Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-06-26

that are athirst, and used for irrigation
will create greater wealth than gilded the
dreams Of their projectors.
But the acreage already subjected tc
| irrigation is insignificant compared with
the desert unreclaimed. Within the rim
Of our great interior valleys there are
| "a, 900, GOO acres, an area equal to that Of
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mas
| sachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New York and Pennsylvania combined.
Yet those States have population Of
13, ,427, ,27Ol A population which supports
the three imperial trade centers OF the
country-Boaton, New York and Phila-
delphia-besides scores Of local points for
the concentration and distribution OF the
immense commerce generated in the me-
ceseities and the energies ofthose millions
Of people. Going abroad for comparison,
this babitable area in California, natur-
ally tributary to San Francisco, is one
and a fourth times the size OF Great
Britain, with her 10000, 900 Of people.
Yet Our valleys have only 2s4, 900 souls
and our whole area only 5 1-2 persons to
the square mile! The whole Atlantic
slope has 22.4 to the square mile; the
Merrimac Valley has 92.6; the Connec-
ticut Valley 56.5; the Valley OF the
Hudson, 17S the basin Of the st. Law
renee, 33; the Ontario basin, 1872 that
OF Lake Erie, s9.6; the Valley Of the
Miami, 109.67: while the Valleys Of the
Sacramento and San Joaquin have only
40 to the square mile
TO continue the suggestive comparison:
II our two great valleys were as densely
peQpled as the basin OF the st. Lawrence,
their population would be 1,s56,000; il
equal to the New England coast, they
would have 1888, geo; II equal to the
Ontario basin, 4,523, 900; il equal TO the
Valley of the Delaware, 10,20e, 900. To
sum up: The present unoccupied area OF
these valleys 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 an immense commerce, as varied in
the products which create it as the globe
CLEANED trade of London.
These results can only be secured by
irrigation. BY its aid only can croTs be
raised at all in large part Of the area
Just described, because Of the light rain
lall and natural dryness Of the climate in
the desert half OF the State. While irri-
cation is needed to make returns from
the soil sure where fickle rainfall now
enables full crop only one year in
Eeven.
All Of this area is capable OF high farm
ing. 1t will produce commercial sur
plus OF every necessity, luxury and deli
caey listed in the food supply that grows
outside the tropics. Noble mountains
rise OIL either side Of those valleys, clad
with timber which shelters the cool
sources OF the waters for irrigation. The
seashore is a short journey distant.
Thermal springs pour out their medicinal
waters near at hand, and here lies
richer soil than Belgium has, under
kinder skies than Italy can boast. The
thought is insufferable that uncongenial
law shall permit human selfshness to
forbid the bans between these gifts OF
God, and by keeping land and water
wastcfully apart, deny the world the ben
efits and blessings OF their union.
The streams which traverse these val
leys have their heads in perpetual snow.
| Riparian ownership denies their flow TO
the thirsty earth and condemns it to
evaporation and emission in the thank
less sea.
What is the law, and what ought it to
be? These are the questions to be set
tied Shall the streams be legally open
to appropriation, or shall the law Of
riparian ownership lock the water within
the banks? Shall the flow be useful or
useless? The intelligence and enterprise
OF the State have already answered these
questions "The water shall be for irri-
CATION" This answer is only the reflec-
ton Of the first impulse Of our pioneers,
who appropriated to useful purposes the
waters they found wasting. This custom
has been projected 20 the comprehensive
systems that arc now making parts Of
this wilderness to 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 un-
der 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. Organization 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 demon
strate the fact that there are political tri-
umphs greater than the conquest OF
spoils, and this is to be done by going
unitedly into politics to stay until our
rights are secured. The counties vitality
interested in irrigation cast upwards OF
| 40, 900 votes. They control elections, for
narrow pluralities between parties are OF
late years the rule in California. In our
First Congressional District in 1884, a
plurality of las elected total vote OF
33, ,103. In the Second District the win
ming plurality was 119, in vote Of 81 ,073.
| In the Sixth District it was 400, in vote
Of So, ,444. So let no irrigator despair that
his vote counts so 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 every one, no matter what his oc-
cupation, shall be eligible, provided he
| faithfully opposes riparian monopoly of
water and favors appropriation for irriga-
| tion. and the measures referred by us to
the last Legislature. These clubs should
form at once. Never mind IL club be a
| lew in number. Its strength is its right
| eousness Of purpose, and the aggregate
| membership when it keeps step all over
the State will shake the foundation Of
parties, and these clubs can say who
| shall be Governor, Attorney-General and
Judges OF our Supreme and Superior
Courts, and who shall sit in the Legisla-
ture. In additioS to the construction Of
this club organization, in the further per-
torrance Of our duty, we hereby call and
/ appoint State convention, composed OF
all who favor the platform and objects Of
the Fresno Convention Of Irrigators, and
support the measures proposed to the
Legislature by this organization. This
convention will meet in San Francisco on
Thursday, the 20th day Of May, 1886, at
IL o'clock A. NJ. We urgently request
every club organized under this call to
delegate as many as can come to take
part in this Convention, and il is dis
Itinctly understood that participation
therein is not the right or privilege OF
supporters Of riparian ownership.
When assembled, the Convention will
effect permanent central organization,
10 perfect the scheme OF laws already pre-
pared by this committee, and urge them
lto success in tho next Legislature; also,
fto formulate plan Of action to be fol-
llowed in the coming political campaign,
Il---f.s.l ...- .f,.,v,oTfb shall Ia folf OF