The San Francisco call., 1909-01-13
Spring Valley Smoked Into
Open Opposition to Hetch
HetcIy al Washington
Company's Attorney Speaks for
Two Hours Against Grant
Before Committee
Senator Curtin at Sacramento
Continues to Block
City'S Desires
Mayor Viii Respond to Appeal
for ReinfOrcementS at
National Capital
Especial Dnpoioh 10 The Call

Nv -AoI11-N - w. JaH'
. M an acrimonious meeting of the
house committee on public
hands today the Spring Valley water
company Of San Francisco was
smoked out into open, vicious hos
tility against the Hetch Hetchy
grant.
Heretofore the work against Hetch
>.Hetchy has been done in an under
handed way by alleged lovers Of na-
.ture who came to Washington to
protest against the spelling of the
? scenery in the Hetch Hetchy valley
2 One of the demonstration of these
nature lovers was shown in the east
ern papers when Robert Underwood
p johnson. an associate editor Of a
nature loving magazine. started a
propaganda against the desecration OF
the scenery in the Hetch Hetchy val
ley.
Monopoly Employs Attorney
At todays hearing before the pub
lie land committee commercialism
showed its head in the person OF E.
J. McCutchen. attorney for the
Spring Valley company, who made a
speech lasting two hours against the
Hetch Hetchy grant
In his address McCutchen did not
attempt to conceal the fact that he
. .yas the attorney for Spring Valley,
but even he wandered off into the real
ism Of nature lovers and spoke at great
almost exhaustive. length about the
wonders of nature in Hetch Hetchy.
Then he came down to business and
. told the committee that if the resolu-
tion granting san Francisco the right
d. to put dam in the Hetch Hetchy val
ley were 10 become law. it would be
putting a club in the hands of San
Francisco to be used against that pious
. corporation, the Spring Valley COM
: pany.
~. Manson Tells OF "CIub"
Just at this point City Engineer Man
son, who represents San Francisco il
, the controversy. remarked that fol
more than 40 years the Spring Valley
company had used a club on all of the
people Of San Francisco.
Another statement that McCutcheor
made was that for years the sprinG
valley company had tried to sell on
D: 10 san Francisco at fair price. Thi
j.. was met instantly by the statemen
that for years the city had tried L
buy out the company, but never coul'
get the corporation to set price Of
..its property.
Hostility in Committee
Mccutcheon also made the statemen
that every part Of SAM Francisco wa
furnished with an ample water suppl
by his corporation, and this statement
likewise. was met by the counter state
ment that in some parts Of the cit
The water supply is totally inadequate
At the conclusion Of the hearing tn
whole matter was postponed until mex
Tuesday. Meanwhile both sides viii b
allowed to nle such briefs and state
ments as they may see fit.
There is no Disgusting the fact tha
Chairman Mondeii of the public land
committee is not enthusiastic owe
Hetch Hetchy, while Representativ
Parsons. a member of the committe'
is in practically open hostility
2 Statements TO Be Refuted
city Engineer Manson and Super
visor Giannini asked permission of tn
committee to communicate with thei
legal advisers in san Francisco. and
is possible they viii ask City Attorne
Long 10 come here and refute. some {
McCutcheon's statements.
Mccutcheon asked permission to fl
the report on Spring Valley by colon'
Monden in 1897. and also an addres
bv Colonel ". II. Heuer before ii
Merchants association last summe
Tlie committee granted this permissio
and viii hear the contesting parti'
again next Tuesday granting half a
hour 10 each Side
Curtin Opposes Dam Site
CALL HEADQUARTERS. CHAMBE
or COMMERCE BUILDING. sAcRA
ArrNTo. Jan. 12.-That San Francisco