The San Francisco call., 1909-12-14
SOME SIFRRANS
WITH CITY ON
.HETCH HETCHY
Club VIII Have Meeting Early in
January to Consider Drop
ping Opposition
Sunday Tramp Develops Fact
That Many Are Supporting
Municipal Project

NluulSlpdl FIO!SSl
III developed yesterday that two more
members Of the Sierra club had resigned
as protest against the endeavOrs of
certain faction 10 defeat the city's plans
for a mountain water system. The res
ignatiOns were rendered by T.. T..
HOughton and his father, r.. f. HouEh-
ton. They are well known attorneys.
with offices in the merchants exchange
building.
The letter OF withdrawal stated that
neither desired 10 he placed in the atti-
tude Of giving tine slightest personal
city.
In Investigating the action of the club
r. II. HOughtOn reached the conclusion
that the majority OF the present board
of directors had been chosen largely
because OF their known antagOnism TO
the Sierra water project.
meeting of the Sierra club is to be
called for the early part Of January, at
which formal protest win be made
against the attempts TO commit the or
ganization to a policy antagonistic to
the city's water project. This decision
was reached on sunday afternoon when
some so members of the club gathered
on one Of their weekly walks The
feeling Of the members friendly to the
city's plans has become so strong that
they believe an efectuaI stop should be
placed on the attacks against the big
municipal undertaking.
For several years it has been the Gus
tom Of the club members TO make sun
day pilgrimages throughout the pictur-
esQue regions bordering the bay. one
Of these walks was taken Sunday
through the Sutro forest and thence TO
Lake Honda. On the borders Of the
lake meeting was held and the pro-
test against the attitude Of the officers
Of the club was so general that early
action was determined upon. 1t was
thought inadvisab bic to bring the mat
ter Up before the holidays, but soon
after the first OF the year the issue VIII
be forced
CRITICISES JOHN MUIR
Harold French, one of the leading
spirits Of the Sierra club. took prom
inent part in the discussion. criticising
severely the belligerent stand of John
Muir and others associated with him.
Marsden Manson. the city engineer,
also q Sierran. spoke At some length,
explaining that the development OF the
Hetch Hetchy and Lake Eleanor pro-
5ects would IN no way close the park 10
visitors. He cited the case of the Gro
ton reservoir at New York, where
campers are permitted in the water
shed under adequate restrictions
Clay GOoding. a local attorney, eX-
pressed the views Of the belligerents,
renewing the arguments that had been
advanced by Muir. Others took part in
the discussion. most Of them support
ing Manson.
In speaking Of the subject, Harold
French said:
man. whose motives in this matter are
above question and undoubtedly sin
cere. bur this fact does not allay the
Indignation felt by many OF US at what
seems 10 be nothing more than an
EFFORT 10 use the Sierra club as a
stalking horse for the personal or po-
litical views Of a few members. While
the leaders have taken this action this
does not mean 10 say that the club is
opposed 10 Hetch Hetchy as a body,
and il Is our earnest desire TO have the
question voted on by the club as a
whole. There are many members who
warmly resent the step taken by the
trustees. Some Of the statements made
by them are misleading and others are
false.
WIDESPREAD INDIGNATION
Up TO the present the Sierra club
has had the confidence of the public.
It's members have endeavored TO be as
accurate as possible in all matters
dealing with the Sierra mountains or
kindred subjects. and naturally there
is 4 feeling Of widespread Indignation
among lis members over the action Of
the directorate on the Hetch Hetchy
question There seems 10 be only one
way out OF the trouble. and that is
10 call general meeting, where every
member viii be given an opportunity
10 vote on the problem.
L do not wish TO be understood S
s. wing anything which might reflect
on the personal motives OF John Muir
the president: far from it, NV opinion
and the opinion OF a large part Of the
club membership is that he has been
falsely informed by others who have
used his reputa ton and kindly senti-
ment as medium for their political
squa bibles.
At Yesterdays meeting Of the board
Of supervisors further steps were taken
by which the Sierra and Spring VAL
ley water systems viii be placed be-
fore the people for acceptance or re-
lection on January Il. The ordinance
calling the election was passed to print
without a dissenting vote. Imme-
,5iatelv a second ordinance giving no.
1ice Of the election was adopted. At
next Mondays meeting the notice OF
election viii be finally approved All
the preliminary legal forms viii then
have been observed
Friday night a public meeting viii
be held at the rooms OF the board Of
eupervisors, at which preparations will
be made for the campaign. The stand
win be taken that bonds TO the fun
amount Of $5S,O00.OO0 should be au-
thorized. This viii enable the city 10