Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-02-25
a BILL TO BE LOOKED AFTER.

The attention of representatives from
agricultural districts is called to Senate
Bill No. 232, which appears to be meas
ure to freeze out owners of small lands
needing protection from overflow, and to
aid strong and wealthy reclamation dis,
tricts to swallow up the small fry. Under
the present law owners of swamp lands, or
those needing to be reclaimed, we're allowed
lhdiVide the former large districts and
Yet their possessions off into small dis
ricts, on the theory that they could thus
gradually better reclaim aad protect then
lands. We believe the people of the river
bottoms along the Sacramento below this
city, for instance, will agree that the
theory holds goods in practice Now, if
Mr.. HOLSTER, our representative from
the bottom land district in this county,
will examine Senate Bill 80 closely, We
think ne viii discover m attempt in it to
compel a return to the old system Of
large districts and expensive and extensive
reclamation works. which tend to the
practical coniis,ation Of the property of
the small owners. The bill in question
provides that any body of lands comprising
one or more tracts, L portion Of which shall
adjoin any lands originally embraced in
any reclamation district heretofore formed,
or to be hereafter formed, and which body
OF lands require protection from overflow,
snd may ne protected by the same system
OF WORKS Is shall be required for the pro-
lection Of lands within such district, NAV
be taken into and become part Of such
district. J. c, of the larger district, and he
subject to assessments for Its work, etc.
The process Of this swallowing feat is very
ingenious. A majority of the trustees of
the large district petition the Supervisors,
setting forth that adjacent lands compris-
ing one or more tracts may be protected
by the "satne system" OF works adopted
by the large district The Supervisors hear
She petition and the parties pro and con,
ard If the Board finds 80 statements in the
petition to be true, that is, that the little
fish may be protected" by the same sys-
TEN of works adopted by the whales, then
they, the Supervisors, snail order the
smaller districts, or any part of thea, to
submit TO be swallowed up aid thereafter
live in the whales belly. This may be
deemed trivial treatment Of the bill, but
it has the virtue OF being truthful, how
ever rude the SMILES employed. 1t az
pears 10 us 10 be a bill 10 force owners Of
small tracts unable to engage in vast recla-
nation works, and the employment of
costly machinery, etc, and for whom sub
division reclamation Is fully adequate, to
become integral parts Of the greater
schemes and bear share Of the burden Of
maintaining systems, the larger part of
which have no relation whatever to their
lands. Il will be observed that no dis
erection Is lodged in the Board Of Supcryis-
ors. II that body finds that the smaller
tracts Of land may be reclaimed or pro
tected from overflow by Tie same kind of
works maintained in the larger, they, the
Supervisor, shall order and compel them
to be 50 protected. Now, any small dis
trict ,nay that is, be capable of protection
by the system adopted in the greater dis
tricts where wealth backs the scheme
and carries it on upon costly plan.
Therefore it amounts to legislation forcing
small reclamation districts into The bellies
OF large ones. 1t is possible that a grand