The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 4, 1902, Page 6

THE SAN FRANCUISCO CALL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1902 SATURDAY...........0 e PR JANUARY 4, 1902 JOHN D. SPRECKELS. Proprietor. fdrees All Commenications to W. 8. LEAKE, Marater. MANAGER’S OFFICE :..Telephone Press 204 PUBLICATION .Market and Third, S. F. Telepho! Press 201. EDITORIAL ROOMS. ....217 to 221 Stevenson St. Telephone Press 202. Delivered by Carriers. 15 Cents Per Week. Single Copies. 5 Cents. Terms by Mail. Including Postage: OFFICE SUNDAY CALL. One Yesr. WEEKLY CALL, One Year. All postmasters are auihorized to receive subscriptions. Sample coples Will be iorwarded when requested. DAILY CALL @nciuding Sunday), one year. .00 DAILY CALL Oncluding Su:.day). ¢ 1 onths. .00 DAILY CALL (including Sunday), 3 months .50 DAILY CALL—By Single Month 1&: 1.00 Maf) subscribers in orderiig change of address should be particular to give both NEW AND OLD ADDRESS in order o insure a prompt and correct compliance With their request. OAKLAND OFFICE ...1118 Broadway C. GEORGE KROGNESS. azager Poreign Advertising, Marguette Building, Chiesg. (Long Distance Telephone “‘Central 2615.”) NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT: C. C. CARLTON..... .. Herald Square NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE: STEPHEN B. SMITH 30 Tribune Building NEW YORK N STANDS: Waldorf-Astoria Hotel; A. Brentano, 31 Muorray Hill Hotel CHICAGO NEWS STANDS: ° Sberman House; P. O. News Co.; Great Northern Hotel: Fremont House; Auditorium Hotel. WASHINGTON (D. C.) OFFICE. ...1406 G St., N. W. MORTON E. CRANE, Correspondent. BRANCH OFFICES—S527 Montgomery, corner of Clay, open untll 8:30 o'clock. 00 Hayes, open until 9:30 o'clock. 633 McAllister, open until 9:30 o'clock. 615 Larkin, open until #:30 o'clock. 1341 Mission, open untll 10 o'clock. 2261 Market, eorner Sixteenth, open until 9 o'clock. 1086 Valencia, open until 8 o'clock. 106 Eleventh, open until 9 o'clock. NW. corner Twenty-second and Kentucky, open until 3 o'clock. 230 Filimore, open until % . m. AMUSEMENTS. Central—““The Two Sisters. Alcazar—*“Charley’s Aunt.” Columbja—*Janice Mereditb."” Orpheum—Vaudeville. Grand Opera-house—"'A Lady of Quality.” California—"Black Patti Troubadors.” Tiveli—*Little Red Riding Hood.” Chutes, Zoo and Theater—Vaudeville every afternoon and evening. Fischer's—Vaudeville, Central Park—Vasco Ball Game. Recreation Park—PEaseball. Sherman-Clay Hall—Piano Recital Saturday afternoon. Oakland Racetrack—Races to-day. Union Square; MILITARY DISCIPLINE. HE sharp reproof of General Miles by the Sec- Trc:ary of War for remarks approving the con- clusions of Admiral Dewey in the Schley case has proved interesting to civilians. The Schley hearing was a public and official mat- ter. Admiral Dewey presided over the court of in- quiry with commendable firmness and fairness. If’ the Balance tipped it was not his fault. As president of the court he was compelled by the regulations fo certify the findings by his signature. With the find- ings, however, he did not agree. They represented the judgment of the two other admirals who, with Dewey, composed the court. As they did not record his full judgment how was Admiral Dewey to make his dissent known to the service and the country? Obviously only one way was open, and that the separate expression of his opinion. He would have held a questionable place in history had he signed the findings and, after his official function had ceased, had stated his differing judgment. In such case he would have laid himself liable to discipline for unoffi- cial criticism of a judgment in which he had appar! ently concurred officially. He did the only thing left possible to a brave officer and honest gentleman in his situation. His expression was therefore the offi- cial utterance of the president of the court, in dis- sent from his colleagues. Civilians are not yet able to see just why General Miles’ comment on that public and official record was an injurious violation of army discipline. Among civilians the question runs, Would he have been harshly reproved and humiliated if he had dissented from Dewey's view and rebuked him for its expression? The Army and Navy Journal, the organ of the united service, expresses the opinion that Secretary Root’s humiliation of General Miles in a published order was not only unjustified but was itself a viola- tion of the articles of war. Such an act toward the general of the army is held by the Journal to be dis- tinctly 2 punishment that could be legally adminis- tered only after the officer receiving it had been con- victed by a court-martial, and thcre is evidence that this view is approved by army officers. The older men among them recall