Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-01
THE REPORT OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE
on DEBRIS.

to be giving faithful representations of the
proceedings of the Legislature. The ed
itors of the hostile papers, going still fur
Their, have hastened to pass judgment be-
fore the evidence was in, and have eagerly
seized every derogatory assertion of every
irresponsible antagonist of the works, and
treated such statements as of equal, or
even higher, authority, than the deliberate
Judgment of trained engineers. Trial by
newspaper has seldom been exhibited in a
more extrayagant form, in fact There has
been no indication of the least sense Of the
gravity of the question at issue; no recog-
milton of the rights of those witnesses whose
experience and professional knowledge give
weight to their evidence no manifestation
of desire to treat the case fairly and
Justly; but bold, undisguised purpose
has been shown to malign and calumniate
every one connected with the works, in
Gliding the Commissioners and the engi-
neers, ana to create the impression thatfraud
had been committed, that the project in
volved some kind of "steal, that
the engineers did not understand their
business, that all that had been done was
failure, and that while the Commission
ers were no better than swindlers. the en-
gineers were incompetent imbeciles. Moth
ing in the treatment of the case has been
more curious than the cool effrontery with
which writer's who do not understand the
first principles of the question at issue,
who have never paid any attention to it
until this Legislature met, and who are as
ignorant of engineering science as a cow is
of Sanscrit, have undertaken to rebuke the
alleged stupidity of such eminent engineers
as Captain Eads, and have ridiculed
methods which science has adopted in far
larger fields, and always with successful
results. Nothing is more curious than this,
unless perhaps we except the dishonesty
with which it has been sought to condemn
the operation of the brush dams in the abb
sence of any evidence to justify such
position. Fortunately however legislative
committees are under some obligation to
find conclusions in accordance with the
testimony adduced, and thus it is that the
report of the Senate Committee on Water
Rights, Irrigation and Drainage, made yes
terday, traverses the prejudiced and un-
candid criticisms of the anti.debris press.
The Senate Committee find that the
Drainage Commissioners have done their
duty under the law !; that they have let
contracts in thoroughly business like,
legitimate and honest manner, in accord
ance with the plans of the engineers that
they have done all that was possible for
them to do, considering the limited time
and funds at their disposal and that the
excess of the contract costs above the
fund available for the time being was rem
dered necessary by the imperative need of
completing the works begun before the
winter foods, on pain Of losing all that
had been expended upon them. The false
and malicious reports about fraud are
shown to have had no justification what
ever. Every dollar used has been fully
accounted for. But it has been made APP
parent that the Commissioners have put
as much energy and zeal into the work as
If they had been engaged on their personal
business and that they have labored in
defatigably and conscientiously to effect
the utmost that could be accomplished in
the time and with the means at their com.
mand
as to the success of brush dams, that
has been demonstrated effectually in the
teeth of ignorant and adverse criticism.
The brush dams have done just what they
were expected and intended to do: that is
to say, they have held back the heavier
debris in large quantities, and so have
acted as filters to the rivers. The assump-
ton of the opposition press, that the least
flaw in such work argues the failure of
the plan, is on its face so ridiculous and
puerile as to seem beneath comment. As
a matter of course all engineering works,
however scientifically constructed, are
liable to encounter obstacles and injuries.
The sinking of the brush dams in places,
however, did not surprise the engineers,
for they bad forseen it, and they knew per-
fectly well that it would not materially
affect the operation of the work.
It is however perfectly clear to the mean
est understanding that such works as
have been erected in this case are entitled
to fair and full trial. Nothing has &C.
Cured thus far to shake faith in the sound
ness of the principles adopted by the
engineers. Both the dams and the rivers
have acted as they were expected to act,
and the good anticipated has been obtained.
1t is not expected that the beginnings thus
far made are capable of dealing with the
whole problem, however. That can only
be done by following up the plans already
entered upon. And no candid or intelli-
gent criticism on the entire project is pos
! sible until it has been tested as whole.
The opposition is now driven from its skir-
mish line, and it will have to fall back
upon the main proposition that the people
of the State ought not to be called upon to
assist in the salvation of any part of it.
The attempt to prove the proposed system
a failure, though undertaken with charac-
teristic impudence by the amateur en-
gineers of Bohemia, has failed. The at
tempt to smother the bill by calumny and
SANDER has also failed. Perhaps now some
serious effort will be made to discuss it
upon its merits, and to seek rational and
defensible position on the great question of
community interest.
THE Beers.
! 10 ErcIicb hara -. L. D.