The San Francisco call., 1910-02-26
Bay Cities Company Will Make
Offer to Communities of
Alameda County
DENIES ANY DESIRE TO
DRIVE OUT COMPETITOR
Peoples Water Company Now
Controls Field With Its Dis
tributing Plant
FRANK HAVENS DESAVOWS
KNOWLEDGE OF SCHEME

w YITH the reputed ability to de-
Nv velop 2O0,OOO,OOO gallons of
W water daily as supply, Viii
liam S. Tevis, president of the Bay
Cities water company, is about to
enter the cities of Alameda county
Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda
with system in competition with
the Peoples water company of Ala
media county. Tevis' plan, however.
is first to secure contracts with mu-
inequalities to supply them with water
I'm bulk or at WHOLESALE" while
each city would operate its own distri-
button system and distribute or ''re-
tail'' the. water to the individual con
sumers.
Tevis, however. denied that he
seeks to embarass the Peojlc's water
company, with which, however, he
could not but come in competition.
The development of the Tevis plan
gives new angle to the water prob
lens of San Francisco. But Tevis
insists that his scheme has nothing to
Would Inspire Opponents
But the assertion by the Bay Cities
water company that it had supply
of 20OQO0OOO gallons of water would
be inspiration for the Spring Valley
advocates in Washington, who would
use the Bay Cities as an illustration
in support of the argument that there
were other available waters than the
Hetch Hetchy and Tuolumne supply
accessible to San Francisco.
Several years ago the Tevis inter-
ests offered to sell to the city of Oak
land 100000 gallons a day, to be
distributed by the city. This plan
failed to carry at a bond elction
The new plans of the Bay Cities
company were admitted yesterday by
both President William S. Tevis and
c. E. Filman, chief engineer of the
company.
In Alameda county it is considered
that the decision of Tevis to develop
his company as a practical competitor
of the Peoples water company is a
consequence of the failure of Tevis
and the Havens-Bowles syndicate to
reach conclusion of interests.
Frank c. Havens of the Peoples
water company said last evening that
he knew nothing about the plans and
aspirations of the Tevis interests, be-
yond having knowledge that Tevis
had large water interests.
Proposition Ready
William S Tevis discussed his plan
very freely He said:
I'VE are prepared to make PROPOSE
tions to sell water to the municipali-
ties on the east side of the bay, to
Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda. We
have the water and have been promised
money to develop our system as soon
as we get customers. Our plans for
the present do not contemplate a dis
tributing system
Il have offered Oakland. Alameda
and Berkeley the opportunity of get
which we hold. II those cities or any
of them are willing to take advantage
of the opportunities I am willing 10
proceed with our work. We shall do
no injury to any going concern (the
Peoples water company. Our plan is
an ordinary business proposition.
II will offer an opportunity to buy to
any one who wants to contract with
the company. At the present time we
will take up only contracts with muni-
cipalities. But if the cities do not wish
to buy we viii so outside and sell to
any one who wishes to be supplied
Will Meet the Demand
Il am willing to develop as rapidly
as the custmors require. I have the
water, and in the end it is only a ques-
tion of customers. I am not going to
deevlop ahead of the demand; am not
going to take chance on that.
I'VE have properties capable of de-
veloping 200, 100000 gallons of water.
These properties are in the Sierras. in
Coyote creek district and we have six
or seven other sources. We have water
in Contra Costa county. in Santa Clara
county and in other counties.
IF the cities of Alameda county de-
sire to buy we will bring water to them