The San Francisco call., 1909-11-30
Three Propositions Viii Have to
Be Submitted to Comply
With Charter
People Must Decide for Sierra,
for Spring Valley or for !.
Both Supplies
Company in Conference With
City Officials Refused to Cut
It's Price Again

n BUSY day of negotiations over
"A water matters ended last night
with the practical assurance that
the voters would be given the oppor-
tunity to declare for either or both
the Sierra and Spring Valley systems
The election will be held early in jan
uary. and the whole issue presented in
the form OF three propositions The
/ first will call for an issue of s5S.000 900
or $4,000. .o00 the exact sum 20 be de-
termined later for the two systems
combined The second proposition will
call for $4,000. 900 for the Lake Eleanor
and Tuolumne river project; and third
for Spring Valley for sS5.000, 900.
This was the decision reached by the
city's legal department. II was pre-
ceded by determined but unsuccess-
full effort to induce the Spring Valley
company to cut it's price $500. 900.
Look Closely Into Law
/ 1t was preceded also by a close
scrutiny of the charter in the hope
that the way might be found to go
forward with the Sierra system with
out submitting Spring valleys offer at
this time The unanimous opinion OF
the city's legal advisers win neces-
state the submission Of the two at the
same time. Failure to do this, it is
contended. will invalidate the entire
proceedings
Supervisor James A. Johnston. chair
man OF the public utilities COMMITTEES
of the board OF supervisors. desires
above all else to push the Sierra cleo
tion without the added complication OF
Spring Valley annex To this end
he carried the regular legal resolutions
through the board of supervisors at
yesterdays session At the same time
he obtained the passage Of resolution
which requests the board of works to
prepare plans and estimates for COM
bined Sierra and Spring Valley system.
Charter Thus Obeyed
| In this way the charter requirements
are. being filled for whatever action the
supervisors may finally take When
the issue comes to a head next Mon
/ day they will be guided by the advice
of City Attorney Long and Special
Counsel Curtis HI. Lindley. Long and
Lindley have sketched the draft of a
formal opinion. which win set forth
that the charter can be complied with
only by submitting the three propo-
sitions.
| The danger of this is recognized but
Long holds there is no alternative. 1t
will require a two-thirds vote to carry
any proposition. and. with three issues.
the vote is apt to spread in such a
way as to menace all The supervisors
will concentrate on the proposition,
calling for the combination OF the two
and calling for a bond issue OF
SIS. 100000 or ssO.Oeo.OO0.
Conferences Resumed
The negotiations between the repre-
sentatives of the city and of the Spring
Valley were resumed early yesterday
morning. shortly before 10 o'clock
President w B. Bourn Of the Spring
Valley was invited into conference at
the mayors office to discuss the terms
of Spring Valleys offer He requested
that the meeting be transferred to the
Spring Valley offices. so that the full
This was. agreed to-
shortly after 10 o'clock there gath
cred in President Bourn's office the full
representation from both sides Pres
ent on behalf of the city were: Mayor
Taylor, Supervisors Johnston. Jennings.
Murphy. Pollock and McLeran. City At
torney Long, Assistant City Attorney
Haven. Special Counsel LIndIey, PresI-
dent Day of the board of public works.
City Engineer Marsden Manson and
Consulting Engineer J. II. Dockweiler.
Spring Valley was represented by the.
/ following directors: W. B. Bourn. Cap
tain A H. Payson. T. B. Berry. Frank
B. Anderson. A Borel. Edward Eyre.
s p Eastman. Joseph Quay Osgood
one of the attorneys of the company
and special representative OF the He'll
man interests. was also in attendance
Figured on Higher Price
The conference was marked by ths
greatest cordiality- 1t was opened by
Bourn. who told with unwonted frank
ness how he had hoped to set even
higher valuation than s35.000.0 900.
Il had intended. said Bourn. in our
negotiations the other day. to list the
property piece by piece until I had
reached a valuation of s40,0000o0- Then
I proposed TO lop it on to sSS.O00.0oo-
Mr. Anderson and Mr. Berry induced
me to set the figure finally at
ss5.ooe. 900
| Then Mayor Taylor urged upon the