The San Francisco call., 1910-06-01


head said:
I reached Washington on the
morning of the 18th, the time fixed
by the secretary of the interior
for the hearing of the order TO
show cause why the permit granted
by Secretary Garfield should not be
revoked, so far as it included any
rights to the use of Hetch Hetchy
The San Francisco representa-
tives consisted of Mayor Mccarthy,
City Attorney Long, Attorney Lane
and Engineers Manson. Marx and
Freeman, who had preceded me-
Commissioner McClure of this city
was also there. The opposition
was represented by Attorneys E. A.
NewYork. Horace Mcfarland of
Harrisburg, the president of the
American Civic association, En-
gineer Harroun and Prof. w. F.
Bade. Mr.. Schussler and Attorney
Britton OF Washington represented
the Spring Valley.
l called upon Secretary BaIlinger
and Assistant Attorney General
Lawler, the legal adviser of the
department. to present my creden-
hearing had been postponed one
week. The secretary said to me
that he considered the issue of such
Importance that he had concluded
10 cali IN LnG6S OF Inc army en-
gineers as an advisory board to
sit with him in judgment on the
case, and they could not be as
sembled at an earlier date The
secretary evinced disposition to
grant all parties a full hearing of
the case.
WOULD REVOKE PERMIT
The impression when 1 reached
Washington was that the admins
tration was disposed to revoke the
permit. Our purpose was to con-
vince the secretary and the presi
dent that the information at hand
was not sufficient to justify such
action and that the rights which
the cities now have under the eX-
tsting grant should not be dis
turbed until it was shown that
they had another source of supply
fully adequate for all their future
needs.
On Thursday morning. the 18th,
we met the president by previous
arrangement made through Senator
explained to him. We were all
convinced by. the presidents atti
tude that the cities would be
granted a full and fair hearing
before any action would be taken
and we were all likewise convinced
that such was the attitude of Sec
retary Ballinger.
The president had some doubt
y
field to grant the permit but said
that he wanted full and COM
plete scientific investigation of all
the facts, and if ii should be finally
determined that Hetch Hetchy was
TO become necessary part of the
water supply he would want con-
gress 10 grant an indefeasible title
and have the matter settled.
This present agitation has arisen,
and the minds of the president and
secretary have no doubt been some
what impressed by reason of the tre-
mendous demand which has been
made by the various clubs, organi-
cations and individuals throughout
cation of the permit, as shown by
the files Of the Congressional Rec
ord.
TO EXTENSION
On May % the matter came on for
hearing before Secretary Ballinger
and the advisory board of army en-
gineers. Assistant Secretary Pierce
and Assistant Attorney General
Lawler were also present. Messrs.
Whitman. Gregory. Mcfarland and
Bades representing various clubs,
and Mayor Mccarthy, City Attorney
Long and myself participated in the
argument, which finally narrowed to
an application by San Francisco for
an extension of time in which to
make a full showing of all the facts
bearing upon the adequacy of the
supply, with Hetch Hetchy eIimi-
mated.
The afternoon was given over to
a consultation among the engineers,
including the representatives of the.
government. On the next morning
the secretary read a short decision
granting the motion of the city and
inviting a full examination and re-
port from competent engineers upon
the necessity for the use of Hetch
Hetchy. and continued the further
hearing OF the order to May /. 1911,
with the understanding that in the
meantime the rights of all parties
would be neither extended nor
abridged.
This disposition of the matter
seemed to meet the approval of all
parties present at the hearing.
Believing when we arrived in
Washington that it was the disposi-
tion of the department, acting on
the recommendation of the director
OF the geological survey, to revoke
the Hetch Hetchy permit, and being
now practically assured by the~order
of the secretary that such action will
not be taken unless it first be shown
by a competent and disinterested
board of engineers, after sinyestiga-
tion. that its use is not necessary
in which case nobody wants tive
feel that our appearance in and
argument of the case before the
secretary and the president was not
in vain.
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