The San Francisco call., 1907-03-01
CITY SEREs SPRING
VALLEY WATER rs6'
Franchise of the Conc
Annuled by Board
of Supervisors
Continued from Page /, Column

California (section l. article xiv) expressly pro-
vides that any person. company or corporation
or city. or town I'm this state otherwise than
as established under the authority granted by
the constitution. shall forfeit the franchises
and water works of such person. company or
corporation TO the city and county, or city, or
town where the same are collected, for the pub
lie use; and,
Whereas In the investigation held before the
Board of Supervisors, preliminary TO establish
ing water rates for the year commencing July l,
its duly accredited officials. testified under oath
that said company still collecting and is
Board of Supervisors passed and approved in
the year 1902 in contravention Of those estab-
tablished by the Board of Supervisors In the year
1906, as aforesaid; now, therefore, be 1t
Resolved That the Board of Supervisors of the
city and county of San Francisco declare, and II
hereby does declare. that the Spring Valley
the spirit of section / Of article XIV of the
contribution OF the State of California, in refus
ins IL obey the mandate of the Board of Super
viErrs by persisting IN exacting and collecting
in shance of law water rates in excess of those
March 20, 1906; and, further that said Board Of
Supervisors hereby declares all franchises and
water works OF said Spring Valley Water Com
pany forfeited and esches ted for the public use
TO the CITY and county of San Francisco a mll-
nicipal corporation.
Supervisors Boxton, Gallagher, Rea
and Walsh were excused from voting
on the last resolution because they
were members Of the last board. which
was restrained by the courts from in
terfering with the operations of the
Spring Valley Company, and it was
deemed prudent, from legal stand
point, for them to refrain from voting.
ROW OVER GAS RATE
Signs of dissension among the Su-
pervisors were manifested when the
ordinance introduced by Nicholas fix
ing the price to be charged for gas at
S5 cents per 1000 cubic feet, the present
rate, was taken up. Furey, with some
show of anger. said he would vote
against the s5-cent rate, claiming the
testimony had shown that the rate
should be lower.
II voted for 65-cent rate in the
caucus" said Furey, because the COM
panies testified that they were furnish
ing gas In some cases for so cents, and
even as low as 25 cents In favored To-
calities. If this is a good rule for one
part of the city 1t is good for the en-
tire city. 1 must fulfil my obligations
to the people, and therefore 1 agreed
to. the 75cent rate"
McGushin raised a storm among his
associates who stood out for the So
cent rate when he said:
II cannot understand why the ordi-
nance for the S5-cent rate is presented
here when we agreed in caucus on the
75-cent rate. In some sudden, mysteri-
GUS manner the opinions of some of
the members appear to have changed.
/ am indeed surprised at their attitude
Several Supervisors were on their
feet in an instant to reply to McGush-
ms intimation that there was some
thing wrong. Rea and Tveitmoe thun-
dered forth denunciations of the accu-
sation of anything mysterious in their
intention TO vote for the S5-cent rate
and then Gallagher attempted to pour
oil on the troubled water by saying
Mr.. McGushin and others stood for
a 65-cent rate and left the room when |
they found that 1t would not be adopt |
ed"
"Oh. no. we didn't" roared Coffey. |
why don't you state the facts? We
left after the 75-cent rate was agreed /
upon"
After more loud talk, during which
nothing relevant was adduced. the 70 |
cent rate was defeated by the ten votes I
lock, Nicholas, Phillips, Rea, Tveitmoe. |
O'Neil and Walsh. who voted no.
Coffey Fur'ey, Harrigan, Kelly, Lon |
ergan. McGushin and Boxton voted aye |
Then the S5 cent rate was passed to |
print with Boxton voting aye. but he |
his vote to no with notice /
of reconsideration. The rate for gas |
ramps was llASu dt o. cents ana 10 /
cents for cluster lights.
The present rate for electricity at 8 |
cents per kilowatt hour was re-en-
acted. a previous motion to reduce it
to cents having been lost by II noes
to ayes. The meter rate for cleo |
tricity was reduced from $3.50 to 81 |
per month The present rates for arc
lights were left undisturbed
The water rates as adopted for build |
ings occupied by single family ranges
from 20 cents to $3.50 per month, for
one story; 40 cents to s1.95, two stories;
so cents to $210, three stories; 60
cents to s2.25, four stories. and s1.20 to
s2.40, five stories, according to the sur