge.
The names of those who sign will be
Endorsed by the Union and their election
advocated. We won't rest there We will
go on ana defeat those who refuse To sign
the pledge. We will carry on an active
for that one purpose. and we
will prepare such a straightforward and
simple pledge that those who sign it VIII
not dare to break 1t when the time comes
for action. oh, we are not fearing for the
success OF the municipal water system
plan. That is coming very surely and not
SO slowly as some people would like to
have 1t and those who do not know what
keen interest is taken in it think it will"