Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-05-20
IRRIGATION.
The Danger of Improper Legislation
The Work Should be Done by fri'
vate Enterprise.

SIR: he great interest eVlnced ia your in-
teresting articles on the subject of irrigation,
induces me TO offer o few remarks. The great
importance of irrigation to the state is adj
mitted by every one. The folly of allowing
our large rivers to run idly to the sea, when
they might be utilized on the land, is also
quite apparent. IL IL roughly estimated that
ten millions Of gallons per second Is the aver
age discharge of the sacramento and San Joa-
Quin rivers, and every gallon of this water In
the Spring will probably insure a pound Of
grain, If Distributed over the plains in a judi
cious manner. On this estimate the loss Is
too great to be figured up. Here there are
only two ways to stop this waste and of In
augurating system of irrigation-by the
state or by private corporations. IL the
State takes hold of 1t, grand bureau of cor
ruption will be Immediately instituted. Tax
alton for the purpose would be unconstltu-
tional, and onerous u pon those who have no
interest In agriculture. In fact, IL would be
just as proper to issue State bonds for the
construction of mining ditches; and, besides,
If they were issued, tue issue being unconsti-
intional, no capitalist would buy them. AT
the last session of the Legislature bill was
introduced empowering commissioners 10
issue bonds on irrigation districts, payments
10 be secured by property in the district.
These would have been unconstitutionally
issued, because the Legislature cannot dele
gate the power of taxation to commissioners;
and besides, If have the misfortune to own
property within the district, why, If do not
need or want water, should be taxed TO ena-
BILE Jones to irrigate his landY me only true
method, therefore, is To encourage private en-
terprise by wise legislation, literally confirm
ing, amending and ratifying existing laws.
The bugaboO of monopoly Is all moonshine.
Give any company undoubted right to take
water out of any river--the first appropriation
to be the first in highland Sou will soon see
all the rivers brought out upon the plains.
The Legislature might reserve the right to
regulate the rates on petition OF land owners.
1t will take at least S20OD.000 to divert either
the Merced or the San Joaquin on to the
plains. II it we're done, lands now practically
valueless would immediately advance from
So to $40 per acre. Is texpected that the capi-
talst who risks his money In such an enter
prise, will furnish the water for nothing, after
all his expenditure? This can hardly be ex-
water and the air of heaven are free, !" as some
buncombe orator announced in the last cam
vass when denouncing the "bloated monopo-
lists," who had presumed to divert Gods
water from the everlasting hills" etc. If any
legislation is expedent or necessary, let it be
such as will authorize bonus Of say $1,000,
to be paid to the first company that shall di-
vert a certain amount Of water from any
river or lake for irrigating purposes.
EDITOR HERALD: The San Fran
cisco Chronicle of the 10th instant
contains the above correspondence,
which must be reproduced in order
that it may be fairly noticed. The
subject treated is of primary impor-
tance and worthy the consideration of
our great minds. An English gentle
man visiting this coast forty years
ago, stated that California could COM
fortably maintain $4,000, 900 of people.
I believe he was quite moderate, for
Los Angeles county can support
1,OOO,OOO and not be crowded. 1t will
be the question of irrigation that will
solve and settle the problem.
There is little that passes to us from
the classic days of Rome on the SUBJ
ject of irrigation, but there is suff1-
cient to show us that the Romans
fully understood its Importance. The
italian lawyers who commenced to
write and compile on the subject in
the tenth century are candid enough
to state that what they put together is
but fragmentary laws and traditionary
customs, running back to prehistoric
times.
Verri, who Is considered an exact
historian, places the first efforts on the
compilations on this subject as COM
mencing in the beginning of the 10th
century. We surely are not travelling
in the dark on this subject. We have
the intelligence of eight centuries to
guide us, and the best engineering
minds to direct us = the contrast
spread open to us of irrigated and
non-irrigated lands, and their capabil-
tiles to support happy and thriving
people. We simply look at the con-
dition of Spain when her water was
utilized by the Moors for irrigation,
and now, in the 10th century. Let us
look at Verona to-day and see amidst
its vicissitudes of political turpitude
the frugality and happiness of her
people and her capacity to maintain a
population to the square mile. In
those states the government main
tains the sovereignty of every running
drop of water, and have wise laws to
curb the selfishness of individuals and
corporations. Happily l consider that
we are still the owners OF the waters
of the State by virtue of our inheri-
tance from Spain, and We should
wisely keep the control. There is no
necessity of issuing bonds by the
State, nor creating vast State ex-
penditure. The people have right
to ask that the State assume control
of her waters, and make the Surveyor
General her engineer-in-chief to lay
off every river as district, with its
natural subdivisions, controlled by 10.
cal Boards of Commissioners; to fix
what shall be an irrigating head,
which has as yet puzzled our civiliza-
ton; to secure the right of way in a
positive but equitable manner,as they
have done in Italy, putting a stop to
the selfishness of humanity in fixed
but decisive manner. Partial evil
will have to give way to universal
good, and the wealth Of the State will
have to be taken into consideration by
the merchant, banker, artizan and la
bOrer.
The doctrine of @. E. D. will not
hold good. The initials remind me
of those used by our Spanish friends,
which unabbreviated mean, "Que en-
paz desconse.
hope his ideas, although honestly
put forth, will rest in peace.
Some few of the Italian States
granted rights to barons, mobiles and
corporations to take out the waters of
the rivers and sell them to cultiva-
tors, with certain restrictions. An
unhappy thing, as is well set forth by
an English commissioner who exam
ined the subject preparatory to fixing
up code for the East India system.
Our State must retain the water, and