The San Francisco call., 1897-03-13
EXPERTS At THE
WATER INQUIRY
Colonel Mendell and ]. S.
Emery Gave Evidence
Last Night.
A Diminution Shcwn in the
Cost of Construction
of Works.
Schussle- Holds That This Is Smaller
Than S:ated-Investiga alton
Nearly Over.

Supervisors did not continue the water
rates investigation SO long as usual last
night, but adjourned soon after 10 O'Clock.
The explanation of this is that they nave
to rise betimes this morning IN order TO
visit the plant of the Spring Valley Water
Company in accordance with previous
arrangement. Those of the board who in
tend to make the trip will start from the
depot at Third and Townsend streets at
S:15 o'clock.
| Before going into committee OF the
whole to pursue the Investigation super
visor Smith moved that M. A. Gunst,
| Police Commissioner. be granted ten days
| leave of absence, commencing March l5.
The M otion was carried unanimously.
| The board then resolved itself into
committee of the whole with DR.. Dodge
| in the chair.
DR.. Clinton asked the company's repre-
sentatives to give the amount OF stock
| issued and by whom held, and the
amount of dividends paid during the ye q r.
| Attorney kellogg said that the COM
| pany had already furnished a reply 70
part OF this question, but must refuse 10
make public the names OF the STOCK
holders.
DR.. Clinton then moved that this part
of the question be referred 10 the Water
| Com mittee.
| Supervisor Smith moved. as an amend
ment, that it be laid on the table. lie dlo
| not think that this information concerned
| the public.
Dr.. Clinton withdrew his motion and
seconded the amendment on the under
| standing that the books of the company
| would be accessible to the members OF
| the board.
The amendment, however, was subse-
quently Withdrawn as unnecessary, nor
was the original motion put.
DR.. Clinton said he understood that the
company claimed that all Its realty, OF
whatever nature, entered into the supply
| of water 10 the City.
| Engineer Schussler said that certain
| property which had been necessary In
| former years for this purpose WIS no long
er put to that use. He instanced the old
Market street and Polrero reservoirs and
land in Calav ras Valley. In the last
named case, though this property was not
directly utilized, it helped to guarantee
the purity of The watershed sources. and
would subsequently be serviceaole for
reservoir purposes. There was also some
property containing springs in Marin
| County, from which the ships were sup
| piled. Finally there were few lots at
North Beach. A good deal OF this prop
erty could be disposed of at large ad-
vance when the bonds matured.
| Replying 10 questions propounded by
DR.. Kottanzi ard DR.. Clinton, Mr.. Scnus-
sler said that evaporation and absorption
educed the possible supply from Gala
veras Valley below that obtainable from
| Alameda Greek.
The land in the Calaveras Valley would
be incidentally good thing at some fu-
ture date. The company paid about $780,
| Fo of 10 N
They were obliged to purchase this prop
erty along with the Alameda water rights
from the Alameda Water Company. The
| witness himself was instrumental In
negotiating the deal. because he recog-
nized that the Calaveras property would
ultimately furnish the key to the eneire
situation. The Market and Brannan
street lots were q necessary purchase at the
time for the purpose of supply.
| The old pipe line, the Market-street
| property and the construction thereon
counted in the company's total OF cost.
The property would be so d the moment
the bonds lnatured in 1906. Meanwhile it
was continually increasing in value.
| The Markets eet lot originally cost about
S25, 900. The old Market-street reservoir
was constructed in 1856 or 1857, before his
connection with the company. II would
| be impossible for him to give the proper.
ton OF cost which this property bore to
the entire property. Being pledged to the
bondholders 1t was only right that 1t
should be preserved Tor their security.
Colonel George III. Men ell, who i'll 1877
furnished the City with a report on the
sources of water supply in the Sierras
took the stand after being duly sworn. AT
| the time he made this report he was
attached TO the engineer corps OF the
| United States army. he deposed that he
| still believed. as he did then, that large
supply Of water could be procured from
| those sources.
Mayor Phelan, quoting from the
colonel's report. said he must suppose that
/ there was no question as to the abundance
and superiority Of tnat supply.
The witness said that he did not care to
institute comparisons. He drank Spring
Valley water and found 1t very good,
though he admitted that he filtered it
beforehand.
"In 1877" said the Mayor. "you stated
that %. .OOO, 900 gallons could be supplied at
a cost OF SIS, ,999. .00O." :,
The witness said part of the report had
reference 10 the offer of the Blue Lakes
company. and that estimate Was some
thing less than his own. But pipe line
to-day would certainly cost less than for-
merly. Iron cost cents pound In 1877,
and was now less than 3 cents. TINS
meant difference of $50 ton for every
i ton of iron used. For every REDUCTION OF
/ cent an inch in the prize of IRON. there
would be a total reduction OF $3.50. 600 in
the total cost of iron used in the construc-
ton OF plant. Labor, he presumed. was
also much dearer then than now.
"Then We may safely draw the conclu-
sion," queried the Mayor, "that II the
City could be supplied for $4,000, 900
then, it could be supplied for considerably
less io-day?"
The witness replied affirmatlvely. He
added that this particular report was made
for the purpose OF comparing various
projects OF supply. SO that the City could
see which was the most advantageous
Its value. therefore. was really in the way