Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-02

sAFEGU ARDS AGAINST RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.
1t may still be possible for this Congress to
inaugurate, by suitable legislation, move
ment looking to uniformity and an increased
safety in the use of coupiers and brakes upon
freight trains engaged in interstate commerce
The chief difficulty in the way is to secure an
agreement as to the best appliances simplicity
effectiveness, and cost being considered. The
difficulty will only yield to legislation which
should be based upon full inquiry and impair
tial tests. The purpose should be to secure the
cooperation of all well-disposed managers and
owners; but the fearful fact that every year 5
delay involves the sacrifice OF 1000 lives, and
the manning OF 10000 young men, should plead
both with Congress and managers against any
needless delay.
WATER SUPPLY.
The subject of the conservative and equal
distribution of the. water supply of arid re-
gions has had much attention from Congress
but has not as yet been put up in permanent
and satisfactory basis. The urgency of the
subject does not grow out OF any large present
demand for the use of the lands for agriculture
but out of the danger that the water supply and
the sites for the necessary catch basins NAV fall
into the hands of individual or private corpo-
rations, and be used TO render subservient large
areas dependent on such supply. The owner
OF water is the owner OF the lands, however
the titles may run.
Allupappropriated water sources and all nee
essary resurveys should be held by the Govern
| ment for equal use, at fair rates, OF the home.
stead settlers who viii eventually take I'D these
| lands. The United States should not, in my
| canals, but should limit all work to such sur
| veys and observations as will determine the
| water supply, both surface and subterraneau,
| the areas capable of irrigation, and the use OF
| the storage capacity of reservoirs This done
| the use OF the water and of the reservoir sites
| might be granted to the respected States OF
territories, TO ludlviouals or associations, upon
| the condition that the necessary works should
| be constructed and the water furnished at fair
| rates, without discrimination, the rates to be
| subjected TO provisions by tee legislatures, OIL
4 f.r-R Roar NJ Wasn oiU-frx, l,,l.-
| stituted. The essential thing to be secured is
| the common and equal Use, at fair rates, of the
| accumulated water supply. II were almost bet
] ter that these lands should remain ard, than
| that those who occupy them should become the
slaves of restrained monopolies controlling tht
essential element of land values and crop re
| suits.
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
| The use of the telegraph by the Postoiict
| Department as means for the transmission o
written communications is, believe upoI
proper terms, quite desirable. The Government
| Goes not own or operate the railroads and i
! should not, think, own or operate the tele
! graph lines II does however. seem to be quite
| practicable for the Government to contract with
| the telegraph. as ii does with the railroads {,
| carry, at specified rates, such communication
as the sender msy designate for this method o
| transmission. / recommend that such legisla
ton be enacted as will enable the Postofiice De
! partmeut fairly TO test, by experiment, the ad
yantages of such use of the telegraph.
| FREE AND HONEST ELECTIONS.
If any intelligent and loyal company of Amer
| lean citiz rs were required TO catalogue til.
essential human conditions of national life,
| do not doubt that with absolute 1nanimity the
| would begin with free and honest elections,
and it is gratifying to know that generally ther,
| is a growing and non partisan demand for bet
/ ter election laws. But against this sign of hop
| and progress must be set the depressing ana I'm
| deniable fact that the election laws and meth
| DDS are sometimes cunningly controlled to in
| sure minority control of the whole volume ant
j complete the shortcoming of fraud In my las
! annual message Suggested that the adoption
/ of the existing law providing FEDERAL super
vision of Congressional electors. offered al
| effective method of reforming these abuses
| The need of such law has manifested itself il
many parts OF the country, and its wholesome