The San Francisco call., 1909-09-17
DEMOCRATS Want
STRONG PLATFORM
Document Will Support the
Graft Prosecution and the
Hetch Hetchy Project
Committee Agrees Upon Vari-
Gus PIanks to Be Submitted
to Party Convention

Strong graft prosecution and Hetch
Hetchy planks are to be a part of tire
democratic platform. At a meeting OF
the platform committee last night in
the offices of Sidney NJ. van Wyck Jr.
in the Clunie building tentative draft
Of the platform was made. and it will
be presented at the county convention
to be held tonight
Because the republican platform did
not declare for the graft prosecution
the democrats will pin their faith on
this issue. The plank which met with
approval in the executive session of
the platform committee last night was
both specific and categorical in its ma
ture, and will leave no doubt in the
minds of the voters that the democrats
are for Francis j. Heney for district
attorney and for the graft prosecution.
Heney is to be formally indorsed in the
platform.
THE HETCH HETCHY PLANK
The plank in favor Of San Francisco
getting Its water supply in Hetch
Hetchy is also to be strongly drawn.
1t will declare for the project as soon
as possible and for everything neces-
sary for the undertaking.
The committee also favored adopting
the suggestion of DR.. T. b. w. Leland,
the nominee for mayor, regarding the
tracks in lower Market street. There
Is to be no surrender to the United
Railroads, as one of the members of
the committee put it, The platform will
declare for the conservation of the
rights Of the people.
The acquisition of the plant of the
Spring Valley water company by the
city at reasonable valuation as soon
as possible is to be favored
Municipal ownership and operation
OF the Geary street railroad is favored
by the platform committee, and the
plank will very probably be adopted by
the convention tonight.
RATES FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES
Van Wyok's hobby relative to the
fixing of rates to be charged by the
quasi public corporations is slated for
place in the platform. 1t will be
along the line of the plank in the
Fresno platform regarding the fixing
of railroad rates. The plank will call
for fair return ON the actual value.
not exceeding the cost of the property
in use.
Municipal ownership of all public
utilities is another of the important
issues to be urged by the democrats In
the municipal campaign.
1t was decided last night to report
plank favoring the issuance of bonds
for the immediate erection of new
city hall.
A subcommittee of three was named
to put the platform in shape, embody
ing the planks agreed upon by the
committee last night and adding such
other matters as should be incor-
porated in the instrument. The sub
committee will probably add planks
favoring the present policy Of the su-
pervisors regarding streets and sewers
and favoring new parks and play
grounds and liberal policy regarding
appropriations for schools and hos
pitais
There will probably be statement
in the platform to the effect that the
democratic organization ever since 1896,
when James D. Phelan was first elect
ed mayor, has never elected a man
who has not been faithful to his
trust, the supervisors and other city
officials always rejecting credit on
the party.
The members present at the commit
tee meeting last night were Justus S.
Wardell. w. j. McGovern. Sidney M.
Van Wyck Jr. o. X. Cushing. Joseph
b. Kennedy, Louis III. Mooser, d. It.
Hanlon, T. A. Reardon and e. l.. Rit-
tore.
HENEY CLUB MEETING
At a large and enthusiastic meeting
of the Heney club of the thirty-seventh
district last night a pledge OF men,
bership was adopted calling for the
support of Heney's candidacy for dis
trict attorney.
The meeting, which was held in tho
Ashbury Heights Improvement hall
Masonic avenue near Haight street,
brought out many active sympathizers
who promised to do vigorous precinct
work for the graft prosecutor. Speeches
were made by Walter Macarthur, Max
]. KuhI, William j. Burns and Harry
Green.
Permanent organization of the club
was effected by the election of the fol-
lowing: President. 7. C. Kierulf; first
vice president, Walter Macarthur; Sec
ond vice president, Frederick Gantner;
secretary, Frank /. Butler. Campaign
committee-E. j. Baumberger, Albert
Lacy, F. l.. Richmond. r.. A. Miller, l..
G. Whitney, Joseph McDevitt, A 7.
McCreery.