The San Francisco call., 1908-09-16
WILLING TO BUY
SPRING VALLEY
Supervisors Committee Ex-
plains Attitude of the City
Toward Water Company :
Corporations Belief That II
Was Being iii Treated Is
Shown TO Be Baseless

In ar open letter 70 the Spring VAL
ley company the public utilities COM
nlfttee q The board % supervisors yes
te-dav declared Il TO BE tts definite
purpose 70 acquire for the city the
existing Spring valley plant II such
might be purchased AZ 8 fair valua-
tion-
Supervisors Gsannini. Murphy and
McLersn assured the company's on
cisis that they believed this 70 be the
sincere altitude as well OF all the mem
bers q The board. The letter set forth
thar rhe city could not consider. and
did not desire 20 consider. in such an
orer extrane0us properties. such as the
alleged Sierra source, whose option the
spring valley oriciais> have iltinated
would be included IN any offer
The committee corrected some
shat prevalent impression that the city
Lad passed over the Spring Valley
plant in considering the needs OF the
ctry's future water supply BY pointing
0ur the boards Invitation 70 the COM
panr 70 submit 4 bona 1i6e offer. sad
sgztn asked that the company make
such an ofer freed from any entsngle-
-nents and strictly according 10 the
\ Ar-oce6ure prescribed IN the charter. In
(pErt the letter follows;
The committee extremely regrets
your corporation has not seen 1T 70
avail Itself Of the opportunity 70 sub
mix Al o9er 10 sell 70 The city and
county OF san Francisco the system Of
water supply and works now supplying
water 70 the city and 70 its iuhabi-
-e-rs
we think you do the officials OF the
city & great injustice IN assuming that
me Municipality does not want 70 buy
fair value This Unwsrranted as
sumption appears % be based upon an
alleged action OF the board IN declaring
ID favor OF the oesirsbtlity OF & Hetch
Hetchy supply IN which We declined 70
include the property OF this company.
While 10 explanation Of this action
is necessary We wish 70 call your at
centfon 70 the provision OF the charter
that ecuires that before the city can
acquire e public utility OF this kind II
must obtain plans and estimates Of cost
o. such utility By original construction
and indicate 4 source OF supply.
The resolution referred 10 was
therefore essential 10 the plan OF ac-
qutring your property. and 70 have in
cluded your property in the same or
dins1ce might have resulted in in
validating the procedure taken looking
toward the securing Of & municipal
water supply.
We therefore feel that our attitude
IA declaring that any negotiations
looking 70 the sale OF the property TO
the city would be fruitIess' is founded
on a HiscOacep1iOnsof the legal obHgz-
tons imposed b. law On the board CT
supervisors. Certainly Il 5 tiszr no
action thus far taken By this board
was intended 20 -depreciste and mini
. rlize' the value Of your property IN the
-s1blic mind. and the attitude -striren
ID ever be maintained by the board has
been one OF an impartial and disinter-
ested body ready 70 Go equal justice
10 yourselves and the electors OF the
city and county Our attitude in this
respect. We beg 70 assure you, Will
undergo no change
We note IN this connection that you
are contemplating submitting an offer
to sell 70 the city and county much
more property than Is embraced in the
terms OF the ordinance. IN that the
price VIII be for stated development
three times the present consumption
and also VIII embrace an option 70 ne
city 10 include Sierra supply
Il ls our earnest hope that should
you make such an offer 10 sell your
properties 70 The city and county you
Nill con1ne such proposition 10 that
described in the ordinance.
We beg 70 remind you that the pro-
ceectngs pending involve the creation
u e bonded debt for { large sum and
tlst Il Is essential such proceedings
should be conducted IN such manner
mat Ehe validity OF { bond issue can
not Be Questioned Any foreign matter
lnre-Polsted II these proceedings would
also tend 70 destroy the object that you
deem so essential, namely. the ac-
euisiiOn OF your property al q fair
valuation
Therefore. should you be desirous Of
complying with the request OF the
board of supervisors. IL viii be necex-
ssry 70 co1fne your offer 70 the prop-
erty which constitutes an existing
utility Ss that term IS used IN the
charter
We bespezk for such an offer from
you a most careful and immediate con-
s-derstson- Respectfully,
a H GIANSINI
D c MURPHY
RALPH McLERAN.
Public Utilities COMMITTEES"