The San Francisco call., 1909-07-26

n
He Did Not Win Water
Rate Reduction
NTRIFE in the board of education
concerning the distribution of
praise in the matter of the reduc-
ton secured from the Spring Valley
water company in the school depart
ment's water bill has eliminated in an
open clash between superintendent of
Schools Alfred Roncovieri, who dis
covered that the city was being mulcted
regularly each month by the corpora
ton, called the attention of the board
to the matter and personally investi-
gated it, and Thomas E. Hayden,
member of the school board, who actu-
ally secured the $2,500 reduction from
the octopus. The clash is the first open
rupture between the two men.
1t appears that Hayden has been
preparing a protest, which he pur-
posed should be signed by all the mem
bers of the school board, censuring
the school superintendent in harsh
terms for the alleged offense of taking
to himself credit in the matter that
belonged, so the protest recited, to the
whole board of education.
Clash In Office
81 understand" Roncovieri taxed
Hayden Saturday when the two men
met in the office of the school depart
ment, that you are circulating the
report that I am endeavoring to take
to myself more credit than I deserve
in the matter of the reduction in the
school water bill secured from the
Spring Valley. Did I not submit
communication to the board Wednes-
day covering this?'
Yes; you did," Hayden answered,
but 1 believe that you told different
story to the press"
What 1 tell to the press is what
tell to you, and tell it to your face"
Roncovieri shouted. IF the news
papers choose to give me credit in this
matter it is no fault of mine, and due
in no wise to any effort of mine to
rush into publicity. However that be-
do not mind telling you that 1 do
consider my Investigations of the
water rate paid by schools in all the
cities across the bay and in Los Ange-
les and other cities, with the fact that
discovered this robbery of the city
and reported it to your board, and the
added fact that 1 went at the matter
in a businesslike way, with the idea
of securing some permanent and de-
cided change for the better, of whole
lot more Importance than the fact that
you. while these negotiations were in
progress, went off to the water COM
pany's office and secured this reduc-
ton, for this year only, on the plea
that the board has no money"
Perhaps there has been a mis-
understanding here" Hayden said.
Would Call Reporters
II will call all the newspaper re-
porters 1 have talked with to prove on
their oaths that 1 have done no press
agent work." Roncovieri declared IF
they concluded, after looking over the
situation, that 1 was entitled to praise.
then that is matter to take up with
them, not me-"
Hayden left at this juneture.
At the boards meeting last Wednes-
day, when Roncovieri signed the check
for $500 for the water company and
presented with it communication stat
ing that, as superintendent, he had done
all possible by securing the sworn affi-
davits of the meter readers, to substan-
the superintendent seemed to convey
the impression that the reduction had
been secured through his efforts.
THE reduction was secured by you,
Mr.. Hayden, by telling the water COM
pany that the school board had no
munication does not state that, please
interline anything you wish. and will
OK it,"
Hayden inserted in the document a
had secured the reduction. and Romeo
vieri signed it.
Water Bill Robbery
Roncovieri suspected an enlargement
in the water bill last February, when
bill for $4,000 was presented, and
Immediately apprised the board that
they should have the school principals
read the meters in company with the
Spring Valley inspectors. This the
board has not done. He also recon-
mended to the board that they notify
the water company to that effect. and
also demand that the S6 schools in the
city be rated as one consumer, and,
therefore be entitled to the sliding
scale of prices, as is the case in all