Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-27
TIE nrRR1s QUESTION.

produced upon the intelligent and deeply
interested audience assembled on Wednes-
day evening to hear Dir. w. +. Parks ex-
plain the so.called Brown Drainage bill.
The practicability of the undertaking was
so fully demonstrated, and the benefits to
be derived from it were so clearly ex-
hibited in his address, that the opponents
of the measure were evidently dumb
founded, and could only advance the most
NARROW and frivolous objections. The OPP
position to the bill appears to he based on
fear, entertained by some few persons, lest
the special and limited interests represented
by them should not absorb the whole
benefits to be conferred 1t is therefore
in order to point out that in agitatins for
relief from the debris evil the efforts
of all clear sighted men must be d.
rected to the good of the whole community,
and not merely of small portion OF
it, The objections based on the alleged
indefiniteness of the scheme proposed are
altogether irrational It is impossible for
any one in the present state of knowledge
on the subject to frame a bill which shall
cover tine details of the scheme. All that
is yet known upon any scientific guarantee
is that the debris problem is capable OF a
solution, and that it can be solved without
mourning an extravagant expenditure. Be-
fore we can ascertain precisely how the
work is to be done surveys must be made
by competent engineers. In other words,
the opponents of the bill object to it that
it does not cover details which cannot be
ascertained until it has been put in opera
tion. The people have been told by the
State Engineer that the rivers can be
freed from the deposit of debris, and
that the farming lands can be
rescued, and the towns on the river banks
be protected against floods. They have
been told that the right way to do al this
is to do it under one comprehensive plan,
and that it cannot be successfully accom-
plished in any other way. Mr.. Parks has
drawn bill which proposes to utilize these
scientific conclusions, and which provides
the means of meeting the incidental ex-
penses of the undertaking This is the
only common sense, practical course now
open to the public. 1t is a course wholly
justified and plainly indicated by the sur
veys which have been already made. 1t is
the logical and rational sequence of these
surveys And it can be opposed on no
defensible basis.
Those who urge more delay, who propose
further piecemeal experiments, who want
to submit the question to the people again,
who are in favor only of procrastination |
and inaction and obstruction, do not appear
to possess any knowledge of what has been
learned already on this subject. No delay,
no hesitation, no popular discussion, can
advance the question hairs breadth be-
yond its present position. The whole mat |
ter has been handed over to engineering
science for examination, and the report |
has been made All the information that
exists ON the topic is at this moment before |
the public. They have nothing more to
look for in that direction. They know !
that the evils from which they suffer
are remediable. They know that science
declares itself ready to deal with these
evils They know that the only !
possible way to get remedies applied is to
lodge the power of action somewhere, and |
provide means for the prosecution Of the
work, in the manner which shall seem best |
to the engineers in charge of it. They
know one thing more, which ought to set
tie the question at once, and that is, that
unless prompt action is had, the mischief
now going on. Will produce more and more
disastrous results, and cost more to cure
for every year it is let alone. If, in this
state OF affairs, the people do not want to
do anything it must be because they pre-
fer the risk of ruin to the certainty OF re-
demption from danger, and the opponents
of the bill will in vain endeavor to make it
appear that the people of California are so
obtuse and stupid as that. If any one can
| SuOH HON Iulo QUSotlOli 10 W W uS"iU VAN
in better and safer way than is proposed
in the Parks bill, all concerned will
be glad to accept the amendment. But in
the absence of any suggestions looking to a
more advantageous method of comprising
the objects aimed at, We shall insist that
the bill ought TO be supported by all who
desire to see the debris question satisfac-
torily settled. The staple objections raised
are, moreover, of character certain to be
urged against any comprehensive measure.
They 90 to the abandonment of all RENE
dial action. They are precisely such OBJ
jections as greedy attorneys would advance,
to keep the matter in litigation, and to
prevent its settlement. The broad aspect
of public welfare is absent from all these
carpiDg and sophistical objections, and
they ought, therefore, to be brushed aside
by thinking men, as unworthy of the SUBJ
ject, and as undeserving of serious con-
sidE1tion.