The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-03-01
Mayor Declares Every Effort
VIII Be Used TO Hold
Rights in Valley
Manson and Long Preparing
Data TO Be Presented Be-
fore BaIIinger

Mccarthy reiterated the assertion
that the administration would use
every effort to hold its rights in the
wiley, which have been called in ques-
z BY Secretary of. Interior r. A. Bal.
niger.
while the mayor was asserting his
sitfve' conviction that the city would
aold its rights in Hetch Hetchy. City
Attorney Percy V, Long and City En-
sineer Marsden Manson were, each in
his department, tentatively planning
the steps which must be made bv the
legal and engineering branches Of the
city government 10 protect the munic-
ipsl interests.
7 take Secretary BalIinser's order
TO mean" said City Attorney Long,
that we must go before him and pre-
sent our case in refutstion OF the con-
tentions Of the agents Of the depart
ment Of the interior.
WILL NEED HETCH HETCHY
on that point we shall present the
facts that the city has met all the re-
Qulrements OF the government and has
acquired q vested interest in the pat
ented lands IN the Hetch Hetchy basin
and VIII be able to show that the city
VIII need the Hetch Hetchy to supple
ment the Lake Eleanor supply.
Then the city viii present facts to
show that we shall need the Hetch
Hetchy. that the Lake Eleanor supply
VIII be inadequate in time to meet the
growing demands Of the city for water.
These points must he established by
the testimony Of engineers and other
experts. Tt is almost entirely a ques-
ton Of experts to consider and report
upon.
The hearing before the interior de-
partment viii resolve itself into a de-
termination of facts and the presen-
tation Of arguments. Secretary Bal
linger VIII be the Judge Of the needs
and the rights Of san Francisco in the
question At issue Mr.. Ballinger viii
put himself in the same position as
sumed by Secretary Garfield when he
came out here during his term Of office
and heard the arguments in favor of
The dedication of Hetch Hetchy to the
. use Of san Francisco. It was after that
hearing that Secretary Garfield decided
Ia favor Of the city. We expect TO put
strong case before the interior de-
tment and hope that we shall carry
Is lotion IT is legal question in
we'd and tie presentation of facts
8. q argument before the secretary will
be similar 10 the presentation Of evil
dence in a court"
MANSON PREPARES DATA
city Engineer Marsden Manson
worked assiduously yesterday in con-
. sidering the statement Of Secretary
Ballinger and the report Of Director
Smith Of the United states geological
survey 10 the secretary Of the interior
The city" he said, must send A wei
n an IN "a 81,
the allegations Of the report made TO
Secretary Ballinger. In my office I
have an accumulation of data hearing
on the subject, which should constitute
2 large portion of the case of the CITY
We have data of the rainfall in the
Lake Eleanor and the Hetch Hetcbx
watersheds, which show the relative
The two districts.
The watershed Of Lake Eleanor it
SELF is 81 square miles The watershed
Of Cherry creek, which is to be diverted
into Lake Eleanor, is 1O3 square miles,
giving 1877 square miles for the com,
bined watersheds In addition to that
there are other tributary streams
which would increase the watershed
area 70 some extent. But the water
shed Of Lake Hetch Hetchy and its
tributaries is 452 square miles.
During the winter the city enginN
GERS office has maintained meterolog-
ioal station at Lake Eleanor TO report
on snowfall and rainfall in the section.
Those facts VIII be available to place
before the secretary of the Interior
The success Of San Francisco's project
depends entirely on the attitude of the
interior department
MCCARTHY Is POSITIVE
Mayor P. II. Mccarthy, with his usual
positiveness, expressed yesterday his
determination that the Hetch Hetchy
site would ultimately pass into the con-
troll Of the city.
The city shall prepare itself for the
refutation Of Secretary Ballinger's con-
fentfon regarding the rights of San
Francisco" said Mayor MCCARTHY. THE
contention has been made that we can
get all the water we need from Lake
Eleanor But we know that we have to
supplement that supply with water from
Hetch Hetc1y- We shall insist that we
get Hetch Hetchy, and we are going to
have It.
what sort Of title has the CITY to
the Sierra water If Secretary BalIinger
can wipe out what Secretary Garfield
gave the city,
IF Secretary Ballinger knows any
thing al ali he knows that we can not
get sufficient water from Lake Eleanor.
He and Director Smith can not tel what
WAFER we ii ueeQ IN 81 years from now.
Before that time San Francisco might
be enlarged. it might have taken in San
Jose and al Of San Mateo county Ala
media county and Marin county.
But there is no question that the
city viii get its rights in Hetch |
Hetchy." concluded the mayor.
Charles Wesley Reed the attorney
and former supervisor, who has made a |
special study OF the Hetch Hetchy |
situation, spoke comprehensively yes |
terday Of the problem which confronts |
the city
Il had hoped" he said. that when San
Francisco had voted bonds to construct |
the Tuolumne and Hetch Hetchy water !
systems it showed that it was acting in |
good faith and thus acquired a cor
tracturaI right TO Hetch Hetchy. That |
IS the point which may be urged in a /
court should Secretary BaIlinger revoke |
the Garfield grant.
The Lake Eleanor supply would
shortly become inadequate for San |
francisco and vicinity. The combined |
area Of its tributary watersheds is one
sixth that of the Owens river water
shed. which is to supply Los Angeles
with water.
Now that the city has voted the
bonds and spent money on its system. /
its permits can not. think. be re-
voked at the sweet viii of Secretary
IA Finger"