The San Francisco call., 1897-05-16
To SOLVE
THE WATER
QUESTION
Mayor Phelan Says Public
Ownership Alone Will
Do It.
AND CHAIRMAN CLINTON
CONCURS.
A Corps OF Engineers to Be Ap'
pointed 10 Figure the
Cost.
WHAT FOOLS THE PEOPLE ARE,
ANYHOW"
The Water Rates Must Be Deter
mined by th "a of the
Present Month.
WHAT FOOLS THE PEOPLE ARE,
ANYHOW"
The Water Rates Must Be Deter.
mined by tb "a of the
Present Month.

"The solution of this water question
must ultimately be in public ownership.
think most people have agreed on that. ~
This was an expression of opinion by
Mayor Phelan that interrupted the dis
cussion of this same water question by the
committee of the Board of Supervisors
Yesterday morning and somewhat took by
surprise the officers of the Spring Valley
as well as other interested persons present.
1T is the intention of the board to en-
ploy a competent expert TO ascertain what
it would cost the City to supply itself
with water from other sources than those
OF Spring Valley" added the Mayor.
The surprise was augmented by the
prompt manner in which DR.. Clinton.
chairman of the com mittee, took up the
idea and supplemented it.
AS to the solution lying in public owner
ship he said there was no question at ali,
an d continuing: sit is the intention ofthe
committee, / believe, when we make our
final report to ask that competent
corps of engineers be EN- ploved to thor
oughly investigate the various water
sources of this State and the cost of bring
ing water here, and also to thoroughly ill.,
vestigate the value of the Spring Valley
plant.
There is no question to my mind,
continued the chairman, "but the Spring
Valley Water Works, from what | have
seen of them, are simply admirable and
their supply is abundant for probably
fifty wears to come.
wv hen l STOOD at the dam at Alameda
and saw the millions of gallons of water
running to waste, and when l consid cred
J., -i+h
sight, got that property for q mere baga-
telle, then l thought what fools the people
OF San Francisco are. There was an op-
portunity TO buy plant that would sup
ply this City for fifty years to come at
nominal price.
''It is surprising that we stand idly by
and see ore source after another gobbled
up by the Spring Valley Water Company,
while no effort is made on the part of the
City itself to acquire them. The works
are constantly becoming more and more
valuable and if we concluded to buy
them to-day we would probably have to
pay 100 per cent more than We would ff-
teen or twenty years ago"
You Know" said Attorney Kellogg,
for the water company, that Alameda
Creek was offered to the City first and it
refused to take it,
This little outburst occurred at the close
of the morning session OF the com mittee
yesterday. at which, by the way. only Mr..
Britt and DIR. Clinton of the committee
and Mayor Phelan were present. The
Spring Valley was represented by Mr.
Schussler, Mr. Booker, chief bookkeeper
Attorney Kellogg and other lesser officials.
Expert Williams report was under dis
cussioE. Mr.. Williams was sworn and
said that slice having fled the report, as
printed N yesterdays CALL, he had no
occasion to change his mind concerning
Of ha eft Of re in od.
under direct questioning by DR.. Clinton
that he did not think the method of
bookkeeping employed by the company
could be improved upon. 1t might, ne
said. be made to exhibit more detail, but
the labor and the number OF clerks that
would have to be added would make it
almost i'm practicable.
This disposed OF the report The inter-
mittenG fire OF the committee over the
details of the water company's business
which has haracterized the many sittings
heretofore was now resumed. In answer
to questions, Mr.. Booker explained that
the numb Der of faucets in house did not
affect the rates charged. Stationary wash
stands, bath tubs and such, were the
things that counted. tap outside of q
house where there was garden, was rated
at 20 cents month. DR.. Clinton made a
special pleading against this charge. He
said that many FAMILIES having q small
plat of ground in front, would cultivate it
but for this expense. He thought the
company would be doing a very popular
thing to cut this charge. Mr.. Schussler
said that the charge was necessary, because
of the Likelihood of abuse of this outside
water privilege. The small plat of ground
would not be the limit Of its use, as most
people would sprinkle the pavement and
street.
The cost of meters coming under dis
discussion Mr.. Booker said it would re-
quire 100000 to inaugurate the system
and another 500, 900 annually TO operate
IL. The annual loss to the company by
delinquencies averaged about S10S, 900, or
over $4,000 a month.
''Is it possible, " asked Mr.. Britt. ito fix
rate that will assure you proper an
nual income?'
Not unless you collect the bills that we
can't" said Booker.
Mr.. PheIan asked if the company had
suffered from the faithlessness of its en-
ployes during the past year, to which Mr..
Booker answered that it had not.
Mr.. Kellogg inquired of Schussler what
method of fixing the rate m ig ht be adopted
if the City owned its own water works.
Mr.. Schussler answered that the course
taken by Eastern cities would probably be
pursued. The City would raise the inter-
est off the bonded Indebtedness by taxa.
ton and the running expenses of the
works by water assessments.
1t was here that Mayor Phelan broke in
with his declaration as to the solution of
the question of public ownership. None
of the officials of the company made any
comment. as they were about 10 adjourn
Mr.. Booker called the attention OF the
committee to the necessity of a speedy
settlement of the rate, saying that it
would be necessary on his part to figure
out the application of every water-user
in the City on the new Dasis wherever
changes were made and this would re-
quire no little time. This declaration
came upon the committee with some sur
prise, it being their understanding that
they had until the 1st of June at least in
which to conclude their deliberations.
Mr.. Booker said he could not adjust him
self-or the books and bills-to new con-
ditions in the time that would allow be-