the trying experiences many worthy soldiers had during the reign of Secretary Stanton, who during the Civil War did not hesitate to treat even President Lincoln with indignity, and who sometimes seemed to infict humiliation upon officers for the mere pleasure of showing his temper and his power. The country is not in the highly passionate condition *vhich characterized that period and will not accept a return to methods that were then a part*of the whirlwind — In all the turmoil and hubbub of the Venezuelan row President Castro has at least one congratulation; he is friends with nobody. With a revolution on his hands, with France, Germany and England clamor- ing at his doors and the United States standing dis- dainfully by. Mr. Castro may take what pleasure he pleases in the thought that he has made a world of cneshies, DAL S When the United States did not wish to purchase the Danish West Indies the people of the islands voted almost unanimously for annexatjon, but now that we are willing to buy them it is said the fickle people object: and we may never get them to con- sent again unless we make up our minds not to an- nex them on any terms. In a frolic recently given by a party of young‘ ladies for their exclusive entertainment two bad boys robed as girls sneaked in and had the humiliation of being discovered by the size of their feet. It is un- fortunate that the affair did not take place in Chi- cago. The new year looks as if it might be quiet for some months at least, but all the same it is just as well to remember that Congress is in session and the Populists of Kansas #re going to have a convention, There are many doubts as to what Congress will co in regard € most of the problems before it, but it scems conceded it will get away with the surplus, H {stand against any abatement of the existing tariff? CALIFORNIA SUGAR. OW do our California members of Congress stand on free Cuban sugar? Will they not only refuse to vote for free sugar, but also Governor Taft of the Philippines has suggested a reduction of 50 per cent in the existing sugar tariff as applied to the Philippine product. The junta has seized upon this and is ready to fall back upon it for Cuban sugar if routed from their demand for free trade. The proposition should not be accepted, either for the Philippines or Cuba. The California members should hear from home on this subject. This State has many peculiar interests at stake. Our fruit and its products need the intelligent attention of our members, to the end that preducers may not suf- fer from sentimental reciprocity planned in behalf of manufacturers and pleaded as a means of enlarg- ing their exports. Our beet sugar industry is the junior of our agricultural family. It adds a valuable crop for rotative use of land. As wheat declines sugar takes its place. Our sugar profit may soon equal that of wheat and fruit combined. To supply the domestic consumption of sugar in this country will require 40,000,000 acres of land and employ thereon 400,000 people. Dg our members comprehend the importance of such an industry and will they stand by it against the War Department, the generals and the junta? We appeal to the press of this State to get into action and to rouse the people. So far but one gen- eral demand has been made upon our delegation. They are under instructions to re-enact the Chinese exclusion law. That is an issue in every Congres- sional district in the State, upon which every member must answer to his immediate constituency. But beet sugar is not yet grown in every district. Some members may yield to the pressure which is pulver- izing a Cabinet and bringing into action the guns of the War Department, in the expectation of justifying themselves at home upon the plea that their districts were not interested in the subject. But this will not be a correct statement. Every acre in beets anywhere in California is withdrawn as a productive competitor of an acre elsewhere that will yield more profit to its owner in another crop. The interests of a great State like this cannot be segregated. They wax or wane together. Certain Eastern papers which oppose free sugar are already proposing a compromise. The Chicago Tribune says, truly and forcibly, that the agents of the junta “will argue that the revenues of the Gov- ernment are too large, and that no simpler or better method of reducing them can be found than that of taking off the sugar duty. The natural reply to such an argument as this is that tampering with the/sugar duty to reduce the 1cvenues has been tried before. It was resorted to in 1890, so that high duties on manufactured goods might be retained. The conse- quences were disastrous. A surplus became a deficit. The Republican party surely will not be guilty of the same blunder twice. The revenues are excessive. The way to reduee them is to take off the war taxes which remain on the statute books. These were im- posed with the implied understanding that when the war ended they would be taken off. The people would much rather get rid of them than of a sugar tax they do not feel.” All that is sound and sensible. It is unanswerable. It states the situation with great clearness. But in the same editorial the Tribune walks right into the last ditch of the junta by saying: “The duty on'raw sugar should remain as it is, with one proviso. That is, it may be expedient to admit Cuban sugar on terms more favorable than those given to other for- eign sugars.” That is the compromise to which the junta intends to retreat, and it should be resisted just as firmly as the picket line of free sugar is resisted. The fight will soon be on in both houses of Con- gress, The country is flooded with the specious statements of the junta. The organization is perfect and works day and night. The farmers of the coun- try are great, but unorganized, and their side is un- heard except in the papers friendly to their cause. In each State they should take care of their members of Congress. How is it with California? How do our members stand? A short dispatch from St. Petersburg announces the dismissal of the superintendent of a school in Finland because he refused to introduce into the cur- riculum a scheme of studies including forty lessons a week in Russian. That look.s as if the task of teach- ing the Finns to be Russians was being carried out briskly. At the rate of forty lessons a week, backed by the birch rod, a child would probably learn Rus- sian pretty pronto whether he wished to or not. A new ‘banking law may be derived from the statement that from the enactment of the gold standard law, on March 14, 1900, down to the close of November last there has been a net increase of 692 national banks, located 4n well nigh every part of the country. The increase is the more notable because a good many of the older banks have closed up or consolidated with others during the period. More- over, the full benefits of the law have not yet been attained, for recent reports from Washington an- nounce that in the first half of December ten addi- tiogal national banks were chartered, and the Comp- troller’s office has on file upward of 100 approved ap- plications for charters. The increase in the number of banks has not been accompanied by anything like a proportionate in- crease in the amount of capital invested. That is due to the fact that most of the new banks have been es- tablished under the clause of the law which for the first time authorized the establishment of national banks with a capital of less than $50,000. Within the interval under consideration there have been chartered 518 such banks, having an aggregate capi- tal of $13,550,500, forming about two-thirds of the total number of new banks, but having less than one- third of their aggregate capital. It is to be noted'that while the smaller banks have as a rule been established: for the purpose of getting the benefits of circulating notes, the larger banks have not had that object in view. A report from Washington says: “The bonds deposited to secure circulation by the smaller banks were $4,731,600 in par value, or a little more than one-third of the capi- tal of the banks. In the case of the larger banks the bonds deposited were only $6,872,500 in par value, or considerably less than 25 per cent of capital.” The increase in the number of national banks does not represent an equal increase in the number of banks in the country, as many of them have but tuken the places of other banking institutions. Be- tween the passage of the gold act and the close of last Ncvember 108 State banks, with a total capital of $8,240,000, were converted into national banks. One gratifying feature of the operation of the law BANKING FACILITIES. N estimate of the beneficial effectiveness of the is that it has increased the banking facilities of dis- tricts of the country remote from the great finan- cial centers. Thus a larger number of the new na- tional banks have been established in Texas than in any other State. Other sparsely settled States also make'a good showing, and it seems safe to conclude tha’ the law is working beneficially to the whole country. The offer of the Panama company to sell their canal to the United States for $40,000,000 has been favorably received by many influential papers in the East, and there is danger it may lead to another de- lay in beginning the work. Those who favor the Nicaragua route and wish to have the enterprise un- dertaken at once must prepare to work lively. ALASKAN POSSIBILITIES. CCORDING to reports from Paris a number A of enterprising men in that city are endeav- oring to enlist capital to undertake the con- struction of a railway to connect the Siberian sys- tem with American roads so as to open a through line from Paris to New York. It is said a number of Americans and Russians are interested in the en- terprise, which is described as being feasible and cer- tain to be profitable. The proposed route has been discussed in a specu- lative way for a long time. In fact, ever since the Russian Government entered earnestly upon the gigantic task of constructing a railway across Siberia the thought that the line might be eventually brought into close connection with American lines has been in the public mind. The unexpectedly large traffic that has followed the building of the Siberian line kas had the effect .of reviving the greater project from time to time and giving it an increased amount of attention from practical men. Of late the extraordinary development of Alaska has further strengthened the hopes of the advocates of such a connecting line between the two continents, so that the Paris reports may mean the beginning at least of a serious effort to accomplish the project. There can be no question that the frozen north is much richer than was supposed by ‘even the best in- formed people a few years ago. The Russians them- selves did not know the wealth of Siberia nor the | profits’ that would accrue from the construction of a railway across its vast plains, The road was under- taken mainly for military purposes. No great amount of traffic was looked for, and accordingly it was constructed as inexpensively as possible. No sooner, however, was the Siberian country opened up than traffic increased, and American Consuls in Rus- sia have reported that one of the reasons for the slow advance of the line is that large stretches of it have had to be torn up and relaid with heavier rails and stronger roadbeds to accommodate the traffic that so unexpectedly sprung up. That Alaskan railways, through the mining regions at any rate, would prove even more profitable than the Siberian line can hardly be questioned. The re- cent explorations of the country have proven it to be one of the richest mineral regions in the world. Gold is by no means the only m ' that could be profitably mined if once railways constructed to provide cheap freights between the seaboard and the interior. In his recent report upon Alaska the Secretary of the Interior, after giving statistics of the output of gold, says: “Silver and platinum have been found in paying quantities, and there have been allegations of the discovery of tin and cinnabar. Mountains' of iron are available, but very little attention is paid to iron on account of the search for gold. Copper mines have been opened upon the shores of Prince William Sound, Prince of Wales Island and Dall Isl- and. The Governor expresses the opinion that the mining interests of Alaska have become so extensive and valuable as to rerder advisable the appointment of a Commissiener of Mines, whose duty would be to exercise general supervision over the mining operations of -the district, to protect mining compa- nies against unjust litigation for damages, and to re- quire the companies to conform to regulations pre- scribed for the protection of miners.” Such being the case, it is certain that while the effort now being made in Paris to induce capitalists to enter upon a comprehensive scheme for connect- ing-our railway system with that of Russia may fail, a good deal of railway construction will be under- taken in the immediate future in Alaska. Thus there will be formed a northern movement of American lines which sooner or later will have comparatively close connection with the Russian roads. The great undertaking as a whole may therefore be accom- plished by piecemeal, as it were, in a period compara- tively short. There was a time when it was sup- posed that a railroad across what was called “the American desert” would be unprofitable. In that desert there are now established some of the most prosperous of American communities. The Alaskan wilds may prove in the end to be as profitable to railway construction 2s was the so-called desert. Since Towa has two members in the Cabinet she has been blowing a little too much to please Massa- chusetts, and so a Boston paper rises to remark that | Secretary Hay has his summer home in New Hamp- shire, Secretary Shaw was born and reared in Ver- mont, Secretary Long lives in Massachusetts and Secretary Payne was born there, and, finally, Secre- tary Hitchcock .was educated in New England. Upon that showing it is expected Iowa will go way back and sit down. —_— It is said to have been decided that Congress will not send a delegation to attend the coronation of King Edward. There are lots of members of the two houses who would enjoy the junket, but hone of them has a court dress, and, what is more, none of them ‘would dare face his constituents at the next election after having worn one. St i Because a Pawnee medicine man dreamed he saw an immense herd of buffaloes coming over the plains of Oklahoma the Pawnee braves have concluded they must drive the whites out to make way for the ani- mals, and now there is a row which will be serious unless the medicine man can whirl in and dream that the white men have left. — A Chicago Judge has decided that a man who has a job paying $25 a week can afford to get married, and by parity of reasoning it would seem that a loss of the job would entitle him to divorce. These Chi- cago Judges have bright ideas, gnd if all their deci- sions -were printed there would never be any lack of American humor. That railroad earnings are all right this year is matle evident by the fact that George Gould has thought it worth while to tell the country that he is an optimist. . The rainfall in December is 'said tg have been the smallest since 1878. It gave us a glorious Christmas season, but now we would like a change. 3 « % b SUGGESTS A CHARTER AMENDMENT TO ENABLE PRIVATE WATER SUPPLY (The Call does not hold itselt responsible for the opinions published below, but presents them for Whatever value they may have to its readers.) Sierra Nevada Mountains, any one of which will give to San Francisco a pure never-failing supply of water to meet the anticipatable requirements of a millioi populaticn. Two of these sources could meet the anticipatable requirements of two million or more of population. The engineering problem of bringing Water from any of these sources is not difficult. Noth- ing in the way of construction is required to be done that is not already an accomplished successful construction iIn other water Works. The ‘pipe lines are long, but longer omes are in use elsewhere already. The pressures on the pipes projected would be less than on Water supply pipes already in use. The pipes would be of larger diameter, but there are larger diameters in use in the water supply of nearby citfes. insignificant structures when compared with dams built for the water supply of other cities. The condults have to be tunnels for greater or less distances, but other water sup- Ply systems now have longer and more diffi- cult tunnels in service. The conduits would cross rivers and it may be the San Franciseo Bay. Other citles bring their water supplies under or through rivers, lakes and bays, under severer conditions and for longer distances than Wwould be required here. There s no physical condition in the general problem of bringing a water supply to San Francisco from the Slerra Nevada Mountains that necessitates the fantastic plans proposed by the City Engineer. There is no real occa- slon for the childish fears of unknown dan- gers with which he seeks to justify his plans. The public should not be deceived by the City Engineer’s and the Board of Public Works' in- firmities of effort. The cost of bringing a water supply from the Sterra Nevada Mountains is readily deter- minable. The pipes and excavation are mea: ureable quantities. Both can be bought at prices which are readily and accurately known. It is not necessary to build the works for the people who will live in San Francisco in i distant future. Those people can pay for their own water works. The people here to- day do all that the future can in reason expect When they provide for that futire its source of supply and pay for it for the tuture. So far as works for bringing the water to the city are concerned it is nelther business nor necessity which would require more than what would supply the people here now. A private enterprise for profit would certainly do no more than this and the city should not. The water supply that this city needs now can be brought to it from the moutnains, ex- cluding the cost of a city distributing system, from the five possible sources In the Sierra Ne- vada Mountains, for from $10,000,000 for the nearest to not more than $17,000,000 for the most remote. No private company would pro- vide works other than such that these sums would pay the cost which Includes contractors’ profits of construction. The city should not do more or pay more than a private corporation. Official Estimates Not Justified. The so-called estimates of cost of the City Engineer and Board of Public Works ranging from $31,205,200 to $39,400,000 have no justifi- cation in engineering business or morality. They are simply a scandalous fraud on the tax- payers of San Francisco who have paid $50,000 for a pretense of what was expected for the money, The bringing in of water from the Sierra Ne- vada Mountains by private capital is possible, but two difficulties are in the way that make it improbable that it would be undertaken. There is an existing condition as well that may make it impossible. The first difficulty that would deter private enterprise is the bellef that the power of the Board of Supervisors in fixing water rates might be exerclsed to practically confiscate the investment or at least impair its earning power. The belief is based on the annual wrangle with the Spring Valley Water Works and the difficulty Oakland has with the Contra Costa Water Company. While a new company with water In its works and with no water in its in- vestment would not come in conflict with DITOR of The Call: There are at least five sources of water supply in the L e M Al o o e e e a3 ANSWERS TO. QUERIES. HANDBALL—S., City. If in playing hangball the ball hinders one of the play- ers and hits up in the court it should be played over again. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA—Tech- nique, Stockton, Cal. This department suggests that you read “Antony and Cleopatra” for the answers to the several questions asked. THREE-CENT PIECE—J. C. F., Oak- land, Cal. Eastern catalogues show that dealers offer from 25 to 50 cents for a sil- ver three-cent piece of 1865, according to the state of preservation it is in. LABORERS' WAGES—Subscriber, Orin- da. The question asked in relation to the amount a laborer can collect from a firm he has been working for is not sufficient- 1y clear to enable this department to un- derstand what you desire to know. CHILDREN'S GARMENTS—Subscrib- er, Sonoma, Cal. A person who makes children’s garments apd then goes from house to house offering to sell such be- comes a peddler and must have a license. There is, however, no objection to secur- ing orders and delivering the goods. A FRENCH QUOTATION—Reader, City. The quotation submitted is from the French of Montesquieu (1689-1755) and is to be found in his ‘‘Pensees Diverses.” Translated it is: “I have heard Cardinal Imperiali say: ‘There is no man whom fortune does not visit once in his life; but when she does not find him ready to receive her she walks in at the door and flies out at the window.’ "’ ANTS—J. C. F., Oakland, Cal. It is said that a few leaves of green wormwood scattered among the haunts of black ants will dislodge and disperse them. Such may be destroyed by the use of an infu- sion of four ounces of quassia chips boiled for ten minutes in a gallon of water and then add four ounces of soft soap. This should be squirted into the places where the pests congregate. Powdered borax, it is said, will, if sprinkled around infected places, exterminate both red and black ants. —_——— Californians in New York. NEW YORK, Jan. 3.—The following Californians are in New York: From San Francisco—G. A. Knight, H. G. Tann and wife, I. 1. Levitt, W. Ries, at the Albert; J. L. Flood, Miss C. J. Flood, W, H. Laboyteaux and wife, A. B. Blake, at the Holland; M. D. Judah, at the Broadway Central; A. Clark, Miss Clark, at the Netherland; F. C. Corcoran and wife, at the Metropolitan; G. B, Hecht, W. B. Morrison, at the Manhat- tan; Miss H. Lund, at the Grand Union; Dr. McGallyendy ‘and wife, at the Herald Square. ¢ From Los Angeles—M. Hartranft, at the Gilsey; A. S. Rouse and wife, at the Ash- land; Mrs. Davidson, at the Cadillac. From Oakland—C. Crowell, at the Im- perial. From San Jose—E. Haven, at the Hoff- man. From Santa Clara—L. L. Morse, at the Manhattan. —_——— Californians in Washington. WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.—The following Californians have arrived at the hotels: Shoreham—P. C. Perkins; Raleigh—L. H. Boch and C. L. Wilcox; National-J. V. Young, San Francisco. St. James—S. V. Morden, Los Angeles. —_—— Choice candies, Townsend's, Palace Hotel.* —_—— Esx. strong hoarhound candy. Townsend's® ———e— Cal. Glace Fruit 50c per ib at Townsead’s. * pible: s oSl end Spintd Special ;:lm'mlfln supplied dally to business houses and public men bi the Press Bureau (Allen’s), 510 gomery street. Telephone :w'flm ; Dams have to be built, but they are | boards of supervisors, the belief is not re- movable with the law as it stands. As it’ is, ‘there is no rule to limit the acts of the Board of Supervisors. They must deter- mine the valuation of the investment and then must determine a fair compensation or Inter- est rat: on it. Finally, they fix rates, dis- tributirg the payment of the compensation amorg the consumers. The Investment is thus made a variable quantity for Which there is no fixed rule of estimation. Experience has { shown that "the current rate of interest is essily ascertainable, and not disputed to any gerious extent as being a fair measure of com- pensation. The investment valuation, however, is, as experience has demonstrated, an uncer- tain matter in the absence of a rule for esti- mating it. Really its ascertainment should be a purely formal matter, incapable of being made, the subject of a dispute. If eliminated as a disputable matter and made matter of record the writer believes private capital could | be induced to consider a proposition to bring | water into San Francisco from the Slerra Ne- vada Mountains. To effect its elimination the writer has pre- pared the following rule for estimating the valuation of a water works for the fixing of water rates, which is suggested as an amend- ment to the charter: Proposed Charter Amendment. Ada to section 14, chapter-2, of the charter, the following: Provided, that In the exercise of the powers named in this section the Supervisors may consider the investment of any person or per- sons, company or corporation engaged in the business of supplying water to the municipality of San Francisco and the inhabitants thereof, and that such investment so under considera- tion shall be limited to the following elements, viz (a)—The money cost of lands, structures and machinery actually in use-in whole or in | part in the storing and diversion of water from its natural channels or situs and in the con- veying or distributing of the water to the city and county of San Francisco, and the in- | habitants thereof. (b)—Additionally to this money cost, the value of the franchise or water rights, which is hereby declared to be the capitalized sum based on the net earning power of the water delivered, after deducting from the gross earn- ing power Interest at the rate of five (3) ver cent on the cash investment aforesald anu the scina! ogerating in Sae a0 tlaxaton expenses. (c)—That for the purpose of determining the gross earning power, the amount of twelve and one-half (1214) cents for each and every 1000 gallons delivered and distributed during the preceding year is declared the just and reasonable price for water and 5 per cent the Just and reasonable basis of estimation of the capitalization. Provided further, however, that the momey cost shall be inclusive of legal interest during the period of construction for utilization; that no value earned, or claimed to be earned by special use in connection with water supply shall be considered as part of the money cost; that riparian rights, lands solely watershed lands, or works for filtering or purifying water shall not be considered part of the investment cost; that if part oniy of the service of any of the works shall be actually devoted to the supply of water to San Francisco, then only the proportionate part of the cost of such part of the works shall be counted as partaking of the investment, but no deduction shall be made when part of a reservoir, canal, tunnel, submarine conduit or right of way eapacity is used or to be used in connection with the development of power or transportation. In the month of January of each year, addition to the facts and statemeuts required of water supplies, a furth:r statement se: be therewith filed with the clerk of the Board of Supervisors showing under oath the na- ture and cost of properties added during the preceding year and devoted to such water sup- ply use, and also similarly of properties that have, during the second period, gone into disuse in such water supply, and also showing the total quantity of water supplied to the cliy PERSONAL MENTION. George E. Goodman, a banker of Napa, is at the Palace. Jules Roger Whal of Paris is at the Pal- ace with his wife. ‘Willis P.ke of Fiesno 1s among the ar- rivals at the Grand. Dr. Thomas Flint and wife of San Juan are guests at the Palace. E. A. Douthitt, Assistant Attorney Gen- eral of Hawail, leaves to-day with his bride on the Alameda for the islands. Lessing Rosenthal, a prominent busi- ness man of Chicago, is touring the coast with his wife. They are at present stay- ing at the Palace. ‘W. H. Bullen has been appointed Pa- cific Coast agent of the Grand Trunk lines, with headquarters at Los Angeles, vice W. F. Botsford, resigned. and its inhabitants during the preceding yea<. In the event that any person or persons, company or corporation shall hereafter con- struct water works for the supply of water to the city and county and to the inhabitants thereof it shall have the right to make to the Board of Supervisors a formal declaration of its Intention together with a statement of its money expenditures on account of said works as Inventoried on the face of said state- ment and thereupon the Board of Supervisors shall by agent make a verification of the in- ventory and money expenditures and on such verification being made shall record it in their proceedings and thereafter the inventory and money expenditure verified shall be considered in ail proceedings before the Board of Super- visors as having been finally determined and adjsdicated. The amendment as suggested above has been drafted with great care and it is believed that its adoption would be constitutional and not in conflict with the existing statute. The object of the law as it stands is to prevent extortion from the imposition of an unfair price for water. Why not then agree on and declare what Iy a fair price and fix it as jurisdictional fact in the charter? Twelve and one-half cents per 1000 gallons is suggested as a fair price. It is about one-half the present price of the Spring Valley water. With mu- nicipal ownership a price as low as 8 cents could probably be had, but a private enterprise cannot bulld entirely on borrowed money nor can it borrow at 31 per cent. Operating under this amendment the private enterprise to get a value on its framchise would have to sell water. Until it sold some- thing like 30,000,000 galions a day it would have no franchise valuation whatever. The amendment does not impair the power of the Board of Supervisors to make at differemt times 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 per cent as the rate of interest they will allow as income on the Investment. On the other hand the private enterprise has every incentive to economy and no incentive to waste or extravagant expendi- ture. The reason for excluding watershed lands and works for purifying and protecting the quantity or purity of the water is that the risk of the quantity and quality is the risk of the purveyor. He is presumed to know the limitation in quantity of the water he is doing business with and is presumed to pur- vey pure water. The writer believes it would be much to the advantage of the city to adopt the amend- ment suggested and that capital would then consider and take up the bringing of water to San Francisco. The second difficulty with the first overcome would not be regarded as serious. It is the practically complete disnlacement of the Spring Valley Water Works as a sup- plier of water. It would have to be done to make the business profitable. It could be done, however, and private enterprise would not fear the commercial risk of competition. Spring Valley Supply -Inadequate. The condition that might make private en- terprise impossible is of a more serious nature. The writer personally knows from an exam- ination of the San Mateo reservoirs and the records of the reservoirs and water supplies as declared by H. Schussler, chief engineer of the company, there is mot now water enough in these reservoirs used together with all that the company can get from Alameda County and Lake Merced to supply the city through the current-year. Also that a rainfall of not less than 15 inches in San Francisco before April 1 will be required to make up the deficiency. Fifteen inches of rain can come, but it may not. If not what then? The grave conse- quences you write of Will be on the city. The mischief will be dome before any steps foward averting it can Dbe expected from private enterprise. Whether it would be bet- ter for private enterprise to provide a Water supply or for the municipality to provide it would hardly be a practical question. The city if it would avert the consequences of mot have ing a water supply at all in time would seem compelled to act in its own behalf simply be- cause it could mot afford to wait on the um- certainty of private enterorise. RUSSELL L. DUNN. San Francisco, Jan. 1. A CHANCE TO SMILE, Dyspeptic American (in Liverpool shop) —How much for those hot water bottles? 1 expect to be sick on the way over, and I want something I can keep on my stomach.—Harlem Life. First Golfer—What the deuce is that horrible odor around here? Second Golfer—Dot yos mine pet scheme. I put limburger cheese on der balls und den I don’t lost 'em, ain’'t it?— Judge. Mrs. Gull (angrily)—I heard what you said to that Miss Seamew. Mr. Gull—Heard what? Mrs. Gull-Heard you say just as plain as day, ‘“Meet me at the pler, dearest.” Mr. Gull-Oh, rats! You just ran into one of those wireless messages from that steamer.—Judge. oy 3 : 3 3 3 ««.Read 8-Pages in Colors That Are Pleasing to the Eye-8 Among Skeletons The ReindeMn of Alaska How the “Old-Timers’ Spent Their Holidays | Eg Manmrl;’l;:)e ;:w:‘.s' ;. Wolfville Stories By Alfred Henry Lewis. The Best Western Stories Ever Written, PAGES OF FICTION and HUMAN INTEREST STORIES. The Famous Masked Wrestler of Paris Now Lives in San Francisco THE. SUNDAY CALL Is the High-Class i_iter‘ary Paper of the West. Read Sunday's the...