Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-16

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vet these counties are sparsely populated In my
county, which has an about equal TO the State
Of Massachusetts, there only about 1900 people
Under wise system of irrigation the whole OF this
empire might be made to swarm with life and en-
terrise Now the question is, shall it, by the State
making this meager appropriation for the purpose
OF putting into the hands of not only
those living in this State, but people beyond
the Rocky Mountains who may contemplate
coming here the necessary data to induce il. We
desire to attraet thrift and enterprise TO this coast,
and the most feasible method of doing is by pub
Isting to the world ineShaustible resources
and possibilities. This is not appropriation for
the purpose OF constructing reservoirs or brush
dams fol- my county any other county in the
State but it is for the purpose of apprisng people
of the various counties Of the State OF the wealth
which lies at their doors and to place IN their hands
the appliances whereby it may be most economic
ally developed We anticipate that ere long the
entire State to greater or less extent, viii be IN
der system Il irrigation, and we hope, after haY-
ing placed this Information in tie hands of cur
people TO be able TO enact wise and just laws
whereby all legal difficulties under which we now
labor may be removed.
Mr. Whipple-For some time hestated as to
the position would tlke upon this item OF the bill,
but the light which have gained during this debate
has determined me- | shall not, however, attempt
to say what the amount Of the item should be, bat
| am opposed to the motion OF the gentleman from
San M&teo to strike the item out entirely take
the position, which IS not new one, that II Is the
duty OF the State 20 furnish full information to
her citizens concerning her natural resources, and
leave it to the private enterprise and private capt.
tai to then work out Development. l am opposed
to the principle which requires the state TO under
take and prosecute internal Improvements, because
believe that with the requisite information which
the State should furnish, private enterprise aud
capital will always have the sagacIty 70 undertake
such work at the right time and in the proper place
This item is for the purpose OF completing the work
of fully surveying and reporting general plans for
irrigation and drainage Tor the State OF Califor
MIA IL is analogous to the geological survey
of the State and such as has been pro
without exception. for the benefit and information
of its citizens it is true that the general system
Of irrigation will reclsm rich empire III the south
ern part OF our State, still private persons cannot
system without general survey by the state Such
survey has been made and requires only to be CON-
peted and published to place the information with
in reach OF every one. Ii this work, upon which
the State has air. ady spent over Sl50,t00 is not
completed and published, the data already accumu-
lated will remain undigested in the Office Of the
State Engineer, and only those who have the re-
aured capital to engage i'll water grabbing or land
grabbing can afford, for purposes Of private specu-
iuton, to avail themselves OF this information Un-
less digested and published it will remain unaoeessi
l. to The average citizen, and viii be OF advap-
tage to in inviting immigration to this state. |
draw broad distinction between the duty OF the
State to thus furnish data to its citizens
concerning Its natural resources and the
policy of having the State undertake the
dsvei ,pment of those resources. | there
fore differ with those members who seem to think
that this apI ropratlon would be III any sense in
consistent with my former position upon the debris
question: Tor, under special law for that purpose
the State Engineer has been required to make
special survey for the benefit of Drainage District
No. l. Il is not the engineers fault that he has
been compelled 20 comply with that law, and IL
could be no argument against this appropriation
which is simply TO enable him to publish the genera
results Of his surveys upon the subject of irrigation
and drainage as required by the original bill. The
motion of the gentleman from San Mateo Air
Felton, would have the effect of continuing the
State Engineer in Office and paying his salary, but
leave him without any work whatever to do. 1t is
urged that this is not proper item for the general
appropriation bill. This position is untenable, be-
cause the provision CT the Constitution is that this
general bill must contain appropriations for the
maintenance Of the State institutions, and OF the
STATE Engineers office and work is not part
OF the State government and State institution,
am unable to understand the law. 1t has been
urged that it was intended when the work was first
directed to be done that it should be completed
within two years, but it was impossible to complete
the work within the time for the amount first
estimated. Because this is true, shall the large
amount which has already been expended by the
State become dead loss to the people, or shall we
enable the work to be completed and published in a
form accessible to every one, and thus utilize every
dollar that has thus far been paid. For one,
regard it my duty to vote for this appropriation
and / Shall do
Mr. Baker of Yolo-It is said by the gentleman
from San Mateo, in his remarks upon this subject,
that in the year 1876 the sum Of 600 was ex-
pended by the State in surveys fer the purpose of
constructing canal from Tulare lake and t. at the
present State Engineer made survey locating the
mouth of the canal eight feet above the present
face OF the water in that lake have heard similar
statements TO this made before, and 1 therefore
made inquiry concerning the matter. AS result Of
these inquiries | have ascertained that the State
never expended one dollar In the year 1876, or any
81
constructing cana! from Tulare lake, as stated |
will say, further, that no canal has ever
been constructed from that lake, and that
all the money that has ever been expended for
that purpose was paid by the West Side Irrigation
District also wish to say that the State Engineer
made nothing more than preliminary survey. lie
did not enter into any exact computation to the
depth at which it should be constructed, nor at
tempt to establish the depth at the point where it
should receive the waters of the lake.
