The San Francisco call., 1910-01-13
Spring Valley Purchase
Is Labor Movement Policy

hoped for in any action that saVofs
of an attempt to depress or DESTROY
the legitimate value of the proper
ties of the existing water corpora
ton. One of the most serious biuh-
ders of the present campaign is the
assumption, in fact, the open decla-
ration, that by voting for the Lake
Eleanor proposition and against
Spring Valley we shall force the
latter to sell at low figure.
At any rate, the opportunity to
secure municipal ownership of water
now is involved in the proposal TO
bond the city for $35 200 900 for the
purchase of the Spring valley
property. Failure to support that
proposal will defer municipal own
ership for at least 10, and probably
for Is or 20 years. Those who are
content to do politics" on the water
question may regard such a prospect
with equanimity, but no right mind
ed citizen should tolerate the exist
ing condition a moment longer than
is necessary.
For 43 years the people of San
Francisco have been ''at law ana
lin politics" on the water question.
During that period four attempts
have been made to secure municipal
ownership, which attempts have
failed, owing to the refusal OF the
company to submit its price. AT any
time until within the last few weeks
the citizens would have jumped at
the chance 70 secure possession of
the water supply upon almost any
conditions. Whatever may be the
reasons for the change OF heart IN
certain quarters, that change is not
explained by the ostensible reasons
offered to the public.
The writer can not believe that
the attitude assumed by certain eler
ments of the labor movement In san
Francisco is truly representative or
its membership at large. On the
contrary, it is likely that the mem
bers of that movement will vote in
accordance with their oft expressed
principles on the subject and that
they Will join with other elements
of the community in relieving the
city from the menace that now over
walton, the certainty of stunted
growth and the curse of political
agitation and corruption.
1t is not conceivable that the
members of the labor movement,
who, of all classes, pride themselves.
and rightly, upon their intelligence
and public spirit in the treatment of
public questions. will stand in op-.
position to the greatest enterprise in
the history of the city, an enterprise
upon which depends the, health, COM
fort and progress of every man.
woman and child. Certainly the or
ganized workers ought to be above
the pettiness and short sightedness
of biting off the nose to spite the
face" i. e., voting against the Spring
Valley purchase in order to spite
that corporation.
The writer will not believe, at
least until the fact is demonstrated.
that the labor movement of San
Francisco, which has throughout its
whole history declared in favor OF
municipal ownership, is in reality
against that principle, or in favor of
it only when principle is conjoined
with political expediency and ambi
ton. On the contrary, the writer.is
confident that every good union man
and good citizen will vote to relieve
the city of the incubus now resting
upon it, thus demonstrating in prac-
tice his loyalty to one of the first
principles of the labor movement.
Don't let it be said that organized
labor was responsible for the defeat
Of municipal ownership of water.
Vote for both propositions tomor-
row. A vote for Heteh Hetchy and
against Spring Valley means NUM-
cipal ownership of water 10 years
henee-if ever. A vote for both
propositions means municipal own
srship now, Give US water from the
Hetch Hetchy as soon as possible,
but don't deny us all the water
available from existing sources at
he present moment.
90 q