The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-06-11

Auditor Rosters refusal to sign the
demand for $4,000 drawn in favor of
Elmer E. Smith, as the first Install
ment of the purchase price of lands in
the Hetchy Hetchy valley required for
a reservoir site by the city, has placed
the responsibility of raising the money
before noon today on the willing
shoulders of Mayor Taylor and the
supervisors They are confident that
the citizens and tax payers of San
Francisco. appreciating the great and
pressing need for an inexhaustible-sup
ply OF pure mountain water, will
eheerfuHy contribute the amount re-
ouired to preserve and hold for the
city the invaluable rights covered by
the option which will expire today un-
less $4,000 is forthcoming.
TRUSTEES TO AID WORK
James K Mofhtt of the First ma
tional bank and Ignatz Steinhart of
the Anglo Californian bank have been
appointed by Mayor Taylor to act as
trustees and receive subscriptions to
the fund Both trustees Informed the
mayor last evening that they would do
everything in their power 10 aid in
they will receive the assistance of the
mayor and supervisors, who will de-
vote this forenoon to the work of can
vassing among their friends
The supervisors and Mayor Taylor
We're in conference on the Hetch
Hetchy water project late yesterday
afternoon. when they received final
word from Auditor Roster that. acting
on the advice of his attorney. Major
Keesling. he would not audit the Smith
demand believing 1T to be illegal.
Roster and his attorney take the stand
that the purchase of the land is in the
nature OF acquisition of public util-
ity. and that, under the charter. it
should have been submitted to the
electors.
AUDITORS RESPONSIBILITY
Auditor Roster has assumed very
grave responsibility in refusing to
audit the demand" said the mayor.
TO me the law is very clear and the
demand is proper and legal one. Sec
tion u of chapter of the charter. in
defining the powers of the supervisors,
gives them the right to purchase or
acquire by condemnation such property
as may be needed for public use.' But
that is not the question at this time.
We must have the money before noon
tomorrow, and no time is to be lost.
We must raise 1t and preserve these
invaluable water rights to San Fran
CISCO"
The mayor then announced that he
would head a popular subscription list
with 800, and Supervisors Johnston.
MeLeran, Murphy, Giannini and Jen-
nings. Clerk Behan and City Engineer
Marsden Manson at once contributed
like amounts. Moff1tt and Steinhart
were next appointed to act as trustees
of the fund and the work OF raising
the $4,000 was under way.
OFFICIALS CONTRIBUTE
The news of the starting of the fund
soon reached the outside and half
hour after the list had been opened
President Casey of the works board,
Supervisor Connolly, James B. Feehan
and Harry K. McKannay, the mayors
clerk, had telephoned to the super
visors' chambers to put them down for
500 each.
1t is expected that the supervisors
who were not at the meeting yester-
day will lose no time this morning in
following the patriotic example set by
their colleagues. Neither will the
other municipal officers. 1t is believed.
be behind their associates in the work
of swelling the fund.
ORDINANCE IS PREPARED
proceeded yesterday with the work
preliminary to the carrying out of the
Hetch Hetchy water project. A declar-
atory ordinance, setting forth that
public interest and necessity demand
its acquisition, was drafted and will
be presented to the board next Mon
day for passage to print. The resolu-
tion is as follows:
Be II ordained by the people. of the city and
county OF San Francisco follows:
Section /. 1t is hereby determined and do
clared that the public interest and necessity de-
mand the acquisition. construction and connie
tion of a public utility. to wit water supply
and works, 10 be owned and controlled nv the
city and county of San Francisco. to furnish TO
said city and county and to the iuhabifants
thereof sufficient supply of good, pure water
for all purposes
Sec. 2. The board Of public works is hereby
directed 10 procure through the city enefneer
and TO place on file with the board Of supervi-
sors plans and estimates OF the cost Of origi-.
nal construction and completion by the said city
and county Of the public utility herin named.
Sec. 3. The Heuch Hefchy valley. Lake
Eleanor and the headwaters of the Tuolumne
Continued on Page 3, Column 2