Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-13
cosearssnaN PAGES DsBaIs BILE

posed that he had never so much as heard
of the debris problem, for during the
whole of his public career he had given no
evidence that he took the slightest interest
in the matter. At last, however, he has,
perhaps accidentally, become aware that
such question exists, and having realized
its existence he has undertaken to grapple
with it in such vigorous manner as shall
compel the admiration of all beholders
Unfortunately for the success OF his effort
Mr.. Page does not know anything about
the issue, and still more unfortunately the
issue is one which so sharply divides his
constituents as to make it very difficult to
satisfy both sides. But as he is understood
to be candidate for reelection to Con-
gress he cannot afford to commit himself
on the matter, and SO he has caused to be
drafted bill which resembles a tadpole,
being nine-tenths head, which is the pre-
amble, and one.tenth tail, which IS
the Act itself. And the preamble is truly
a remarkable performance. 1t contains
more 'swhereases than the Declaration
of Independence, and it suggests the idea
of man who is alternately shifting his
weight from one foot to the other. 1t sets
forth in disjointed phraseology the import
ance of mining, and the Importance of ag-
riculture, and the evil to result from the
stoppage of mining, and the evil to result
from the destruction of agriculture, and
the value of the gold to be extracted, and
the value of the lands to be ruined, and
the desire of the State to manage the
rivers, and the obligation of the General
Government to manage them, and finally
leads up to the proposition that the Secre-
tary of War shall be allowed to spend
$500, 900 for the amazing purpose of pre-
tecting the Sacramento, American, Feather
and Yuba rivers from overflow from the
"debris p
Evidently Mr.. Page has acquired the
belief that the debris carries the rivers,
and not the rivers the debris. He thinks
that the debris overfiows the rivers, and
that this is the real cause of all the trouble.
He also seems to hold, with the mo.
"Rsnters," that land is not property, for
he wants to prevent "the destruction Of
Gland and property" Heproposes also to
" protect the harbor of San Francisco from
"further injury from said cause, +" though
precisely what "said cause !" is, it is very
difficult to gather from the context. And
this is the best Congressman Page can do
for his district A bill appropriating half
a million dollars for the construction of
works which, according to the estimates of
the State and consulting engineers, cannot
cost less than five millions, and may re-
quire twice that amount. Had Mr.. Page
been statesman had ne understood his
duty to his constituents had he possessed
any intelligence or capacity; he would
long since have made himself master of
this great question in all its manifestations,
and he would have been prepared to SUBJ
nit to Congress some proposition adequate
to the demands of the situation. But he
has shown his incapacity conclusively in
this bill, which has far more the appear
ance of an attempt to put himself on good
terms with both sides than that of
serious endeavor to solve the problem.
What his bill proposes, in fact, is SO
utterly inadequate to the occasion as to be
ridiculous. If Congress can be brought to
see that it is its duty to undertake the
works necessary to the preservation of our
rivers and farming lands, it must under
stand that the enterprise is no light one,
and that it may as well pursue its former
policy of inaction as try to dispose of the
matter by expanding few hundred thou
sand dollars upon it, We have no doubt
that the subject is one which is as much
entitled to national help as the mouths of
the Mississippi, for instance; for the ques-
ton of the stoppage of hydraulic mining
is a question of diminishing the country's
production of precious metals. But if
Congress is to take up the matter seriously
it must take it up in liberal spirit, and
must not make the initial mistake of sup
posing that it can be adjusted cheaply.
We doubt if any California Representative
beside Mr.. Page would have attempted to
solve the problem in so lame and impo-
tent way. In fact any Congressman from
any other part of the couutry-one even
who had never been in California
have drawn a better and more practical
bill than he has done here. The ignorance
of the requirements of the case displayed
by him is indeed nothing short of disgrace
ful. His five hundred thousand dollars
would not more than begin such system
of works as is needed for the preservation
of the rivers and the valley lands, and
when it was expended Congress would
probably refuse to do any more, and SO the
last case of the State would be worse
than the FIRST
In his preamble he says that it is con-
fdently stated by our most able scientists
'and engineers that the end sought can
be obtained Shy the construction of proper
"works." That is true, but it has never
been confidently stated by those scien-
fists and engineers, that "proper works ;
can be constructed for half million of
dollars. The fact is both the farmers
and the miners have reason to suspect that
Mr.. Page is merely amusing himself with
them, and that he is thinking great deal
of his own political prospects, and very
little of their interests. Nor can it be be-
lieved that his long-winded and tortuous
preamble will convince Congress of the
magnitude of the undertaking which the
body of his bill SO belittles. His fellow
members will probably conclude (of course
erroneouslyl that he has studied the ques.
ton thoroughly, and that he understands
what is required. Thus his preposterous
proposition is far more likely to stand in the
way of adequate remedial legislation than
to lead to it. This is one of the penalties
visited upon the people for sending inferior
men to represent them in Congress. Mr..
| Pace does not nossess the ability to deal