The San Francisco call., 1908-10-24
BOURN'S Ak
TOTAL ON
SCHUSS[FR
Chief Engineer of Spring Valley
VIII Lose $4,000 Job,
Is Report
Water Company President
sweeps department and Many
designations Are Demanded
George SchussIer, Brother of
Chief, Cyril Williams and
Others Decapitated
Economy" Say Officials, but
Victims Think BOurn'S
Economy" Say Officials, but
Victims Think BOurn's
Friends Will Get Jobs

Sweeping in the extreme
has been the swing of the
presidential ak amid the
working forces of the Spring
Valley water company, the
entire staff of the engineer
ing department, with the ex-
ception Of Herman Schuss-
ASr, the chief engineer. having
been discharged. And Schussler,
according to those best informed,
will be asked for his resignation
as soon as he arrives in San
Francisco from Europe, where he
has been travelling. Schussler
has been with the company for
a years, and there was not the
slightest idea but that he would
end his career with it. He is paid
however. hampered not President
Bourn, who. four months ago, sue
ceeded Captain A II. Payson as presi-
dent. George Schussler, a brother of
the chief engineer. has had his official
head dropped in the basket William
Brooks, the land agent, and his as
sistsnt c. P. Knowles. have been
handed their walking papers. Assist
ant Engineer Lester Cheminant has
been told that his services are not
necessary to the company. The entire
engineering department, with aggre-
gate salaries Of s25.OOO. is to go, ac-
cording to report.
Where the carnage viii end, none
knows Bourne is duplicating the tao
tics he pursued when he took control of
the STATS Of the san Francisco gas and
electric company. Then, with the slo-
gan of economy" he went through
every department. and when he had
finished strange faces worked over the
books. AS president of the Spring VAL
ley water company he has again cried
"economy'-and there is a shiver Of
apprehension through the building on
Sutter street with the opening of the
mornings mail
Last Wednesday George Schussler. a
brother Of the chief engineer and who
has been in the employ of the company
for q years, received a personal letter
from Bourn stating that his resignation
would be very acceptable" the same
10 take effect November /. While yet
the wonder ran, Cyril Williams, with
nine years service under Schussler be-
hind him, was handed similar mes
sage. Within IS hours the decapitation
became general, and every other mem
Der Of the engineering department was
gazing blankly at polite little notes
containing the fateful words. A month
ago Secretary Duke, with several as
sistants, were ordered to resign
The claim Of S. p. Eastman. as
sistant to the president and spokesman
for his superior during the latter's ab-
sence from the city, is that il had
been decided TO inaugurate a new sys-
TEN, having economy as its chief point
The reason that the engineering de-
partment was made the storm center
he declared. was due TO the fact that
there was no work for this department
at the present time.
This rather hectic desire for economy
on the part Of the Spring Valley COM
pany, IL is thought has been brought
about by the litigation now pending in
the United States circuit court. In
order TO fight this the company has
not only to put up a bond of 500, 600,
but has also TO deposit the excess IS
per cent of its new rate which it will
endeavor to collect
The most popular theory is that the
fall Of the ak in SO pronounced a man.
ner has but one meaning-and that
IS that Bourn intends to fill the vacant
positions with friends of his own. The
discharged engineers scout as ridiculous
the claim that there is no work for an
engineering department, and declare it
will be impossible for the concern to
continue long without one.
CHANCELLOR BUDDECIxE DEAD
WASHINGTON. Oct. 23-Phiilip w
Buddecke. for 23 wears chancellor of