The San Francisco call., 1897-03-06
Ames said, retained three attorneys regu-

AmeS SAID, retained three attorneys regu-
larly.
Mr.. Schussler resumed the stand to ex-
plain the sums allotted 10 meter repairs
and meter expense accounts. The cost OF
a meter, he said. depended upon its size.
There were in use at the beginning OF the
year LOIS meters. At the beginning OF
the year 1894 there was as many as 15,964,
but the company had been taking them
OIL gradually as the amount OF water In
creased In the reservoirs.
Secretary Ames was then questioned
regarding the remaining accounts. The
bookkeeping account, he said, was COM
posed almost altogether of salaries; engl-
neers' department, partly OF salaries and
partly of survey expenses and outside
work., inspectors account, OF salaries;
collectors account, ditto. The general
salaries account had already been rem
dered in full.
Mr.. Schusser's salary was charged part
ly to the engineers department.
The Mayor referred to the statement OF
general salaries and discovered that the
average annual salary paid by the COM
pany TO each of the eleven general officers
remaining alter the SIX trustees were
trustees including the president, but he
deducted only six, leaving eleven general
officers who received all aggregate OF
SOL COO This divided among eleven
officers left about $5626 year paid to each.
Further desullory discussion followed,
in the course of which the Mayor asked
the chairman if he intended to press the
inquiry for the individual salaries OF gen.
eral officers.
The chairman stated that the company
declined to give this information for pub
licatlon. personally" added the chair
man, 81 can find no fault with the sal
aries paid. l was under the impression
that they were much higher than l found
them 10 be. Perhaps the hrst-ciass pro-
fessional man makes as much Or more.
Mr.. Keilogg-They make more.
personally" continued the chairman,
81 do not care to press the question. 1t Is
for you % decide. gentlemen"
Dr. Rottanzi-I believe they are on rec
ord as b b4ing in default for not answering
to this committee OF the whole. That Is
sufficient.
The Mayor wanted to know the amount
paid for salaries five years ago, his i'm
preston being that their tendency was to
! rise.
Mr.. Ames thought the tend dsncy was
rather stationary. There might have been
! increases in one or two instances.
Mr.. kellogg said that the general office
exrenses had been decreased because
three offices were now filled by one
! person.
| Mr.. Schussler was again subjected to a
! lengthy examination on the subject of
! connection charges. He said that last
! year there were 80, 355 customers; at the
| beginning of 1897 there We're 40, 1S9. be-
! ing IN increase OF S34
The Mayor-Haven't we been assuming
/ 60 600 customers in San Francisco in esti-
mating the per capita rate?
"That," replied Mr.. Schussler, ''has
nothing to do with the per capita rate.
There are only 10000 water rate payers.
Many of those, however. own more than
one house. We have great many more
connections than customers These
40, 1S9 pay for 5S3 305 families, is. 4Sl busi-
SIS places ana 143 public places. making
total of 76, ,929 consumers. Those are all
included In the 40. 0.1S9. :"
Referring to the company's charge of
| $15 for each new come ction, the chairman
said that practical plumber had stated
| that he would like to take the contract for
| making connections at $40 apiece, and he
would furnish a bond to perform the work
satisfactorily.
The witness said that the company was
obliged TO keep quite force OF men in its
shops, and preferred to charge a higher
rate rather than lose money on the work.
The company employed the men by the
day and thereby insured batter class of
work, though IL might cost a little more.
Mayor Phelan directed the discussion to
THAT they have increased from 100000 TO
1927. 900 in this year"
Mr. Ames explained that the latter
amount included a portion of the next
years taxes, paid on installment. The
actual taxes for the year will amount to
$103 900.
The Mayor contended that it was some
thing unusual for company TO pay more
than one years taxes in one year.
He added that he would like 10 intro
duce some testimony TO show the decrease
in the rate of security during the last five
years.
Mr.. Schussler said he felt com pc tent to
give the required Information, and again
took the stand.
The Mayor put a question regarding the
quotations of the Pennsylvania Railway
Company's stock, TO which Mr.. Schuss er
replied: Il know nothing about that"
"Then," said the Mayor. 1.-THE CONNER
cial Gable and Postal Telegraph Com
pany."
You know we'll enough that 1 know
nothing about that" rejoned the witness.
The only resource We have is to sell
stock and to give reasonable assurance
that the buyers will get 6 per cent. If the
stock holo ers are told that they will only
get per cent, we cannot get over 80 cents
on ths dollar, and the consequence is chat
we have TO sell 10000 shares at per cent,
COOO
are left at 6 per cent. then people have
sufficient confidence to purchase stock at
as high rate as possible"
The Mayor want to know why when
other stocks sell at par there should be SO
much dIsrust in this case?
Mr.. SehusSler-There are no such cases
where Supervisors control the stock.
Show me one. The rate is subject to the
control Of the Supervisors year after year
and every new board wants 10 distinguish
itself by reducing the rate and seriously
Interfering with the proper management
OF the works. The City should take more
interest in keeping them up to their pres
ent magnificent position.
The Mayor quoted from a pamphlet
dealing with the stock of Mackay's Com
mercial and Postal Company showing
that Commercial stock now sells for 1857,
and Postal on per cent basis is snapped
up a 81 and 9S. The policy in these cases
had been one OF contraction instead OF the
initiation Of capital.
Mr. Schussler contended that this stock
was not subject to the Supervisors. The
water company's per cent bonds sold at
100 and their 4 per cents at 100, because