New-York tribune., 1912-02-04
NV ,relosrsph 10 The Tribune.I 7

by Telegraph 10 TIE Tribune.1
San Francisco, Feb. 3.-The first real
step toward the construction work OF the
big exposition was taken a few days ago,
when the directors ordered that BIDS be
asked for filling in a large section of the
waterfront Of the Fair site, which has been
leased from Mrs. Hermann Oelrichs and
her sister. Mrs. W. X. Vanderbilt, jr This
property consists of some forty blocks in
the heart OF the exposition site, and for a
time it was thought that the directors
would be forced 10 ebandon the plan to
locate the exposition on the harbor front
because Of the difficulty in obtaining a
lease on these forty blocks. a deal was
fixed up a short time ago by which the eX-
position managers have the right to use
the land, but they must pay all taxes from
tie date Of signing the lease until after the
exposition closes and :he buildings are re-
moved, and in addition they must pay all
costs Of every kind entailed in retaining
the land.
Mayor Rolph and his Supervisors are
keeping up their speed in handling city
business. It was decided this week 10 take
steps at once to purchase the entire Spring
Valley Water supply and distributing sys-
TEN. This company practically controls all
tho water supply adjacent to the city. 1t
has a magnificent system Of reservoirs IN
the hills south of the city and also In the
mountains across the southern end or the
ba: II also has a fine system of city dis
friouting reservoirs. The agreement Tor
the sale Of this property TO the city for
something like s33,0O0.000 was reached
few years ago, but when the matter was
submitted TO the people ex-Mayor Mccarthy
! had sufficient influence 20 defeat the pro-
s roscd bond issue and the deal fell through.
4, Tho company now wants several millions
+ more than that price, and a resolution has
! been prepared in the Board OF Supervisors
authorizing the opening Of negotiations
with the company.
Az Mayor RoIph and his men dig deeper
into the city's finances under the former
administration the worse ara the conditions
revealed. Although specific investigation so
I far has only touched the management OF
the high pressure fire protection system,
, tho grossest inefficiency has been revealed,
and there is an apparent shortage of more
than $1,o00,000. II is not charged that
there has been any theft Of city money,
only that the funds have been spent in a
most extravagant manner. and the cost Of
TIE water system will run far beyond the
eEtimates. Investigations OF the methods
pursued by ex-Mayor Mccarthy and his
Supervisors have revealed conditions that
are almost beyond belief. They had a sys-
TEN OF inspectors by which inspectors were
hired TO watch one another. There were
inside and outside inspectors on the same
sob. In fact almost any device was re-
sorted to in order TO get names on the pay
7cll. In one case a woman was carried
on the books who II was found had not
been In her Office for several months. Under
the inspiration Of Mayor Rolph scores of
heads have already gone into the basket,
and the work has only been commenced.
In order 70 undo some Of the wrong done
by tho Mccarthy gang 1t has been neces-
sary to resort TO expedients that were in
vented by Ruof when he controlled the city.
where ex-Mayor Mccarthy had filled civil
service places with useless people posi-
ti0ns have been wiped out in order to save
tho city's money.
The con1plete defeat OF William RsndoInh