The record-union., 1891-06-25
A THOROUGHLY BAD PROPOSITION.

A THOROUGHLY BAD PROPOSITION.
A party signing himself 81. w. Nance,
President of the State Association of
Irrigation DistrictS,'' has written to lead
ing bankers in San Francisco, asking
whether 1t would not be desirable to have
an engineer, known as a consulting
engineer, make an examination of all the
irrigation districts of the State and re-
port as to whether they are irrigation
districts, or whether they have been con-
structed in accordance with scientific
principles, and other matters affecting
their credit as borrowers of money.
Mr.. Nance has suggested that the
districts of the State employ William
Hammond Hall as consulting engineer
to report on the question of water supply,
bankers whether or not, if they are ques-
toned by Eastern investors in bonds on
the subject of the character of the districts,
they would not report that they had been
examined by a competent engineer, If
MIR. Hall had made the examination?
Several of the bankers reply to this,
answering in the affirmative, and in adj
dition they suggest that sit might be well
for your association to employ some
competent attorney to investigate the
status of the several districts and assist
Mr. Hall in his work
This is simply a proposition to make
William Hammond Hall consulting
engineer under salary of each irrigation
district 1t is very thrifty proposition
from Mr.. Halls standpoint, but it is
almost childish as a means of establish
ing the credit of the bonds. Mr.. Hall
would have about as good a thing as has
been vouchsafed to mortal man. He will
be consulting engineer for each district
in the State, not by their choice, but by
reason of the fact that he would report
favorably on irrigation districts The
districts would pay Mr.. Hail. He will
be their paid servant. It is not reasona-
bic to suppose that they are going to
employ an engineer to discredit their
undertaking. We have not the slightest
objection to the employment of Mr.. Hall
by any district in this State which may
choose to give him employment, He is
equally competent to determine matters
of this kind with the engineers who have
planned the district. In short, Mr.. Hall
is a reasonably competent engineer, but
there are many as competent engineers in
the State of California, and many of these
have been employed by the various
districts of the State.
When, therefore, the State Irrigation
Association attempts to place Mr.. Hall
over head of all of these engineers, and
secures at the hands of the bankers a
statement that If Mr.. Hall will say that
the water supply, plans, estimates, ETC.,
for the work, and the general engineer
ing and business questions involved by
the establishment of the district are com
mendable, that they will repeat what he
says to investors in bonds, they are max
ing Mr.. Hall the arbiter of the sale of all
the bonds in California.
If this proposition had proceeded from
the investors it would have had busi-
ness appearance. If the people desiring
to invest in bonds had themselves chosen
an engineer, and sent him to examine the
districts and determine the business and
engineering questions, the proposition
would have presented the appearance of
real business capacity. But for the Irri-
CATION Association of the State and the
irrigation districts of the State to pick out
man upon whose judgment Eastern in
vestors are TO make investments, viii not
help the credit of the irrigation districts
one particle. The bankers addressed on
this subject could not have answered
otherwise than in the affirmative The
inquiry made of the bankers may be
summed up practically: Is Mr.. Hall a
competent engineer? and the bankers an
swer this question IN the affirmative. As
stated by paper favoring this plan. .'it
must be understood that the gentlemen
whose names are quoted do not take upon
themselves the task of acting as a COM
mittee to oversee the examinations that
are to be made, but simply agree in their
individual capacity to act as references
and certify to the ability and response
bility of the experts selected"
The proposition does not select experts
at all; it simply makes Mr.. Hall the ar
bitter of every system in the State. It
will result unfortunately to the whole
situation. 1t cannot do otherwise, be-
cause it is plan by which the people who
place the bonds on the market are praeti-