Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-29
THE LEVEE MEETING.
What the Residents Down River Accom-
plished Yesterday.

mentO rlVeT, from the city leVeeS to freeport
and to consider, if the meeting resolved Oh
improving, how the money should be raiseC
and what amount.
Mr.. De Costa said the district had levee
enough. All that needs to be done is TO re
pair few weak places. He opposed raisinl
river levees SO long as back water came int,
the district. Fix up a back levee to keel
out Sacramento drainage and then he woulC
favor the front levee. Otherwise. he pre-
ferred to be drowned in Sacramento rive
water
Mr.. Mesick said his idea was to
HAVE THE LEvEEs ENLARGED IF PROFITABLE
He favored that being done, yet he wanted
close census Of the district to see II TIT
people can stand the expense. Ii any con
siderable number would have to be sued anC
distressed of their homes to meet tax, il
ought not be levied, but ii only few woulc
be crowded he for one would at very low
rate undertake to furnish such with the ad
vances necessary. He did not mean the WORK
should not go on because the tax would be
hardship. All taxes are hardships on some
but he wanted no great number to be com
PEELED to sacrifices Yet if all doubts can be
removed. if sleepless nights and weary levee
tramps in storms can be avoided. If sackine
seiges and worry and fear of depreciation car
be prevented, it did seem as if the residents
ought to do the work and rest in security.
Mr.. Hidden-You favor raising and widen
ing? 80,
MIR. Mesick-Yes; so as to do away with
this
ETERNAL WATCH
This eternal depreciation of values
Judge Lincoln-I would like to have some
definite proposition made.
UfIara IL mana Il
vet. The Directors have formed none yet.
Judge Lincoln-We want to know the
basis of the talk going on, and to go on.
Mr.. Merlkley-The Directors want to dc
as much work as you people feel able to stand
Mr.. Cox-I favor raising tax to raise the
levee some every year, until the work is be-
yond all doubt absolutely secure.
Judge Lincoln-That is my idea. A tax
every year.
Mr.. Merkley-There are some places that
need fixing at once; as at LovdalPs.
Mr.. Lake-How do we stand as to the
debris bill?
Mr.. Merkley-Senator William Johnston
is here, and will explain.
SENATOR JOHNSTON
Addressed the meeting, and explained the de-
bris bill and showed that it cut no figure in
the problem before District No. L. 1t would
have done so, but he was the instrument il
the Senate of having it amended so that il
would not affect the district. If the distric.
is reclaimed by the work under the Act, Their
people in it will be liable to 50 tax per acre
but otherwise only to the 81 on 81, 900 gen
eral tax. He had no idea that anything but
impounding debris would be attempted for
long time under the bill. The Act provides
for State tax of one-twentieth, district ia,
6 10th q y,ofpar'c TOW re .hol
per cent. per inch of water each twenty-fou
hours of use.
A voice-What do we pay a general ia!
for?
Mr.. Johnston-For an effort being made t,
prevent debris coming down on us, raisin!
the rivers and overlooking the valleys.
The voice-Ah, l see.
Mr.. Lincoln-The tax cuts no figure in on
case.
Mr.. Johnston-I think not Now let m
ask what money you expended on levees tw
years ago?
The Secretary-Twenty-fv thousand dol
lars for levee purposes, and $1,000 we col
lected on general assessment.
Mr. Merkley-But the district has sine
been diminished by division.
Mr.. Johnston-Very well. Pardon m
now if say the levee you have was
BUILT BY SACRAMENTO CITY.
She expended S45, 600 for the work. l thinl
it would be just for you to put at least $50,
600 more on it, and then claim as much in i
AS she put in.
Mr.. Lake-This was large district then
Now there are but few Of US.
Mr. Johnston-But the S450 in this
levee here was put there by the people o
Sacramento, on the levee now in this district
and exclusive of those in Sacramento city.
Surveyor Vim Ito question I'VE have
little less than 10000 acres in the district
now. The high-water line of 1873 is thu
boundary line.
Mr.. Lake-What was raised two years age
on the whole district?
Mr.. Merkley-Two thousand general tax
The levee tax was acreage tax, and in assess
ing there were three or four grades of land
paying from 81 to 81 tax. l Taid Sc 60 OIL
mine.
The Secretary here read sample assessment
to show what each grade paid, and genera
talk over the meeting was INDUCED in.
Mr. Lake opposed doing a little work eacl
year. If anything is done let it be done full,
when undertaken and made complete ant
material all at once.
Mr.. Fern knew Of no place needing raising
but more weak places needed repairing.
A canvass was here had all along the lin,
as to how high the water was in the recen
storm, and it resulted in a conclusion that 2
| feet more of water would have probably sweep
over the levee, even at still water, and tina
with a north or west wind less might hav,
required flight to arks.
Mr.. Mesick wanted to say another wort
to the people who think they can't afford t.
raise the levees. No man lives here, or il
Sacramento, who believes if the river is levee,
up on both sides, that it can possibly
CARRY THE VOLUME OF WATER
Forced on it in winter. Now, let us levee VI
on this side, said he, so high and seccurel,
that they will not even attempt it on tn
other.
Mr. Lake-Drain the American river ant
the debris into the basins, reserve enougl
water for navigation, and very soon they
won't want any levees over the other side.
| Mr.. Merkley-Sacramento city has goot
levee on the north side. 1t has to b.
topped, says Mr.. Knox, before any water cal
come over the front levee, and when it i
topped it will be three feet deep over tn
front levee.
| MIR. Massey-If Sacramento, where 81
much is at stake, is willing to take he
chances with her north levee, against tn
! American, we ought to levee against the Sac
ramento on our side Sacramento people pa,
heavier taxes than we. We do not pay tw,
per cent. We ought not to live here in con
slant dread.
Mr.. Fern-There is no man of US in tn
Pocket willing to pay dollar for from
| levee until assured that we shall be protected
! by back levee. Better to be under rive
water than back water and Sacramento
drainage Out of 40 acres, l have not 2
out of water now, yet the Riverside defence
of my land are all right. On the other sid
they have river levees, some places only tw,
! feet high. Why? Because the back waite
ruins them any how, just as it does US. w
get the drainage clear from Brighton. TIL,
water in Beach's lake is foot higher thai
| in our lake now. Let US make the people on
of the district turn their drainage the othe
way.
Mr.. Merkley-I am In favor of doing so, i
we can 90 it legally.
The meeting here discussed the facts rela
tive to suits for delinquent levee tax, and wa
| informed how the district had been beaten IL
two cases.
MI. Brockway here asked a number o
questions, the answers to all which are EN-
bodied in remarks already quoted.
Mr.. Mesick asked the T" Pocket peopl
to say
WHAT THEY WANTED.
Mr.. Fern-A back levee to keep the waite
| off of US.
Mr.. Mesick thought it just that the who'll
district be protected.
Mr. Fern--Levee up one side of the Sacra
mento drainage canal.
! A voice-Yes, but compel the city to do it
| They built street levee, and then cut it ant