Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-17
San Francisco Pleads Only for
Its Rights in HetCh- HetChy

1t is time to speak plainly about the and interests
posing the Hetchy bill evident that Senators
being imposed upon And there danger that silence may lead
to the postponement of the bill until another
The opposition stirred up by such Robert Underwood
Johnson honest opposition but it opposition of who
constitutonaly unable to view question of this kind in
sonabe light These and that covering the
floor of the Hechy with would destroy the
beauty of the spot With of them this pure assumption
since not in thousand of the sgners of Mr. johnson petit
tons ever saw the Hetch Hetchy will.
The Hetoh Hetchy the most talked of and least visited
scenic earth AS matter of fact other love nature
well does Mr. Robert Underwood Johnson and those who
much familiar with the Hetch Hetchy than he
by be quite the Hetchy will
be enhanced by turning the swampy floor of the valley into
beautiful mountain lake
But setting aside the difference of opinion the truth
mains that the needs the health and the very safety of million
American and children highly the
hec enjoyment of the three hundred who
nuay undertake the rather arduou trip Hetchy
Senators should bear in mind that the rainfall Caor-
MAS great mountain watersheds does not flow down the
in great rivers happens in the east The great bulk of the
dscend sudden freshets goes underground through
the immense gravel beds underlying the floor of the
which the twin valley the Sacramento and San Joaquin
To any real of these waters they be stored
the great agricultural valleys had sufficient rainfall for
the question of obtaining water supply for San Fran
cisco would not be That city might great aban
don Hetch Hetchy and utilize the waters of the McCoud the
Sacramento the Eel River But drop those waters is
needed in the future to serve the farmers OF the
Sacramento Valley.
But surplus waters the Tuolumne
destructive floods stored in the Hetch
Hey reservoir and drawn San Francisco for its
tenance without devng the lands of that region Of
the water the farmers need So that not only the necessities
OF the great communities clustered around San Francisco Bay
will be minered by the Hetch Heohy plan but the vital
teres of the people of the two great interior valleys will be
fairly and honestly conserved
For the HetchHetchy BILL awaiting action in the SEN
ate specifically guards the rights of the farmers to the first
of the waters and San Francisco only the stored
surplus flood waters which go to waste
And this should sufficient obtain
favorable votes San Francscos reasonable request
But Senator's there is other opposition far different in
character from the honest and mistaken opposition Mr. john
and his associates and of this should be appraised That
opposition financed and fostered by the corporations which
rights acquired careless times song and
held for sale figures And particularly this
opposition stirred corporation known the Yosemite
Power Company.
miles from the Hetch Hetchy lower down the Tue
umne stream this has of the water
in the canyon known as the Poopenaut Valley Congress
grants San Francisco the right store the Tuoumne waters
the reservoir the water rights private
poraton the filing Congress refuses that
cys request the water rights of this corporation whose hold
gs not under Federal control worth $15000000 of
ones money The difference between $3.50 and SIS OO0
Senator'S exactly the frvency and zeal and penac
of the opposition to San Francsco use of the Heo
reservoir.
This corporation San Franchises petition disregarded
same waters for PRIVATE PROFIT and will compel the city
San Francisco and the farmers of the gabe regions
more for power developed from these waters than the water
the together would cost the people of San Francisco and
farmers if you Senator's permit that city carry
great undertaking.
This is the milk the coooanut That is the Senators
perssteny beseged by mature lovers That is the
which has the real charm for these esthetc patriots
The beautiful vision which enraptures their conempave and
expecnt souls not sky and peak and clouds and
set 1t is vision of $15oOoooo in hard iron dollars
Senators of the United States you freely granted
Seattle to Portland Los Angeles the of the in Fed
era reservoirs the of the Srras the Cascades and the
Coast Mountains And the people of San Francisco reoced
with their neghbo the bounty the National Congress-
What has San Francisco done that she have
generous treatment at the hands of
ment? Why must she beg for twelve long for the
boon raciousy extended to her sisters? Are her people