The San Francisco call., 1910-03-29
PLAN APPEAL
TO TAFT FOR
HETCH HETCHY
Organized Labor Aims to Ask
President for Report Held
Secret by Ballinger
Secretary of Interiors Unjust
Stand ArOuses Joint Commit
tee to Need of Action

In the refusal OF Secretary Bal
lnger TO make public the report of his
engineers. in which it is held that the
city has no need for Hetch Hetchy. or
ganized labor Of san Francisco recog-
lizes tile utter futility Of further ap-
peals to him for fair play in this mat
Ter. hut rather than submit tamely to
what is deemed an arbitrary and Un-
Just attitude efforts viii be made to
appeal to President Taft At the next
meeting Of the Joint committee of the
san Francisco building exchange and
abor council of san Francisco tomor-
row night the matter of an appeal to
the president viii be taken up.
y intend TO bring up the subject
myself" said John J. O'COnnell, one Of
the leaders of the joint committee.
Secretary Eallinger has shown by his
stand that he is anita gonistic and preju-
diced sainst the city. II is useless
10 make any further requests of him.
The city has asked for the report twice
and i'm these requests it has but asked
for what ii should have. Both these
requests have been refused. Ballinger
Ill seems is determined 70 inconvenience
the city in every way he possibly can.
lie has refused 10 give the people Of
san Francisco the report upon fimsy
excuse that 1t is confidential but il is
cept such excuses without protest.
APPEAL TO PRESIDENT
If BaIlinEer Is determined to treat
us unfairly in regard 10 Hetch Hetchy
there is but one thing to do. and that
is 10 appeal 10 President Taft. What
the president viii do we. Of course. can
not tell. but there is belief among us
that II he consents TO give the matter
his attention he win not tolerate this
We think that if it is put TO him direct
Die viii see that justice is done to
the people Of san Francisco.
"Bs llinger. whether from ignorance
or with some idea Of placating himself
with those called nature lovers and
thereby recovering TO some extent his
waning prestige. IS opposed to the city
acquiring Hetch Hetchy. Such is my
personal opinion and the opinion of
many others We have done our best
with him and failed. Now it is up to
us 10 accept his injustice or appeal to
the president"
Just in what way the appeal viii be
made to Taft Is not decided. This will
be formulated when the question comes
UP for discussion before the committee
tomorrow night. A common sentiment
is to have the appeal go through the
regular channels with the California
senators and congressman as the me-
diun. but there is also talk of having
il taken 10 Taft by labor leaders now
IN Washington, among whom is Andrew
Furusetb.
HAYES MAY LEAD DELEGATION
should the committee decide TO ap-
peal through the California congress
sionaI and senatorial delegation in
Washington the probabilities are that
an effort will be made TO have Con-
gressmau Hayes be the spokesman.
When II became known yesterday
that the joint labor committee intended
10 discuss the question at its next
meeting other organizations and indi-
Eiduals who were planning similar pro-
ceedinEs halted in their work. feeling
that the appeal would be more forcible
II it came from the official representa-
tiVes Of organized labor in San Fran
cisco
Ia the meantime City Attorney Long
is proceeding with his work on the
citv's brief He will have il completed
by the end Of this week and, as soon as
il is printed. will forward a copy of it
to Rallinger
There exists the greatest curiosity as
to what is contained in the adverse re-
port Of Ballingers engineers, and there
is a belief that some popularity at
tached to its contents is the main rea-
son for Ballingers determination to
keep il secret