Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-03-01
HOW TO MANAGE OUR bitches,
Some Hints Drawn from the System Prevalent
in Valencia, Spain.

| in valsncis, Spain.
EDITOR HERALD: Once upon q
time we CHANGED on copy of the
report made by the United States
Commissioners appointed to ex.
anime into the practicability Of dc.
veloping the Sacramento valley by
means Of irrigation. The Commits.
sion was composed, If we recollect
Alright, of Coils. Mendel and Alex.
ander and Prof. Davidson-all men
of leisure and of course their work
was replete with information-but
it has palsd its fires in the pres
ence of these greater lights which
now illumine the irrigating world.
Sic transit gloria naundi.
There was one article describing
the irrigation system that came
down to the people Of the city Of
Valencis, in Spain, and which has
endured nearly 400 years. 1t seems
that the works exist precisely as
they did when the MOors controlled
the country. Four bitches are
taken out on either side of the
Guadalviar, each of which 10 under
the control of those who irrigate
from it. Bi.annually they meet
and elect ditchman and board
OF managers, who levy upon the
propriet0rs and irrigators the
herewith to keep up the ditch.
When water is abundant 1t fs fur.
nished to all as desired. When 1t
becomes scarce the ditchman dis
tributes 1t as. he deems fit for the
body of irrigators. If two fields In
the same growing crop need water,
and there 10 scarcity, he distrib.
utes 1t SO that each party can save
at least one half OF what would
otherwise perish. The eight ditch
men, all of whom are practical Ire
rigators, accustomed to the work,
none others being eligible, meet In
the afternoon on saturdays In front
of the Cathedral, and try cases
arising from irrigating disputes.
Evidence is taken. The ditchman,
on whose ditch the case arose, pre-.
sents 1t to the other seven, acting
as judges. They decide the case.
An appeal may be taken to court
Of record. 1t never has been done.
Either the lawyers Of Valencia are
not we'll up In their business, or
the people must be we'll satisfied
that they might 60 further and
fare worse and therefore bow sub.
mlssively to the decision OF their
rustic court.
We have often thought that
there was much in the Valencia
system to commend it to the Los
Angeles irrigators In the first
place, II the irrigators elected the
ZaDjsros of their respective bitches,
each Zanjero would see to 1t that
his ditch received the allowance Of
water his acreage entitled 1t to,
and that each of his constituents
got water upon the day he was en-
Titled to It. Again, the money
raised for the maintenance of the
ditch would have to be rigidly &C.
counted for. There would be no
simply making report that last
week the Zapjero expended so
much for work, and somebody
moving that the report be accepted
and the Zsnjero ordered paid.
Much Of the funds raised for the
maintenance Of the works would
be paid back directly to those from
whom 1t was obtained, who would
thus be In q position to watch its
expenditures. Again, apart from
the economy that would nscessa-
rily result, the Zanjer0s would not
dare to indulge 10 favoritism. Any
one go doing would hold office but
for short time.
The question Of supply could be
determined by the City Engineer,
whose duty it would be to determ.
Inc the acreage dependent on each
ditch, and thence. knowing the
water supply, the amount of water
to which each ditch is entitled. It
would also be his duty to see that
the division gates from the main
zanja were so made as to secure to
each ditch just Its quota and no
more, and further, to make such o
meter as would enable the ditch
men to serve the irrigators with
equal amounts of water In equal
times.
We are inclined to believe that,
could such system be inaugural
ed, 1t would work to the advantage
OF those most interested. The ir.
rigatsr would be better served, and
the taxpayer Of property non.irrig-
able would be relieved Of taxation.
True, to innugurate 1t would kick
up q Robbery. The members of the
Council from the irrigating dis.
tricts, those connected with the ir.
rigating bitches and many others
would find insuperable difficulties
in the way to its success. But we
hold that mankind is. much the
same all the world over, and that
men of the same calling are much
inclined to fall into the same
grooves of thought and action,
Crowded they possess intelligence)
1t matters not where they live. We
hold further that Irrigation is o
question not to be governed wisely
by legislation that knows nothing
about It practically. 1t 10 but con-
tr0lled by o common law which
must be the growth of time. II
we can find such q common law,
not repuguant to our education
aud habits, would 1t not be the
part Of wisdom to adopt 1t, rather
than stick to q stupid one which
has no other merit than that OF be-
ing Of our originatiOn :? We sub.
NIT The question 10 your readers
without any r,isgivings as to their
anEwer. FIAT LUX.
Inc Authors Carnival.