Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-07
IRRIGATION.
4 STATEMENT UPON THE SUBJECT
TO THE PUBLIC
by the Legislative Committee of the
Former Irrigation Convention
Past and Future.

and the purposes tor the future
The undersigned, Executive Committee of the
State Irrigation Convention, desire to submit
statement of their action to the constituents of
the above Conventions and to all people who
have an Interest in the encouragement of irri-
gaiipn.
This committee was directed to frame bills
for laws 70 be acted on by the Legislature
These were to remedy the evils of existing laws
relating 10 the appropriation OF water and were
intended TO place irrigation amongst the
permanent policies of the State. To the sup
port Of these proposed legal reforms we sought
10 bring an intelligent public opinion, fully
aroused 20 the Importance of this question Of
questions The English common law doctrine
OF riparian ownership is repugnant and inap-
plcable % the physical conditions of the State
because il permits no use of water outside of
the banks OF i stream. unless by assent of the
ahutting owner As the waters are in volume
far beyond the possibility of use by him for any
purpose, this doctrine permits him to misrue
them to waste in the sen, while lands lie virgin
which they would rouse 10 such frutfuluess
that a less acreage than elsewhere in the whole
world would support a family in afluence
without extreme toll.
The bills drawn by this committee were intro
duccd IN both branches of the Legislature and
underwent refinement aud revision in the COM
mittees OF that body.
Meantime the intelligent press of the State
alive 10 the justice of our cause, APP reciating
the necessity of legislation to put statute and
natural law in harmony, came TO our assistance.
The leading journals OF San Francisco, rsaliz-
Ing that the highest interests of that city i'm
piDge upon irrigation, made reiterated appeals
TO the Legislature in our favor while the hews-
papers of the Interior, with inconsidersble ex-
ceptions aligned with us and gave gallant bat
tie for our propositions.
These un'tcd effolts in Il great and lust cause
disclosed 20 the Legislature md to the people its
relation 10 the prosperity of toe whole State and
our reform was proved to te of general utility
and application, and not u local issue, exhaust
Ing IFS benefits in pent up zee ion Confidence
in the merit and necessity Of our projected leg
islati0n was difuSed throughout the State aud
was fiected in memorials and petitions to the
Legislature.
Our thanks are due, and are hereby delivered
IN the name OF those we represent, to the press
OF the state for the service SO generously volun-
teered and so efficiently rendered. Ii brought
us near TO success. The same assistance encour-
ages a renewal of our efforts, with greater en-
ergy and the benefit of experience Preparation
for the future IS not complete without the
guidance Afforded BY the full history of what
has been done. We addressed the Legislature
with review Of our case, Illuminated by ex-
tracts nom the press. The ninety days session
was drawing TO 4 close The few riparian owners
who oppose the use of water for irrigation con
trolling small minority in the House filihus
tered 10 hinder there the passage of our bills
but. when the sinister arts # delay had ex-
haus,ed Themselves, our measures passed the
House by more than & thIee-fourths vote and
were sent 20 the Senate There we had a two
thirds vote ready to be cast in orr favor if the
measure could lie reached The influence of
the Governors views, SO clearly expressed in our
favor, AID argued with uaanswerable force in
his message, had been continually at work uron
the terjudgment of the upper House. But
there again hibustering and all the resources of
Parliamentary impeachment were against us, and
the bills failed.
The mistaken men, who were the agents of
this misfortune to California, should be marked
and future confidence be withheld fir IN them
when they ask the votes of irrigators to elevate
them to office. Let them resort to the riparian
lists for support Let them depend unon ftItnre
h
TO barrenness AID threaten our State with decay
Let them, at least until our rights are in
trenched IN the harmpnies of law, human and
divine, suffer the consequences of their malice
or their mistake.
Here ends the history of what has been done
Here the account ofour steward ship is rendered
Now we turn to the future. We appeal from
hllbustering minority of the Senate to the
great people whose wishes are soon to be re-
nected in the election of Il new Legislature
We would have them realize the necessity of
irrigation. The benefits it has already showered
upon the State are inestimable, and the bless
ings yet to come from the water ar innumer-
able.
Great areas are already made fruitful. and
enterprising thousands under the protection of
the doctrine of appropriation produce gener-
o"s livelihood r themselves and a great sur.
Plus for export which adds TO the common
wealth. Millions of dollars are invested in
canals and bitches primarily devoted to irTiga-
tian, while the systems which were buiH for
hydraulic mining debouch upon plains that are
greater wealth than gildcd the dreams of their
projectors.
