The San Francisco call., 1897-04-02

steel pressure tank. They had finally
succeeded i'll beating down the price to
$4,000, and had contracted to buy the lot
and place on 1t steel water-tank which
would give the hilly part of the Potrero
all the water needed before the end of the
present year.
When the board convened Supervisor
Haskins introduced a resolution naming
the boulevard Balboa boulevard. which
was adopted UNANIMOUSLY. Then the
board went into committee of the whole
on water rates
MIR. Quinlan explained that Mr.. Stettln
wrote communication addressed to Dr.
Clinton to the effect that he (Stettin) had
made mistake when he testified the
other evening that he had been over
charged Tor water for wetting down brick.
The witness mailed the letter yesterday.
Mr.. Perley was the agent for the COM
pany and was TO be paid a percentage on
his collections. but the collections had not
palo expenses yet, Perley having taken
the place OF the former agent. Perley had
no authority to sign any contracts.
All that he and the other agents had
authority to do was to charge according
to the legal rate.
Engineer Schussler. in answer to ques-
tlons. said that in 1877 the water company
had offered it's entire plant to the CITY for
$l3, 800, 900. The City offered $l1, ZOO, 600.
and they did not come together Since
that time $1l, 3O0, 600 had been spent on
the works. To this should be added the
increase in the value of the property for
thespast twenty years.
On the 1st of March of this year the
company owed $10,4I0, Isl 40. The total
income last year from ali sources was ST.
767,O7O 3S During the present year the
company would need $500, 600 and $500, 900
to pay interest, etc. For interest on bonds
there would be needed $49S, 500; interest
on capital stock, 1892. 900; running ex-
penses. $400, 900; taxes. $105. GOO; interest
on borrowed money, $4,000, making
total OF 81, SAC, 900. Deduc.ing rent, $40, 600,
would leave s., 5000
Mr.. Schussler went on to explain that
q good deal OF money would be required
Tor the replacing of old pipes with new
pipes. In LAYING new pipes, say in the
hlcnmond District, the new water col
lect1ons Will not pay more than 2 per
cent interest, simply because it is often
necessary TO lay three blocks of pipes to
reach one consumer
Mayor Phelan asked whether the COM
pany could not supply Clarendon and
Richmond districts with the surplus water
which the company had without having
20 make extensions to the watershed, but
Mr.. Schussier replied that the company
would have to put in money for laying
pipes, etc., and interest would have to be
paid on that also. Wherever they changed
small pipes for larger ones they had to put
In more hydrants, but the $50 per year re-
ceived by the city for each hydrant would
not REIN purse the company for the outlay.
In response to questions by the Mayor,
Cashier Ames said that the company's
new building, on the corner of Geary and
Powell streets. would be finished at the
end OF the year, and that the net revenue
from the building. beginning January 1.
1895, would be little more that per cent
on the cost of buiidinC
The Mayor said that il the water COM
pany had not paid 5000 taxes in. ad.
vance, and had pracLiced little more
economy, the March dividend need not
have been passed.
Mr.. Ames explained that in 1895 the
company carried over one tax payment
from Der to March, but since that
time they had paid in full every Novem-
Der.
Mr.. Schussler said that the company
intended to take out 60O0 meters this year.
The meters. had served the purpose for
which they had been put in, and he did
not believe thst the people wanted them.
The meters were very unpopular.
Supervisor Dodge asked whether Is per