The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-22
CALIFORN|ANS
MAKE PLEA FOR
HFTCH HETCHY
House Committee on Public
Lands Gives Final Hearing
on Resolution
Favorable Action Expected and
Members of Delegation
Are Hopeful
ImpassiOned Appeal by Spring
Valley Representative
Fails in Object
LSpecioI Dispatch 10 The Call


WASHINGTON. Jan. 2L-The house
committee on public lands today gave
a final hearing on the resolution grant
ing TO san Francisco the right to con-
struct dam in the Hetch Hetchy val
ley for city water supply. At the
conclusion of the hearing the committee
announced that at a meeting to be held
next Wednesday the question of re-
porting the resolution TO the house of
representatives. would be taken UP and
most likely settled on that day.
At today's hearing Warren Olney. ex-
mayor OF Oakland. went into the claim
OF the Spring Valley company that it
can furnish all the water that San Fran
cisco needs.
PIE said that it is impossible for the
Spring Valley company to draw more
than 100000 gallons daily from the
Pleasanton district without construct
Ing dam at Calaveras, and the farm
ers at Pleasanton will not allow more
water TO be taken out Of that district.
as they have rights that they will not
permit further to be Jeopardized.
Walter Macarthur Of san Francisco
made A statement covering the water
necessities OF the commercial and in
dustrial interests Of san Francisco. He
showed that the city's needs in this re-
spect are growing rapidly and that
no supply except that OF the Hetch
Hetchy valley will come anywhere near
keeping up with the growth Of the city.
j. D. Galloway OF Oakland said that
so available as Hetch Hetchy. He went
briefly into the history Of the at
tempts Of the city 10 buy out the
Spring Valley company so as to make
that part Of a comprehensive water
service and was backed up by the
statements OF c. z. Grunsky in his
assertion that the Spring Valley com
pany can not produce the necessary
amount or water.
During Galloway's statement Repre-
sentative Englebright was asked il
the Yuba proposition would not pield
200. 100000 gallons a day If incorporated
into the Spring Valley system. Engle-
bright said that it would not, but he
thought that II would produce 10000
O00- IT then appeared that the Yuba
proposition is not owned by the Spring
Valley company. but by some interests
connected herewith, including Presi-
dent Bourn, and a statement was made
that up to the time the Hetch Hetchy
proposition came TO the front there
were plans on foot TO sell the Yuba
option to the Spring Valley. When
IIetch Hetchy came TO be agitated. and
the price Of the bonds Of Spring Valley
was depressed TO such an extent that
the deal could not be put through.
MAKES CLOSING PLEA
Attorney McCutchen for the Spring
Valley company made the closing plea
for his concern He drew impress
sionistic word pictures of the beauties of
the Hetch Hetchy valley and asked the
committee not TO disturb Psyche look
ing down into the mirrors made by the
natural pools. The committee did not
seem 10 care very much about Psyche,
so McCutchen denied that there was an
underwriting syndicate for Spring VAL
lev bonds and that to come upon that
syndicate TO take up the bonds now
would result in a loss TO the members
or the syndicate.
He said that the Spring Valley COM
pany would have made definite offer
10 sell out To the city but for the fact
that the Hetch Hetchy agitation de-
pressed the price Of the company's Sc
crritv to such an extent that TO sell at
market prices would have been to sell
at loss.
STATEMENT OF MEMBER
After il was all over a member OF
the san Francisco committee said to
The Call correspondent:
We have put forth the best argu-
ments that we could and the hearings
are now closed. There will be no ac-
t5on by the committee on public lands
until next Wednesday. BY that time
this short session OF congress viii have
been pretty far spent Even IL the
committee acts verbally upon the reso-
luton. IL is a question whether we can
time this session. 1 hope that we can,
but the doubt remains. Our represen-
tatives in congress Will do their very
best TO get the resolution through the
house. and If they succeed Senators
Perkins and Flint assure me that they
can rush the matter through the senate
in short order"