Evening star., 1912-11-23
Frisco Officials Desire Use of
Hetch Hetchy Valley.
CALL AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Claims to Be Laid Before Secretary
Fisher Monday.
PRESIDENT TAFT KEPT BUSY
Many Callers Received, Including
Speaker Clark-Three National
Committeeman See Executive.

The long-pending question Of SAN Fran
cisco's water supply was taken up again
at the White House today by an impor-
tant delegation from that city and will
be fought out Monday before Secretary
Fisher of the Interior Department Mayor
Rolph and ex-Mayor Phelan are among
those In Washington to present the mat
ter. The big Pacific coast city's cry for
water is founded upon the necessity for
federal aid.
San Francisco is asking the privilege OF
taking its water from the IIetch iictchy
valley, which is located within the io-
semitic National Park. but is not part
of the picturesque Yosemite valley
Twelve years ago the Pacific coast me-
tropolis inaugurated this plan 10 bring
Sierra water into its arid peninsula \
succession of distractions has been placed
before the city. Now Secretary Fisher i
going to hear all that can be said on the
subject. The district desiring additional
water includes San Francisco. Oak and.
Berke. .ey, Alameda, San Mateo and other
cities.
At present Oakland and San Francisco
are receiving an Inadequate supply cf
water. ii is said. and the development
and growth Of these cities retarded
because of limited water:
Source of Opposition.
The city officials of San Francisco al
lege that the real opposition to the per
nit sought from the Interior Department
is created by the Spring Valley Water
Company which now has monopoly
of water distribution in San Francisco.
The water cou. .pany wants a much larger
sum for It's p ant than the city is willing
TO pay San r francisco and Oakland are
,s&, .-fa aynrA la nj
ed States which do not own their own
water supplies. The cities are anxious
and willing. the officials say. TO buy the
existing water system, but the corpora
tiOns will not a. rec to sell at a price
that is acceptable.
To compel the municipality to pay its
price the water monopoly has created.
according to the cities representatives, a
false belief that the city is attemp-in ing
to acquire from the United States gov
ernment one of the beauty spots of the
Serras, thus depr.ving nature lovers or
one of their chief joys. San Francisco
meets this movement with the argument
| that 1t is much better to convert a mos
| quito-breeding ravine into a magnificent
| lake than to leave 1t as an impenetrable
and uninhabitable gorge in the crest Of
the Sierras.
Possible Water Supply.
The Hetch Hetchy valley, which the
of 4OO,OCO,C0O gallons day when fully de-
veloped, and the cost would be si5.ooo.ocO.
San Francisco is prepared to go ahead
with this project.
Mayor Roiph. Mr.. Phelan. City Engi-
neer NJ NJ. Shaughnessy and several
assistants, City Attorney Percy V. Long
and two assistants, Assistant City Attor-
ney Charles A. Beardsley of Oak and and
j. III. Dockweiler, water expert for the
city Of Oak and. are TO appear before
Secretary Fisher.
The presentation on behalf of San
Francisco VIII be in general charge of
John r. Freeman, the hydraulic engineer
of Providence.
The city agrees that the Hetch Hetchy
valley shall be open at ali times to camp
ers and tourists, and proposes to build
| roads to make the Hetch Hetchy valley
accessible to tourists. These roads alone
will cost s2.oGO,aO0. At present the Hetch
Hetchy valley is practically inaccessible
Taft Has Many Visitors.
President Taft was in the executive Of
fees today for the first time in several
days and was kept busy receiving callers
and attending to work he has delayed
while he has been debating on his annual
message.
Speaker Clark was an early visitor. He
was accompanied by his daughter, Miss
Genevieye CLARK. The Speaker said h
merely desired To pay his respects and
had no business to lay before the Presi-
dent. Richard kerens. ambassador OF
the Cnited States to Austria-1un- AIRY.
made q farewell call. saying that lie ex-
poets to sail from New York next Tues
day to return to his post.
Three republican national committee
men-Thomas X. NiedIinghaus OF Mis-
souri,, Senator Newell Sanders of Ten
nessee and Henry Jackson of Georgia
were visitors to the White House. They
saw the President and conferred with
Secretary Hiles as to political cond tions.
Fred II. Abbott. acting commissioner OF
Indian affairs, was also at the White
House. There are suggestions that Sec
retary Fisher will ask the President to
promote Mr.. Abbott to fill the vacancy
made by the resignation of Mr. Valen-
tine.