The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-06-26
I~rrigation in California

The following suggestive article on " IrrisAting
Canals. which We find is the San Fraaeisco chro.-
iele, we commend to the perusai Of the Hawaiian
Ministry and the public generally.
"The immediate efectafshe present drought will
be to agisste the question Of constructing ~irrigasing
canals. We may expect to see the lobby Of our next
Legislature 6lled With men who have vast irrlgating
sahemes (for the sole benefit Of the farmersl which
they expect to be fos,ered by public a pap" all Of
which Is to cost the farmer nothing. and the State
nothing, bat at the same time VIII put O few millions
into private pockets. Now. the question arises. "
their schemes are not going TO cost the farmer any
thing. and the State or county governments are not
TO be called on. where are they going to get their
lobbying money baekr
"0ur honest opinion is that as soon as capitalists
are convinced that California farmers wiz have TO
~irriEate, there viii be millions Of dollars ready to be
invested in ditch enterprises. But we have had
enough Substituting private corporations. These cap
italists will Of course demand security, and that Sc
curity viii be interest-bearing mortgages on the
farmers lands.
1--WE have q State Government and q State Treas
ury, II there is no n.c-SC in that Treasury, the
State has credit. which can be loaned for The purpose
of constructing water works. None Of US would bee
itafe to mortgage our lands to the State, but we
doubt very much If a majority OF farmers In any
district, with the lessons which they have learned by
bitter experience before them, could DO induced to
vote q tax and mortgage TO build a ditch, aud then
agree TO ply for the use of that ditch. The State 10
the proper holder and builder of such works. With
a well-governed system Of Irrigation the product Of
all farming lands would be doubled, and the revenue
to the State would be propOrtiOnately increased. II
one acre of land when irrigated viii produce ss much
as two without IL. then the State, except for the fact
that the tax would fall u~nequally ON some portions
who have water or do not need IL, could afford 10
build canals, improve rivers and streams and exer-
else general supervision over all the water Ia the
State. She has done thinge that were less general
in their effect than constructing ~irrigatiug canals.
She has given aid to all kinds Of corporations. many
of which have proved an injury. Suppose that the
State took this matter in hand. Suppose that the
surveys were made for the main canals and compe-
tent engineers employed to over-sesti,e work. Assess
each farm in the district according to che. number Of
acres and not according to present value. For be it
remembered that one piece Of land is almost as good
as another with plenty of water.
When this assessment Is made, the survey COM
P'e'e" ID everything in readiness to commence
Orei"'.On0' : State taking mortgages on each piece
" '"1N y the payment OF the assessment,
give aou lanu o""s. he privilege Ct working out
NHN 5NS@A VIZ 49, NN@1 a q N nn0ArnnhIA $50 a
wages for himself and team.
"The farmer and his teams are foN
more than six months out Of twelve. Y -.
course as this the man of limited means co.,, :.
his share of the expense in work. aud that at n Tia
when work on the ranch is slack. They would more
readily fall in with such a plan as this than with any
private jobbing affair.
The water privilege would thus be vested in the
State Government, and while the privilege would
Of it could be made by the parties. There would be
no exhorbitant rates to pay for the use Of the water.
no favcrs to be shown by private corporations, but
the division and equal distribution could be managed
by the Water Master elected by the people 10 the dis
trict or appointed by the State.
"The work of constructing these canals could all
be performed by the farmers themselves, and there
would probably be enough rich nen who would
rather pay money than work to furnish all material
required. The main expense in constructing canals
of this character is the labor, and if the farmers
could be induced to organize and work In sunIson,
they could dispense with outside aid altogether.
But there must be some authority. for there is more
w~rangling over water bitches than any other kind Of
property"