The San Francisco call., 1904-02-18
COMP ANY SUES
At CITY'S COST
Spring Valley Official States
That People Must Pay for
Action Against Themselves
DODGEs ALL QUESTIONS
Supervisors Find That Water
Company Charges All Ex-
penSes 1t Incurs to the People

The Board of Supervisors met last
night and proceeded as a committee
of the whole to examine into the hold
ings, operating expenses and valua-
ton of the Spring Valley Water Com
pany, with a view to fixing the water
rate in San Francisco for the coming
fiscal year.
Although the officials Of the water
company promised last week to he
ready with the valuation of the com
pany's holdings last night, an account
was not forthcoming.
Attorney Kellogg, chief lawyer for
the Spring Valley Company, said the
company would not have the report
on the valuation ready until next Fri
day night.
The evening was spent in an exam
ination into the operating expenses of
the company. Assistant Engineer Will
lisms testified that the total expenses
of operating the water system for the
year, as estimated, would be $3.50 900.
Under a rigorous fire of questions
from Supervisor Braunhart, who act
ed as examiner for the Supervisors
committee, Williams itemized in a way
the expenses of operating the vari-
Gus pumping stations, reservoirs and
holdings of the plant. He said that
the Merced Lake pumping station used
$12, 900 worth of fuel oil a year, and
the Belmont pumping station, he al
legged, burned oil each year to the value
of 800 900, the oil costing II cents a
, barrel
Williams said something in the
neighborhood of $50, 900 was spent an
nually by the company in burning
grass and cleaning around it's water
stations and reservoirs.
PROPERTY NOT IN USE.
The Supervisors expressed amuse-
ment at the statement of the company
that so much money is used in the
prevention of contamination, some ex-
pressing the opinion that the quality
of the water didn't show it,
Engineer Williams testified that sew
eral of the pumping stations owned
by the Spring Valley are not in use
in the supplying of water to the city.
Despite this fact the people of the city
are to be charged in the water rate
for parts of the water plant not now
in use.
According to the estimate testified
to by the officials of the Spring VAL
ley, the sum of $4,000 was spent dur
ing the last year for repairs on mains
in the city. All of this amount. they
claimed, was spent in the replacing Of
small mains with larger pipe. Super
visor Braunhart thought this was IN
exorbitant amount and requested
that the company be asked to prepare
an itemized account of the manner in
which this sum was spent
CITY PAYS FOR THE SUIT.
Under questioning, Secretary Ames
admitted that portion of the $50, 900
which appeared as legal expenses was
spent by the company in the prose-
cution of it's suit against the city and
county of San Francisco. The people,
he admitted, were expected to pay for
a suit against themselves. OF the
$50, 900 in the legal expense account,
$500 was paid in salaries, $1,000 a
year to Chief Attorney Kellogg and
$500 a year to E. F. Fitzpatrick of
San Mateo County. The difference
between the salaries of the attorneys
for the company and the 100000
amounts to $4,000. This amount of
money the Spring Valley failed to ac-
count for and it was requested to have
detailed account ready at the next
meeting. It is supposed by the Super
visors that this $4,000 is to be spent
in the prosecution of the suit Of the