The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-12-15


Seven or eight years ago." he said,
our people became annoyed at the guam
uty and quality of the water that was
being furnished by the water corporation
ana there were rumblings that II was
time for the city TO acquire It's own plant
IL was soon found that there was an over
whelming sentiment in favor of munich
pal ownership. bond election followed
osiuon by great majority.
AT the start we made many mistakes,
principally for the reason that few of our
agement or operation of water works.
Threatened litigation prevented US from
hoating our bonds. but we finally made
and take his pay in bonds. Under the
corporation system there was a scarcity
OF water, the quality was poor and for
time the irrigation OF the gardens, which
we at first sunk wells, but they were
failures. Then we sunk a shaft 10 feet
into the ground and from that we ran
tunnels north and south and struck fair
supply OF water: The present city admin
istration extended the tunnels and we
now have steady flow both winter and
summer or more than 100000 gallons
day. The original cost of our plant was
Sl6OOOO. but the people would not sell 1t
now for twice that amount, and doubt
II an offer OF $500, 900 would tempt them TO
part with IT. We do not charge the peo-
pie a cent for water and have not done
so for five years. The plant is operated
levy OF about 261e cents on the 800 valua
ton for the purpose. OF this amount 25
cents goes TO the bond interest and re-
dempuon fund and the balance is for the
operating expenses OF the works.
1T is my opinion that every young city
should strive for free water. and lots
An equally rosy hue was found in the
municipal ownership system by Trustee
Drunel OF Santa Clara. His city was
bonded for $4,000 for water plant after
proved unsatisfactory. The plant cost
$500 and the running expenses amount TO
$500 month. The income is in the neigh
borhood Of $500, leaving surplus annual
~ or 5000. This pays the interest and one
or the bonds every year and leaves a bal
ance for possible contingencies. Santa
Clara now gets all OF its water for mu-
nicipal purposes free, where formerly il
paid the corporation about $1,000 a year.
So great has been the success with the
water plant that the people are under
taking the issuance OF $50 900 bonds for
the erection OF a municipal gas plant TO
supply private consumers.
Professor c. d. Marx of Palo Alto said
that Santa Rosa made its most serious
error when IL started to establish its own
water plant without having any definite
plans for the future. He contended that
the free water plan was not a reasonable
one. claiming that the only business
method by which city should handle its
own water works was by supplying the
commodity at cost
Mayor Sweet replied TO this by saying
that one OF the matters that was under
consideration by the present City Council
OF Santa Rosa was the devising of plan
to prevent the waste OF water and the
abuse OF the free privilege The plan
agreed upon was to supply all consumers
through meters, allowing a reasonable
amount of water free; all in excess was to
be charged for
at would be political suicide for an off,
cial to suggest such thing as the people
paying for water"
a widow had stood between Trustee
Sorenson Of Modesto and municipal own
ership. He admitted that he had finally
been won over, but neglected 10 say what
became Of the widow:
Previous TO 1893 he said, "a private
corporation owned Modesto's water sup
ply The corporation was a wldow-a
modest girl whom We all loved and re-
spected. Our greatest danger was that in
the event OF a big confiagration the water
works would be burned up first. We were
without sewer system. and the existing
water supply was not OF sufficient capa-
city 10 flush one. l will admit that at the
start / was among those who did not IA
vor municipal ownership, because ! could
not help standing In with the widow. /
was between two fires-if l voted for mu-
nicipal ownership 1 would make a finan-
cial ruin OF the widow, and II did not i
felt that l would wake up some morning
and find that / had died during the night
from malaria because Modesto had no
sewer system. Now we have everything
and the city owns the whole business and
runs the plant at profit.
The problem was also discussed by d.
F. Hunt OF Santa Barbara, Professor
Randall of Berkeley and Trustee Winter
OF Redwood City. Letters approving the
policy of municipal ownership were read
from Mayor Lamb of Santa Cruz and
from the City Clerk OF Monrovia-
Before the afternoon session adjourned
the chairman appointed the following
committee to draft new street laws 70 be
submitted TO the next Legislature: Joseph
Hutchinson. Palo Alto; w. A. Beasley.
San Jose; f. X. Taylor, Alameda; Mayor
Fred Eaton, Los Angeles; G. w. Finch,
Riverside; Joseph Spinney, Fresno; May
or ]. S. Sweet. Santa Rosa; City Attorney
J. T Yorke, Napa; G. K. Kennedy, Chico.
Mayor Sweet Of Santa Rosa presided
over the evening session. In his introduce
tory remarks he invited the league to hold
its next convention I'm the city OF which
he is mayor. Hearty applause greeted
his invitation.
Santa Rosa IS noted for its hospital
ity," said Mayor Sweet, ''and always glad
ly welcomes anything that will improve
It, Nothing wiz do us more good than a
convention of this organization. II you
go to Santa Rosa next year our people will
turn out en- masse to receive your instruc-
ton and good advice.
"Municipal Licenses and the Value OF
Municipal Libraries were the subjects
discussed at the evening session. G. n.
Kirkbrfde City Attorney OF San Mateo,
discussed the license question. He refer
red to Mayor Phelans remarks of the day
before I'm regard to placing tax on all
nickel-in-the-slot telephones and warmly
Endorsed the proposition. He did not IA
vor q tax on merchants or a tax calculat-
ed 10 shut competition out of a town.
chAracterizing such legislation as un-
American.
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