The San Francisco call., 1910-01-09
BONDED INDEBTEDNESS
AND WATER SUPPLY

The bonded Indebtedness of the city
at the present time, lncludlnS ponds
aut horized. sold and unsoid, lncludlns
the Geary Street railway, is S2f,2SS,OOO.
There are questions now pendlng
which viii require the action OF our
citizens on Friday next, January II,
1910 and if these questions are not
treated in a careful and lnteIilgenl
manner they viii involve the city IN
endless litigation and reiard LOT iilailg ~
years TO come the general and sectiohal
improvements, OF when our CITY Is IA
great need. as well as the rehaplllta-
tion of our city hail
provides: No Indebtedness shall be IN
Cured for the acquisition OF any pubnc
utility under the provisions OF TINS ar
ticle, which, together with the existing
bonded Indebtedness of the city ana
county shall exceed at anyone time
Is per centum of the assessed value OF
all real and personal property IN the
city and county.
personal property in the city and coun-
Jy OF san Francisco for the year 1909
1910 is S492, ,S67, ,039. and Is per cent OF
that amount is $73,930,000.
Therefore if our bonded indebtedness
incurred shall exceed the amount al
lowed. $73.930. 600, such action shall be
void The seriousness of the situation
becomes manifest in this. The bonded
Indebtedness to be incurred relates TO a
water supply. For several years the
city has been endeavoring to acquire q
the present question relates 10 that
supply Should the city at this time
decline to avail itself OF this bountltul
supply of pure mountain water, 1t Is
questionable when the opportunity viii
again. if ever, present itself
Our national government has eX-
tended certain privileges, grants and
rights to the city and county of San
Francisco conditioned upon the citizens
Of San Francisco expressing their ap-
provaI by the adoption of this bond
issue on or before January 90. 1910. If
the city does not avail itself or TINS
supply at this time, then the aforesaid
rights and privileges VIII expire by
limitation.
the holding of the recent election, the
status of the Hetch Hetchy water ques-
tiOn. Immediately following the cleo
ton. the Spring Valley water company.
realizing the impending danger to a
hitherto uninterrupted reign of sue
cessful domination of municipal ad-
ministrations, took immediate steps.
with the cooperation of a friendly out
going administration, to have the queS-
tion OF the purchase of the Spring VAL
ley plant in the sum of 35,0O0,O0O
presented 10 the people for their action.
The question has been so ARA nged,
that in its presentation to the voters.
it is not alone an alternative PROPOSE
ton, but both an alternative and com
bined proposition The Spring Valley
company is aware that our people will
demand the Hetch Hetchy plan, and
have so arranged it. that if Hetch
Hetchy is carried and Spring Valley as
well, the Spring Valley proposition
carries with it a portion of the Hetch
Hetchy plan.
Herein lies the danger. If the Hetch
Hetchy plan is adopted in the sum of
S45 600 600. this sum added to the pres
pnt Indebtedness of $27,2S9,O00 will
amount to s72,2Ss. .000 or $1,611. 600 less
than the limit of bonded Indebtedness.
If the Hetch Hetchy plan is adopted
an1 also the Spring Valley proposition
Is sdonted in the sum of $35,000, 900
then only 523,00O.000 of the Hetch
Hetchy will DC incurred, making a total
of S5S. 600 600 for both.
This latter sum added to the present
bonded Indebtedness in the sum of S27,-
$4,000 viii make grand total of $685.