The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-14

/ self from the alleged ex,ortion Of the
Spring Valley Water company. pri-
vatc corporation. which for years has
controlled the water supply. During all
between the city and the water com
pany and every effort made by the
municipality Ia purchase or otherwise
obtain control Of the water company
has proved futile. Recently. however.
when IL became apparent to everyone
that the city was in earnest in its de-
termination tn control the water supply
the corpora ton was brought To terms
and made an offer tn sell its plant
and rights to the city for s35 ,0oo. 0ea
This is ono of the two propositions to
he decided by today's election.
But still greater obstacles remain to
he overcome before the present project
for the municipal water supply can
become an accomplished fact. San
Francisco desires that its new water
TIetch IIetchy region. which has been
set aside by the federal government as
a national park. The scenic beauty of
Hetch Hetchy has been pronounced to
be greater than that of any other sec
ton of the country, and IL was but
natural. therefore. that the proposal OF
the city Of San Francisco to construct
dams and reservoirs within the park
should meet with vigorous protests.
measure authorizing the secretary Of
the interior TO grant rcvocable rights
for certain specified purposes. among
them reservoirs for domestic supply
works. on public reservations and
lands. and the three national parks
in California were specifically named
in the act as being amenabie to its
provisions.
MIR. Hitchcock. then secretary of the
interior. declined to make the grant.
on the ground that il would not he
compatible with the public interest to
do so. The city then appealed to Prasi-
dent Roosevelt. who. wishing to give
the city every opportunity to make
out n case. urged Secretary Hitchcock
TO reconsider In his reply to the pres
ident the secretary pointed out that
in the first place no public necessity
appeared tn exist whch would call for
and. in the second place. to the fact
that the law creating the park re-
puircd him To protect its natural curl
nsities and wonders" and to retain !
them in their natural condition. Mr.. /
Hitchcock remained mistaken in his +
position. and no progress was made. /
Nothing more was done until Mr. :
Mr.. Hitchcock retired and Mr.. Garfield |
came into office. Then the city asked
for n rehearing. which was granted
and in 1905 Secretary Garfield author !
lied the city To proceed along certain
very carefully specified lines. The !
grant authorized the city to proceed !
Mt once IL create storage basin at
Lake Eleanor. on the northeastern
border of the park. But San Francisco !
more than this to carry out its !
plans, and consequently it decided to !
take another tact. The city purchased I
about seven hundred acres of privately /
owned land within the reservation and
offered 10 exchange 1t for larger area
Of government land occupying the site
desired for the great storage reservoir.
The offer was considered at the last
session Of congress. but the opposition /
prevented any favorable action being
taken. The final onslaught To have the
offer accepted will be made Il, the j
congress now in session.
The opposition to the plans of San
Francisco 10 acquire rights in the .
Hetch Hetchy valley argues that other
Of supply might he obtained
marring the scenic beauty of
the national reservation. Those most
hostile Ia the city's plans allee. that
Hetch Hetchy is favored because it
would cost less to bring the water
fran that region and also that the
project carries with il water power
rights of incalculahle value not to be
found elsewhere. on the other hand. /
it is claimed that the engineers sur
veys have established the fact that n
supply of pure water adequate TO the
ctts's future needs can be obtained
from no ether source than the Hetch
iIetchy valley and that the opponents
Of the project aim To deprive n great
city of a pure water supply in order ;
that the scenic beauties of the national
park may remain unmarried for the
enjoyment Of n few thousand tourists.
Large attendance at revival meet
inss: increased patronage Of libraries: