such demands, the board has in several cases arrived at results quite different from those held by these authorities. It is assumed that no portion of this large and intimately associated community will accept for any length of time a water inferior to that enjoyed by their neighbors, either in healthful qualities or attractive appearance and odor; and it will not be profitable as a municipal investment to offer the stranger seeking a new home anything so essential to his health and comfort as water is, that shall be decidedly poorer than the article distributed on the other side of the town's borders." As also illustrative of conditions that prevailed in Massachusetts at that time the following is interesting: "It will also be found true, we think, that a very large amount of the best water can be provided for the district at a price per head far below that at which any municipality within the district, with the exception probably of Brookline, Newton and Waltham, can supply a water of anything like an equal quality. Moreover, in our opinion, the most favored locality in this region has no prospect of obtaining beyond the next twenty or twenty-five years any source of supply that can be favorably compared, either on the grounds of health or economy, with the source to be later described. It is by no means certain that Waltham, even with its present abundant and good supply, can continue to depend, through a series of years, upon water filtered uninterruptedly in ever-increasing quantities from a river more or less polluted."

Results of the Metropolitan District

In reference to six of the towns to be included in the Metropolitan Water District, representing about one-fourth of its population, the Board of Health of Massachusetts recommended that, in view of the fact that these towns believed that they had ample supplies of water for some years, that they be not supplied with district water until they formally expressed their wish for it.

In conformity with the recommendation of the State Board of Health of Massachusetts, the Metropolitan Water District was organized as proposed and has continued in successful and highly satisfactory operation, fulfilling during the twenty years of its existence every expectation in relation thereto. Some years ago, however, to avoid the duplication of administration and management, the water district was consolidated with the metropolitan sewerage district. Only a word need be said about the plan of organization, which carries its own lesson, but which your committee believes would not be satisfactory to the people of our neighborhood without some modification.

The Metropolitan Water District is a state organization. The district was formed by legislative enactment, and the act named the cities.

and towns which were comprised within the district. The water board of the district was composed of three members appointed by the Governor, and were given full power to manage the affairs of the district. The purpose of the organization was to acquire an adequate water supply, and to deliver the water to the various municipalities within the district. Each municipality was left free to provide for the distribution of the water. The water board was given authority to issue scrip or interest-bearing securities in the name and on behalf of the commonwealth to the extent at first of about $20,000,000, but later to the extent of over $40,000,000. The district was not required nor permitted to vote on the issue of these bonds, although in the rate paid for water or by taxation the residents of the district and the users of the water had to meet the interest and sinking fund requirements.

As a state organization the present Metropolitan Sewerage and Water Board is comparable with the State Board of Harbor Commissioners of California, which manages the affairs of the San Francisco water front. But the Massachusetts board has larger powers, and the limitations of its bond issues are fixed by legislative enactment without, as in the case of the California law, confirmation by a vote of the electors of the state.

In Louisiana, at New Orleans, too, there is a district organization managed by the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board which, as in the case of Boston and vicinity, manages the sewerage, drainage and water problems without affecting the internal political organization of participating municipalities.

The sanitary district of Chicago is a similar organization.

For a Wholesale Supply

In the light of the experience elsewhere, and notably at Boston, where the very successful experience of the metropolitan district embracing Boston and some twenty-seven other cities and towns deserves emulation, your committee, in consultation with representatives from a number of the municipalities on both sides of the bay, which will be interested and should be given the benefit of any concerted movement, has reached the conclusion that some organization should be perfected which will be in a position to acquire a system of water works and to wholesale water to each city and town within a bay district. The territory which should be covered by such a district extends from Richmond on one side of the bay, and from San Francisco on the other, southerly to near its southerly extremity. The committee has, therefore, outlined a procedure for forming such a district, which it finds to be feasible and recommends for earnest consideration. There will,

under this programme, be no interference with the internal affairs of any municipality, and no demands will be made upon the municipalities except to meet payment for water delivered to each municipality, to meet by taxation the expenses in excess of operating revenue so long as this may be necessary, and to participate in the holding of elections on the question of permanent participation in the affairs of the district, on the issuance of bonds, and on certain other questions.

The right is reserved to each municipality under the proposed plan of organization to determine by a vote of its electors whether or not it will participate in the proceedings of the district and no large undertaking will be possible without the issuance of bonds requiring the approval of the electors in the proposed water district. This procedure is at variance with the Massachusetts law under which the water district is purely a state organization, as explained, and issues state bonds authorized by the Legislature.

Equal Privileges for All Communities

Under the proposed scheme, all of the municipalities around the bay will be placed on the same footing in the matter of securing an adequate supply of water. Each will be served according to its needs and each will be free to provide such means of water distribution within its own limits as it may desire.

There is no endorsement in the proposed law of any particular scheme or combination of schemes for the utilization of any particular sources of supply. The district will be left free to study the situation as it finds it and to take that course in making available an ample supply of good water which it finds to be best for all concerned.

The programme as marked out would involve the immediate acquisition of the various water works plants now in service in those municipalities which desire to participate permanently in the proposed bay water district and this first step would be followed by an early decision relating to the wisest course to pursue in increasing the amount of water available for each of the participating municipalities.

There is not a single one of the municipalities upon either side of the bay which would not be greatly benefited by having its water problems permanently solved. The small communities with precarious supplies would be placed within reach of an amount of water fully adequate, not alone to meet immediate requirements, but also to permit of growth without fear of any restricted development, as would be the case if such growth had to be dependent on the limited local sources of water.

The lesser municipalities around the bay should see in this suggestion of a comprehensive district a particular advantage. They have everything to gain by an enterprise of this nature whose main support must necessarily come from the center of population-San Francisco. Nor does it seem probable that the resulting advantage will be overlooked in San Francisco, but it may not be as plain to the resident of this city that he also will be helped by making provision for his neighbor while looking out for himself. He must learn that the development of both sides of the bay in perfect harmony is the greatest assurance he can have of his own permanent prosperity and well being, and he, too, it is hoped, will read the lesson right which has been taught at Boston, and will, when opportunity is offered, endorse the coöperation which your committee, believing feasible, presents for such consideration by this Club and by the municipalities around the bay as will put it into shape for efficient and mutually beneficial application. (Applause.)

Remarks by President Hodghead

THE PRESIDENT: Following this very comprehensive introductory statement of Mr. Grunsky's, in which he has somewhat indicated the conclusions of the committee, Mr. J. D. Galloway, the chairman, will give the fuller report and the recommendations of the section.

We usually ask the committees, if they have any recommendations to make, to formulate some definite resolution which will serve as a basis for the discussion before the Club, and, in compliance with that, I observe here that the committee has a forty-five page typewritten resolution in the form of a bill. Mr. Galloway will undertake to explain the provisions of this proposed measure, and no doubt will advocate its adoption.

Remarks by John D. Galloway

MR. GALLOWAY: Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the Club: I want to state before going to the paper that this meeting is remarkable for one thing, that I see in the audience more members of my committee than I could ever get together at any of our meetings. (Laughter.) Maybe other committeemen have at times found the same condition of affairs to prevail.

We have here a very beautiful law, and it has forty-five pages in it. I have also a short abstract of it, and I suggested to the President of the Club that perhaps it would be a little more interesting if I read the entire act, but for reasons of his own he did not agree with me, so I will merely go on with the summary of it.*

*The text of the bill will be found in Appendix I, page 139.

An Explanation of the Proposed Law

MR. GALLOWAY: The President of the Club, in forming the Committee on Bay Cities Water Supply, insisted that something tangible 'should result from our labors, and as he is a lawyer he should be satisfied with the result, for, after the American method, we have brought in a new law.

Whenever this Club has held a meeting at which the water question was considered, and there have been many such meetings, someone has always said that there should be some arrangement by which all the cities around the bay could join together for a common water supply. Unfortunately, as far as this idea is concerned, it is reminiscent of Mark Twain's, comment on the subject of the weather: “There is much talk about it, but nothing is ever done." There are plenty of engineers around town who, if properly compensated, feel perfectly able to find a supply of water and bring it here for you to drink. Unfortunately, many things have to be done before this happy result of putting the engineers to work can be achieved. The various cities. around the bay must be brought to the state of mind where they see that it is to their best interests to act together. Someone with more enthusiasm than this committee has must do that work, but in order that the facilities for united action may be provided, your committee has studied this phase of the subject and has brought in a law which should be submitted by the Club to the Legislature.

Mr. Grunsky has outlined the present situation and has given information as to what has been done in other places. It is my task to outline the procedure by which the cities around the bay could unite to secure water and to inform the meeting of the provisions of our law. We have taken it for granted that the problem is one too large for private enterprise to handle and that only by collective effort can it be solved. We have also eliminated consideration of where to get the water, and I only hope the chairman will use the mailed fist upon anyone who brings up that subject. Individual cities and towns have already demonstrated what they can or cannot do to solve their problems. We are assuming that collectively the problem has not been solved, that it exists and that therefore we are justified in offering a solution. The principal element in the situation, the highest hurdle to be jumped, is to get the municipalities to work together. That is the problem and to that we have addressed ourselves. We have also assumed that the problem must be solved by united action, for we believe that to be a fact.