But the acreage already subjected to irrigation
is Insignificant compared with the desert unre-
claimed. Within the rim of our great interior
valleys there are 81. 100000 acres, an area equal
TO that of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut New
York and Pennsylvania combined. Yet those
Stat have population OF IS I27, 270l A popu-
letiOn which supports the three imperial trade
eenters OF the country-Boston, New York and
Philadelphia-besidess scores of local points for
the concentration and distribution of the i'm
mense commerce generated in the necessities
and the energies of those millions of people
Going abroad for a comparison. this habitable
area in California. naturally tributary to San
Francisco, is one and fourth times the size of
Great Brit sin. with her 80 000 900 of people Yet
or valleys have only 2Si 600 souls, and our
whole area only % persons to the square mile !
The whole Atlantic slope has 22.4 to the square
mile; the Merrimac valley has 92.6; the Con-
necticut valley, $50: the valley of the Hudson
17S: the basin Of the st. Lawrence, 80; the Onta-
rio basin, 7S.2; that of Lake Erie Sg6; the val
ley of the Miami I0967; while ihevalleys of the
Sacramento and SAN Joaquin have only 40 to
tie square mile
To continue the suggestive comparison If
our tive great valleys were as densely peopled
as the basin of the st. Lawrence their popula-
ton would be l,S56000; if equal to the New
England coast, they would have 1000 if
equal to the OatariO basin, 4.J23000: il equal
to the valley OF the Delaware, 10, 2os.G00 10
sum up: The present unoccupied area of these
vail Us should support il 100000 of people-a
population which would make san Francisco
the most desirable business city in the world,
and the mart OF On immense commerce, as va
RED in the products which create il as thegiobe-
CLEANED trade of London.
These results can only be secured by irriga-
ton. By its aid only can crops be raised at all
i'll large part of the area Just described be-
cause of the light rainfall and natural dryness
OF the climate in the desert half OF the State.
While irrigation is needed to AXE returns from
the soil sure where a tickle rainfall now enables
a full crop only one year in seven.
All of this area is capable of high farming. It
viii produce commercial surplus of every
necessity, luxury and delieacy listed in the food
supply that grows outside the tropics. Noble
,sountainS rise on either side of those valleys
clad with timber which shelters the cool sources
Otthe waters for irrigation. The seashore is a
short journey distant. Thermal springs pour
their medicinal waters near at hand, and here
lies richer soil tlan Belgium has. under
kinder skies than Italy can boast. The thought is
insuferahe that uncongenial law shall permit
human selfishness 10 forbid the bans between
tnese gins of God, AMI by keeping land aud
water wastefully apart deny the world the bene-
ITS and blessings OF tn, ir union.
The streaus which traverse these valleys
have their heads in perpetual snow. Riparian
ownership denies their fiow to the thirsty earth
and eondemnsit TO evaporation and emission in
the thanklesS sea
What Is The law, and what ought it to be
These are the questions TO he settled Shall the
streams be legally open to Appropriations OF
water within the banksf Shall the flow be use
ful or useless The intelligence AID enterprise
OF the Stale have already an swered these cues
tons: - The water shall be for irrigation" This
answer is only the reflection of the first impulse
OF our pioneers. who appropriated to useful pur-
poses the waters they round wasting. This Gus
tom has been projected TO the comprehensive
systems that are now making parts of this wild
erness 10 blossom, and there even women to-day
guard the gates through which flow the very
waters OF life that support the vine and fig tree
under which their children play.
The efforts of the last two years have recruited
the ranks of irrigators, until we are an army
The force is ready now for organization, which
should be made in all interested localities Or
ganization is power. We must now make our
force effective in the politics of the State since
IN politics the Legislature to which we appeal
Is generated We must demonstrate the fact
that there are political triumphs greater than
the conquest of spois. and this is to be done BY
gong unitedly into politics to stay until our
rights are secured. The counties vitality inter-
They control elections, for narrow plurali.ies
between parties are OF late years the rule in
california. In our First Congressional District
IN 1874 Plurality of las elected in a total vote
OF IS. los In the Second District the winning
plurality was il9 in a vote of 37O7a In ths
siyth District ii was 409 in vote OF IS 4i4 81
act no irrigaior despair that his vote counts AZ
little. To get the full benefit OF our STRENGTH
this committee advises that irrigation anti
riparian. clubs be formed IN every town and
county throughout the State, to membership in
which everyone, no matter what his occupation.
shall be eligible, provided he faithfully opposes
riparian monopo y of water and fayors appro-
pria.ion for irrigation, and the measures re-
1erred by us to the last Legislature. These clubs