Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-05
THE RECLAMATION ACT.
THE CONVENTION OF FARMERS
WHICH MET YESTERDAY.
A Rather Livsly Session-The Various
Ideas Expressed-A Resolution at Last
Adopted Calling for Three Districts.

The meeting of those interested in
forming districts and going to work
under the reclamation act, passed on
March l1th by the last legislature, con-
vened yesterday morning in Judge
Shaw's courtroom. There were consid-
erably over hundred men present
when Supervisor Davis called the con-
vention to order at 10 80, and the num-
Der kept constantly increasing up to
noon, when the recess was taken.
Supervisor Davis was unanimously
elected chairman OF the convention, and
Henry Harrison secretary, after which
the convention proceeded to business.
The battle opened with motion for the
appointment of committee on creden-
tials, which was vigorously opposed by
some and as vigorously favored by
others. Some precincts had elected
delegates while others had not, and yet
every one had an opinion or two and de-
sire to ventilate them. A motion that
the convention resolve itself into mass
meeting to consider the subject was the
next thing. A vote on this motion was
not decisive in either direction. Mr..
Washburp thought that as the action of
the convention would not be binding
upon any one, it mattered but little
whether the convention was a mass
meeting or delegate convention. Mo-
ton, amendment and substitute motion
followed each other in rapid succession,
until the entire body was hopelessly en-
tangled in a mesh of parliamentary red
tape, when a cool-headed member ex-
tricated the convention by timely mo-
ton to lay everything before the
house" on the table, which was accord
ingly done, and the convention pro-
ceeded to resolve itself into mass meet
ing and tackle the problem before it.
Judge Dillon of Cerritos took the floor
for the introduction of resolution to the
effect that all the land affected by the
overflow of the San Gabriel river and
It's tributaries should be embraced in
one district, that one competent en-
gineer should have charge of the work
and that the entire district should be
equally taxed to pay the expense of con-
fining the water courses concerned
within their banks.
Considerable discussion followed,
majority of those present seeming to be
in favor of the one district, but the
Rivera delegation stoutly opposed it.
The speakers on the subject were Mr..
Peck, Mr.. Washburn, of Vineland; Mr..
Wood, R. M. Walton, Mr.. Miller, of
Clearwater; Mr.. Greening, of Downey
Judge Page, of East Los Angeles; j. j.
Morton, Compton, Judge Venable, Mr..
Watts. of Old River, and S. NJ. David
son, of La Dow election district.
At this point an adjournment was
taken until 80.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Judge Dillon obtained the floor after
the convention was called to order,
and proceeded to haul over the Goals
the members who objected to the one
district idea on the score that it would
be more expensive for some districts
than it would be if more districts were
formed. After one or two rather acri-
monious speeches pro and con, G. HI.
Eberle obtained the floor and unrolled
map of Los Angeles county, which
had been prepared during the recess.
This map was divided by heavy lines
into three districts, and Mr.. Eberle pro-
ceeded to offer the following resolution
Resolved, That reclamation districts
be organized as follows:
No. 1. All of the endangered districts
lying north OF the division of the Tenn
pie and Ranchito ranches.
No. 2. All OF the territory lying south
of district No. 1, down to what is known
as the Telegraph road, or thereabouts.
No. 8. All that territory lying south
of district No. 2 to the Pacific ocean,
with the Orange county line as the
eastern boundary, the western boundary
to include all endangered territory trib'
utary to the Los Angeles river.
After few kicks from Fruitland and
Compton delegates the resolution was
put and carried with very little oppo
sition.
A motion that each one present should
60 to work for the proposed districts in
his vicinity was passed, and the meet
| ing adjourned sine die.