The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-23
Officials of All Bay Cities Inter
ested Favor Municipal
Water District
Bill Will Be introduced Before
the Legislature for Power
TO Issue Bonds
Report of Experts Shows the
Present Supply Viii Be In
sufficient in a Few Years

A conference big with interest for the
water future. not only of San Francisco
but OF ali the bay cities, took place yes
% terday at Mayor Taylors ONCE. The
formation of municipal water district
embracing San Francisco. Oakland
Berkeley. Alameda and the other bay
towns and cities. was the meetings. OBJ
ject. and a concrete plan, the result OF
months OF work and research upon the
part of Experts J. H. Dockweiler. II. A
Mason and Attorney John Nourse was
laid before the members and approved
The plan was given definite shape in
The draft OF an act TO be submitted next
week to the legislature after some
minor corrections to be made next
Monday by Dockweiler. Nourse and City
Attorney McElroy Of Oakland. The act
IS general in character and will enable
municipalities in any part Of the state
70 combine for the purpose Of estab-
fishing or perfecting water systems
Mayor Taylor, Assistant City Attor-
news T. +. Haven and John Nourse Ex-
perts DOckweiler and Mason and Mayor
Mott and City Attorney J. z. McElroy
OF oakland took part in the conference
and all approved the essential features
Of the act.
WILL INTRODUCE BILL
The bin VIII be introduced in the
legislature with the united backing OF
the cities on both sides Of the bay
and should appeal as well to the rest
of the state. as its provisions are gen
eral
The bay municipal water district"
TO be organized under the act will in
effect be a Greater San Francisco"
for water supply purposes Its gov
eminent is to be by a board Of direc-
tors made up Of the mayor or chief
executive officer Of each municipality
concerned and Of additional representa-
tives from each, one for the first 5000
registered voters therein, and one for
each succeeding 10000 voters.
DIRECTORS TO SERVE WITHOUT PAY
The directors are TO serve without
compensation, and their sole duty will
.e the choice OF three commissioners.
4 INTO whose hands the entire manage
sment is TO be placed The three com
raissioners win be. one an engineer
enc an attorney and one a business
man, who shall act as the secretary.
Whenever a bond issue considered
necessary shall have been authorized by
q two-thirds vote OF the electors Of the
district, the commissioners shall have
power to proceed with 1t as municipal
boards may now
The act provides for the formation Of
any district by the initiation Of a board
OF Supervisors, whose proposal, when
ratified by two-thirds vote of the
electors of each OF the municipalities
concerned, becomes binding and creates
the district.
ence yesterday the word received from
eX-Mayor Phelan and Supervisor Clan
mini:
case closed. Public lands committee
viii not report until next week. on
account Of short term and multiplicity
of bills. speed very difficult"
Dr. Taylor and the members brought
out the fact that the congressional
committee having done it's work, the
action Of the house depends really
upon the win Of Speaker Cannon, whose
. power Is absolute under the rules to
put the matter in the way Of passage
or to block it TO the sessions end,
:. March &
The conference then turned its at
teDtion TO the local situation confront
ing the cities around the bay. Expert
*.Dockweiler pointed out:
DOCKMEILER'S STATEMENT
-First-The water companies which
supply the bay cities are practically I'D
= TO the capacity Of their present works.
second-The population is growing
al the rate Of at least 1000 per annum
81 the bay district.
.'Third-That the present water works
are not being enlarged to take care OF
this increasing population.
Fourth-That 1t will take at lea st
SIX years before Hetch Hetchy water
. can be introduced.
- "Fifth-That a water famine will con-
front all Of the bay cities before an
average OF two years from date under
present conditions.
Dockweiler further showed that on
the Oakland side the Peoples water
company abandoned all OF its work
on its proposed sources Of additional
water supply about year ago, and has
not yet been able TO resume the work
owing TO its inability TO sell its bonds. ;,
SPRING VALLEY HAS SHUT DOWN
The Spring Valley company" he con-
tinue5, has shut down upon all con-
struction work and states that 1t will
not spend an additional dollar"
The fact that the completion Of the
Sierra water supply system would in
connection with other necessary i'm
provements strain San Francisco's
bonding limit coupled with the fact
that economy would result in the ioint
use OF lands. reservoirs. rights ~
way and ali other features. led in
evitably, the propounders of the scheme
stated, to the adoption Of the district
plan
COULD DEVELOP SUPPLY
From the engineering standpoint il
was shown that during the few wears
necessary for the development OF the
IIetch Hetchy supply the cities could
develop a 10000, GOO gallon supply daily
from the sources which the private
corporations have confessed themselves
powerless to use. Dockweiler estimated
this addition would cost $1,000, 900.
The consensus Of the meeting was:
The people must help themselves. To
DO this combine. The members agreed
that they would do all they could to
secure speedy action ia the legislature
and the enabling act, substantially as
presented TO the conference. viii be in
troduced at Sacramento.