Mr. Felton-Can YOU prove the assertions You are
making?
Mr. Baker, cannot say as am in possession Of
conclusive proof to verify my statements, but /
have obtained my information from sources suffi-
GENTLY reliable to warrant me In CHALLENGING the
statements made by the gentleman from San Ma go,
and unequivocally do | say the gentleman is
mistaken on this point While the statements OF
the gentleman upon this subjee: not german
to the bill under consideration yet they might ere
ate false impression in gard to the expenditure
OF moneys by the State fer this purpose, and hence
II l3 OI LlilS tndt
the statement be corrected.
MIR Arick-It has been stated here that this
appropriation is twin sister OF the debris bill.
voted against the repeal OF the debris Act upon its
merits, and have apology to make for that vote
The subject Of irrigation is one that naturally in
terests the southern portion of the State of Cali
fcrnia but while represent that portion of the
State do not support it upon that ground alone,
for it is OF the most important subjects affect
ing the substantial interests of the State at large
Tfia rffsllN he naIt
be in favor of increasing it from $50 600 to $50 GOO
Now il it is true, has been claimed, that all the
lON water flow OF the streams has been appropriated
the food waters not, nor are even the high
waters. Two things remain to be done-one to
store in the canyons and in reservoirs for summer
use, and the other is by winter flooding BY
these means the dry AMI sigitiess plains OF
the southern portion Of the State can be cultivated
and not only made remunerstive to individual
effort and enterprise to almost Incredible degree
but can be thus made to add millions TO the wealth
and assessable value OF the State, thus returning in
manifold ratio the small amount sought in this ap
preparation to aid in bringing about this develop
ment. But it requires capital to carry ont these
methods Of irrigation and we cannot organize aud
secure capital for this purpose without knowing
facts which can only be obtained through prolonged
aud thorough investigation Ike that which the
State Engineer has been prosecuting. The invest
CATION which we now want completed by this appro
pTi&tion will furnish knowledge Of these facts
The cry that all the waters have been appropriated
in the .oUthern part Of the State is foiy-it is an
insult to US 1t is saying in effect to US that we
have run to nearly limit and extent
in the line OF cultivation. It is not so. Our
object and purpose is To eventually irrgate
AL OF that section OF the State By winter
flooding and by storing water for summer use.
Take for inst the food-waters Of Kern river if
these could be impounded, and then utilized dur
ing the irrigation season, they would furnish a
sufficient supply to irrigate at the least estimation
100000 acres Of land III that region which without
irrigation Is utterly worthless. The State has al.
ready secured, under the surveys and investigations
of the State Engineer l apartment, 4 large amount
Of valuable data bearing upon the solution of this
problem, and urnshing iEforma ton as to the
possibilities AID best methods OF accomplishing
this desired AMI highly important end and
we want it completed and published, that it NAV
become Cf practical use We dssire the people to
have the information, so that they can organize
and construct the necessary works. We do not ask
nor wish the st ate 10 construct them, do ask
for any appropriation whatever for their construc-
ton 81 far as my special neighborhood is
ccrned-the counties OF Tuare and Kern-I can
speak knowingly, for kT ow that the people desire
this investigation completed. Beyond this it is the
part OF wisdom to flush it al once and stop further
expense to the State, and at the time place
this essential information for development in the
hands OF the people at the earliest possible moment
am surprised that gentleman Of the intelligence
OF the member from San Mateo Mr.. FELTON,,
should object to this appropriation for local
reaseus The Government OF the United States