The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1891-02-05
RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
DR.. Dixon Asks the Supervisors for
Another Appropriation.
1t Is DESTROYS that Another Delegation
Should Go to Waslington-The
Board OF Engineers.

Dr.. G. NJ. Dixon, Chairman of the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the River Improve
ment Convention, appeared before the
Board of Supervisors yesterday after
noon, and asked that an appropriation of
$3.50 be made by the county to assist the
committee in sending delegation to
Washington for the purpose of securing
legislation for the improvement of the
Sacramento and Feather rivers.
The doctor went over the history of the
committees and conventions work for
the benefit of the new members of the
board. He said that the convention was
held in Sacramento just a year ago, dele
gates being sent by the Supervisors Of the
several counties interested in the inn
provement Of the two rivers mentioned.
The convention took cognizance of the
fact that during last winter u mil
lion acres OF land in the Sacra-
mento Valley were under water,
500,0J0 acres of which We're actually in
crops at the time-and all owing to the
INCAPACITY or THE SACRAMENTO
River to carry off tho great body of water
thrown into it from The American and
Feather rivers and other tributaries 1t
was agreed 10 that the source OF all the
trouble was hydraulic mining. After
general exchange of views, the conven-
ton appointed 81 executive committee to
carry on tie work mapped out, and adj
Journed. One OF the 1iTst things this
committee did was TO send delegation to
Washington to assist the California rep
reSentatireS there i'll securing an appro-
priation for the improvement of the
rivers.
Heretofore, all efforts to secure a SINH
lar appropriation" said DR.. Dixon,
were failures. and the visit CT this dele
CATION to Washington gave. us the key to
The whole situation. They found that no
bill appropriating money for river inn
provement would go through Congress
unless the War Department had set its
seal OF approval upon the measure. As
the War department had no official
knowledge OF The condition Of the Sacra-
mento and Feather rivers, the delegation
came to the conclusion that they had
overlooked The most important matter in
the whole affair. Instead of asking for
the appropriation then, clause was in
serted into the river and harbor bill
calling 1or the appointment Of q
BOARD OF ENGINEERS
Whose duty it should be to proceed at
once to the Pacific Coast and make an
examination OF the Sacramento and
Feather Rivers. This board was duly
appointed, has examined the rivers, and
will report i'll very short time to Con-
gress. fortunately two Of the members
Of this board were members OF the COM
mission which had in charge the work of
improving the Mississippi River Al
though they gave US no official informal
ton us to what they intended to embody
in their report, they did intimate that our
rivers needed a thorough system of lev
ees as had been provided for the Missis-
sippi. They also said that had this sys-
tenn been in working order last winter,
when so much water was crowded into
our rivers, the channels would have been
so thoroughly secured out that to-day
ocean steamers could come up to our city
with ease.''
DR.. Dixon called the attention OF the
board to the great changes that would
take place in Sacramento when it could
be made literally seaport town. The
small amount OF money the county would
eXpead now would be nothing as COM
pared with the benefit which would be
reaped.
The board, without doubt, will grant
The request of the Executive Committee,
bat the matter was postponed until Fri
day, as Dr.. Dixon wanted the board to
near from Senator William Johnston, p.
y. Plat, ex-Mayor Gregory, E. b. Willis,
V; S. McClatchy, Captain Foster, and
others who We're thoroughly familiar
with the subject.