The San Francisco call., 1909-11-30

course, ] shall continue to carry out
the legal requirements for the Sierra
project II the city attorney holds
that we must submit both issues. then,
OF course. 1 will follow his advice
PASS TWO RESOLUTIONS
Accordingly Johnston secured the
passage Of two resolutions at yester-
days meeting of the board of supeE<
visors. The first was a formality serv-
ing notice that the Sierra project cleo
tion was set for December 2S. The
second calls upon the board of works TO
prepare an estimate of the cost OF the
united system. This will not require
great deal of time and will be ready by
next Monday. 1t Will set the figure
close to s5s,OO0, 900 or 60.O00.Oo0. This
will be accomplished by eliminating
from the Sierra project these features
already provided in the Spring Valley,
such as reservoirs and distributing sys-
TEN.
The subject did not come before the
Supervisors in any other form. The let
ters from the Spring Valley company
were read and referred to the public
utilities committee
LEGAL SUMMING UP
During the day City Attorney Long,
Thomas f. Haven, his chief deputy,
and Special Counsel Curtis II. Lindley
conferred and unanimously agreed on
the legal phases of the situation. They
are thus summarized by Long:
1T is our belief that the only safe
way is to submit the threefold propo-
sition. The terms of the charter ap
pear to make 1t compulsory TO submit
the Spring Valley offer. II we should
neglect 10 do that and vote the Lake
Eleanor and Tuolumne river bonds. OBJ
lection could be raised that we did not
give the voters a chance to choose. II
we should submit the Spring VALLEY
offer later, it would be held that IL
was not given fair chance, as by that
time the city would have authorized
s45 100000 in bonds. believe we
would also take risk If we should
submit merely the combined propD-
siticn. The bonds could then be at
tackled on the grounds that the voters
were not given a chance to choose be-
tween the two systems. The subject
is too important to take any chances.
tits urged agains the threefold pro
posal that. requiring a two-thirds vote
to carry any one, it is apt to defeat
itself. IL must be admitted that in
any way you look at ii there are diff
ncuities. The difficulties are legal and
political"
WANT TO BE SAFE
legal considerations, and we intend to
be satisfied on every point before we
advise the supervisors. We are not
going to take any chances of invalidat-
ing such an important procedure by
letting our zeal get away with US.
When the first bonds were voted for
the Hetch Hetchy lands we had an
offer from the county line system. To
be on the Safe side we submitted it. 1t
is our desire to be on the safe side that
leads us to make the recommends tions
we have in mind.
The point has been raised that the
city will not have the power to incur a
bonded indebtedness of that size-s5S,
00O. 1000. This is not the case. We do
not incur a debt until the bonds are
seld. The mere authorization of the
bonds does not create debt
CITY's BONDING CAPACITY
John f. Behan, clerk of the board OF
supervisors, figures the city's bonding
capacity at ss2. 900 under the char
ter. The city has authorized bonds TO
the amount of s22,000.00O. A s5S,00o,
900 issue would bring the total to $780,
100000. However,. only SIC 100000
worth of bonds have been sold. AS the
construction work for the Lake Eleanor
and Tuolumne river work would stretch
over a number of years. no fear is ex-
pressed that the citys bonding capacity
would be exceeded, even IL the Geary
street bonds are authorized, some bonds
being retired before others are issued
The members OF the city administra- :
tion for the most part favor the three
fold proposition. Most of them be-
lieve that the opportunity should be
seized TO buy Spring Valley and end for
ali time the vexed question of a water
supply.
Il have always been an advocate OF
the Hetch Hetchy system" said City
Engineer Marsden Manson, but / have
no hesitancy in recommending the ac-
auisition OF the Spring Valley at $685.
100000. Then we can bring In the
water from the Sierra and the city will