The record-union., 1891-02-13
THEY WERE NOT UNGENEROUS.
The Government Engineers Saw What
our River Needed.
Errors In the Published Reports of
Their Recommendation In
teresting Interview.

UereSClnS lnCerN16Ws
A representative of the REcoRD-UNIoN
yesterday overhauled DR.. Dixon, who is
Chairman of the Executive Committee of
the River Improvement Convention, and
by questions drew from him interesting
information upon the subject of the recent
report of Government Engineers.
What, doctor, are the views of the
committee concerning that report"
.'They were much surprised, sir, as
were all the people apprehend who wish
to have the integrity of the navigable river
restored and maintained. We worked
very hard to get the facts before the Gov
ernment, and for one 1 was greatly dis
appointed at the report of the recommen-
dationS of the Government Commission,
as telegraphed to the press on Wednes-
day."
What most surprised your
"Why, that no reference was made to
the lower Sacramento. The friends of
river improvement who met and con-
ferred with the commission had every
reason to anticipate that comprehensive
plan of restoration and improvement
would be devised and large sum recon-
mended for the work"
sit is possible that the telegraphic re-
port was incorrect; you remember that
the reporters stated that they had great
difficulty in ascertaining anything about
1.-THE official report being jealously
withheld
Yes, for it seems that it is better than
reported, and it is probable that when we
receive full report we may have reason
TO congratulate ourselves. Hon. George
Ohleyer, President of the Anti-Debris
Association, went to San Francisco on
Wednesday, and to-day I received from
him telegram on the subject. Here it is:
"Press dispatch incorrect. Two hundred
and seventy-hve thousand dollars recon-
mended for lower Sacramento River. Twenty
nve thousand for Jacobs Slough"
''That is quite a different version of
the matter. What, now, is your idea of
what the commission intends to have
done if its report is agreed to?''
.'Well, L think that it means that the
commission recommend $300,000 for i'm
provement of the Sacramento, besides
81, 900 annually for the snag- boat service
That is, $500, 900 for treatment of the Yuba
River above Marysville, and $4,000 an
nually for channels of the Feather, or q
total expenditure for one year of S6i5, 600,
considerable sum after all, and n splen-
did opening wedge, which may well be
followed by several millions of dollars
onlIl lllc tIltl1c NOIh HGCCSStlly is dtCOlll-
plished. 1t is anticipated that the S275, ,000
forthe lower river is recommended as an
annual appropriation like the $4,000 for
the Feather, but only a full text of the
report Will show full scope of the recon-
mendations."
''You say, doctor, that your commit
tees conferred with the commission. Was
anything understood then as to what
ought to be done?'
The engineers were careful in their
expressions. 1t would not have been
proper for them to say what they would
recommend"
well, did they have nothing to say of
the impression the view they had of the
Yuba above Marysville made upon them? ?
They recommend, you see, 100000 for
the Tuba, which has no navigable value"
''They saw at once that it was of UitdL i'm
portance that the enormous quantity of
debris now in the Yuba, and which is rap
idly drifting towards and into the Feather
and Sacramento should be restrained and
forever kept out of the latter rivers, They
clearly intimated that it would be q form
idable task to dispose of the derbiS now
i'll the navigable channels, and positively
no more of the destructive element must
ever be thrown into the tributaries of
these rivers if we expect the Government
to restore and maintain the navigable in
tegrity of our rivers"
Did they say as much?'
"Hhey did say in so many words to Mr..
Ohleyer that the deposits in the Yuba
must not come down, that it would be
difficult indeed to remove what is in the
Sacramento now, and that no more ought
to come in"
WAS Major Heuer with the commission
when it went up stream?"
"Yes.n
''What did he think?"
'Why, when he saw the conditions
In III
his idea of natural wash, especially when
he was shown the clear water in the Sac
ramento above the Feather, and the yell
low water emptying out of the Feather
into the Sacramento and out of the Yuba
into the Feather, and the buried trees
and places along the Yuba."
THAT has not before been stated"
Il thought that 1t was generally known
that he changed his opinion on that sub
ject. There was no secret made of it, |
am told"
'What is your idea, as Chairman of the
Executive Committee, should now be
done?"
''Why, sir, that the friends of river i'm
provement must follow up the recon-
mendations of the commission vigorously
and tirelessly. Congress is in the habit,
you know, of cutting down appropria-
tions recommended about one-half, and
this will not Go in this extreme case of
need. Only by hard work have we Sc
cured the recommendation of the small
measure of aid proposed. a few thou
sand for the Snag-bOat has been the limit
heretofore, and the S645,OQO now appar-
emily within reach should not be allowed
to grow less by any inaction or temporary
disappointment on the part of the people
identified with this movement for Gov
ernment care of our navigable rivers"
''What will your committee do neXt?"
''That | cannot say. 1t has no war to
make on any one. 1t will only ask the
Government to care for the trust it holds
for the people-that is the navigable
streams. am but one of the committee,
but 1 can say that every assistance should
be offered the Executive Committee in
any efforts they may make in the inn
mediate future"