Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-07
LkvEEs AND DRAINAGE.

Mr.. Knox is not alone in holding that this
election was not required by the law under
which the city authorities are acting.
There are, however, sufficient reasons why
the latter should desire to have the re-
sponsibility for the plan they propose as
sumed BY the taxpayers, though it Is ev.
ident that the time allowed by the law
for the consideration of these plans is
much too short. As regards the leyees,
public opinion is undoubtedly in favor OF
such action as will put an end to the peri
odical apprehensions which have been
forced upon the community for SO many
years. 1t is felt generally that the one
wise policy for Sacramento is to make her
defenses SO sure that no matter what
happens they will be beyond suspicion.
Such contamination is certain to be
well worth whatever it may cost, but
while there is no difference of opinion
on this general head, there may
well be difference of opinion upon
the wisdom of the plans submitted.
So far as these plans embrace the
strengthening and widening OF the levees
which are entirely within the control of
the city, we presume there will be no seri-
GUS opposition to them. Whether the
levees can be really made more efficient by
the scheme of riprapping with stone. On
which it is proposed to expend altogether
500, 900, is however another question.
Mr.. Knox thinks that this cobble-stone
plan, though calculated to remove some
fear from the minds of the timid, is not in
fact necessary or even particularly useful
addition to our defenses. And it must be
realized that though 1t is only proposed to
expend S25, coo upon cobble-stone facing
this year, the Endorsement OF that expend-
iture will practically commit the city to
the entire plan, which calls for $780, 600.
| The question OF course is whether such a
sum would be wisely expended in that
way. Several practical engineers are OF
Mr.. Knox's opinion, namely, that it is not
necessary, and that Bermuda grass would
afford really better facing than the stone.
The question of the outside district is
another one which demands serious consid-
Grafton. If Sacramento is to raise and
strengthen the levees down to Freeport,
there ought not to be any loophole of eva.
sion left for the property-owners in the
outside district who are to be specially
benefited, and who are called upon to
share the expense of the work. The city
authorities, that is to say, ought to be in a
position to know exactly what proportion
of the outlay these property -owners will
bear, and there ought also to be some ma.
terial guarantee for the payment of their
quota of the expense. This is perfectly
reasonable requirement, and it will be
thought by many that to go on and do the
work without obtaining any assurance on
these points would be to invite difficulties.
Mr.. Knox, as one of the Drainage Commits
sioners, states that it was the intention of
the Board to assist in the work of strength
ening the Sacramento levees this summer,
but that in consequence of the opposi.
ton which has been made to the
Board, and of the litigation which has
been begun, there is no hope that this pur-
pose can now be fulfilled. One effect of
the injunction against the hydraulic min
ers must be to cause them to refuse to pay
their mining tax, and the presumption is
that even if the Supreme Court upholds
the constitutionality of the Drainage Act.
it viii be, for this year at least, dead
letter. Whatever is done to our levees,
therefore, we shall have to do ourselves,
and this fact must be fully realized. Mr..
Knox questions the wisdom of the policy
of the Trustees in proposing to collect
special taxes for the work to be done. He
points cut that in the past this was avoided
by putting the expense over on to the
ensuing year. As, however, the extra ex-
pense will have to be continued several
years, it appears that this method would
not operate as relief beyond the present
season.
The question of the pumping machinery
for the city drainage is very important
one. But it is by no means certain that
the sum proposed to be raised for this pur-
pose would cover the cost of an effective
system of drainage, and it is quite certain
that no such system has thus far been
submitted to the people. What is needed
Is system of sewerage and drainage
combined. AT present this city is almost
without sewerage II it is to continue
habitable during the next ten years it will
be necessary to provide for the removal Of
the contents of house cesspools. Nothing
10 this direction has yet been done, nor
is it comprehended under the new plans.
Again, it must be remembered that pump
ing machinery barely sufficient for the
average daily drainage would be wholly
incompetent to cope with any sudden and
extensive increase in that drainage, such as
is always liable to occur during the win
ter months. 1t would be great mistake
to spend SIS, 600 upon pumps, only
to discover that they were lacking
in power and capacity precisely when they
were most needed. In fact this pumping
business is of itself so considerable ques-
ton that it would have been better to have
kept it separate from that of the levees.
The Trustees have submitted too many
propositions at once, considering how brief
is the period allowed for discussion of
their plans. Nor is it certain that they
were compelled to submit these levee ques-
tions at all. 1t was not necessary for them
to raise the money this year, as Mr.. Knox
observes, and in the opinion of many COM
petent observers they had full authority
under the law to 60 on with whatever re-
pairs were found indispensable. Discus
sion of the whole situation, however, is
now in order, and we propose to ascertain
and lay before the public the views OF
prominent citizens, to the end that intelli-
gent conclusions may be reached.
NIHILIsM SILL BUSY.