The San Francisco call., 1908-09-23
CITY OFFICIALS
UNANIMOUS FOR
HfTCH HFTCHY
Supervisors Committee Meets
With Authorities Concerning
Water Supply
Four Propositions Will Be
Drafted for the People
to Vote Upon
Spring Valley May Take Action
to Prevent Purchase OF
Sierra Sheds

That the municipal administration
will present a solid front in favor of
accepting the gift of the federal gov
ernment in the Hetch Hetchy valley
and Lake Eleanor reservoir sites and
in favor of bonding the city at a spe-
cial election to be held November 10
in the sum of 100000 to clinch the
grant was demonstrated at confer
ence held yesterday at the mayors
Office, those present being Mayor
Taylor, Supervisors Giannini, Murphy
and McLeran of the public utilities
committee. City Engineer Marsden
Manson and City Attorney Percy Long.
Both Mayor Taylor and Long assured
the supervisors and Manson that they
were heartily with them in securing for
the people the magnificent watersheds
offered in the Sierra with the accom-
panying reservoir sites. The mayor
emphasized the fact that now was the
accepted time; that all should get be-
hind the project and secure San Fran
ClStO . lillS 10 d. VALET supply eii0
capable of supporting her coming mil
lions of people. Long agreed that the
clinching of the claim was paramount
now. The representatives of the legis-
lative, executive and legal departments
of the city government parted with one
united purpose, that of appealing to the
people to authorize on November 10 the
steps which will secure the Hetch
Hetchy-Lake Eleanor system.
he Mt ~ frfa
ference with the election commission
will today draft the proposals to be
voted upon by the people. The propo-
sition will be put to the voters in four
questions.
TO MAKE FOUR PROPOSITIONS
shall the city accept the gift of
the federal government?
2-Shall it authorize 100000 to Sc
cure private holdings and to clinch the
grant?
3-Shall 1t accept the offer of the
County Line water company to sell its
plant for $4,000? (The plant to be in
corporated in the future systen.) The
acceptance of this proposition is not
vital to the project.
4-Shall 1t authorize the expenditure
of s150,000 raised by other means than
by bond issue, l. e., taxation, to Sc
cure private holdings? (Not vital but
an important factor in handling the
Smith options in Hetch Hetchy valley.)
The Spring Valley company having
neglected to file an offer of sale the
question whether the city shall pur-
chase its plant at specified sum will
not be submitted at the proposed cleo
tion. Should the company present
proposal, In the minds of the super
visors reasonable, the board will put
it's acceptance or rejection up to the
people at an election to be called later.
WILL NAME Az PER
CENT INTEREST
The committee have virtually de-
cided to name 4 " per cent as the inter-
est rate for the proposed 100000 bond
issue. Registrar Zemansky has pointed
out to them that the office will need
a week to recover from the strain OF
the presidential election and November
10 will in all probability be the date
when San Francisco will be given the
opportunity to accept or reject the
Hetch Hetchy water supply.
1t was agreed at the conference that
before dollar Of the bond issue money
should be expended the most thorough
legal test should be made of both the
city's grant from the secretary of the
interior and all the other rights ac-
quired.
Long agreed with Mayor Taylor that
time enough for this search would be
after the election in November. The
punching of possible holes in the Gar
field grant, it was agreed, should be
left to the enemies of the project, and
not undertaken by its friends. Mayor
Taylor, Long and Murphy were a unit
in the opinion that the federal grant
looked good to them.
SPRING VALLEY MAY FIGHT
Valley secured a certified copy of Mon
days declaratpry ordinance at the
board OF supervisors yesterday, and the
committee members would not be sur
prised at hostile legal move upon the
part of the corporation. Competent
legal advice outside the circle of the
city officials has constantly reviewed
the steps taken, and Chairman Gianninf
of the committee expressed himself
confident yesterday of the outcome of
the city's great undertaking, whatever
the corporate influences may attempt.