The record-union., 1891-06-25
ANOTHER PROPOSITION TO TAX
IRRIGATION DISTRICTS.

COlOnel II. j. Linton, who IS special
agent of the Irrigation Division of the
Agricultural Department of the United
States, over which Jerry Rusk presides
as Secretary of Agriculture, is now in
San Francisco, having visited the State of
California to make examinations con-
corning irrigation matters for the benefit
of the department over which he pre-
sides. Colonel Hinton's visit to Califor-
MIA may be the means of much good. The
Government of the United States owes it
to the State of California, where effort is
being made to fertilize arid lands by the
artificial application of water, to make
such examinations as will assist in the
sale Of the bonds now proposed to be
placed on the market for the development
of irrigation works. We presume that
Colonel Hinton is in discharge of this
duty, and that it will be done faithfully.
The presumptious are in favor of this
view at all events. Buta proposition has
been mooted to secure at the hands of
Colonel Hinton special examination Of
all the irrigation districts in this State
from an engineering standpoint, and
make governmental report concerning
them. In fact, the proposition is to have
Colonel Hinton do what it has been pro-
posed to employ Mr.. Hall to do. But an
additional proposition has been made
that the department has not money for
sary for the irrigation districts to raise
$4,000 for this purpose. 1t has been sug-
gested that each district pay 500, and
four-tenths Of cent on each acre of land
to be irrigated. There appears to be no
end to the propositions to levy contribu-
tons on the irrigation districts of this
State. The Department of Agriculture
at Washington might be appealed to in
the present status of affairs for that help
which Governments are instituted to
accord. We do not see any necessity
whatever for raising special sum to as
sist the Government of the United States
to carry out work it has undertaken and
to promote a governmental function, to
the benefits of which the people of Cali
fornia are already entitled.
The present status of the irrigation
question in California is leading to num-
berless propositions to add to the cost of
developing irrigation systems. We shall
take the liberty of pointing them out with
justice and clearness, and protecting the
people Of this State against a species of
wrong which is becoming altogether too
apparent. We are not advised that Col
onel Hinton has been the originator of
this proposition. On the contrary, the
suggestion appears to have arisen in the
minds of people who look upon the pres
ent as an excellent opportunity for gov
ernmental interference.
The direct and honest method in this
matter would be to appeal to the Secre-
tary of Agriculture, pointing out to him
clearly the advantage it would be to have
d SpecIdl IepoII upon irrigation uldtteEs
in California. Our representatives in the
Congress of the United States ought to at
tend to matter of this kind for us. If
the Irrigation Division of the Agricult-
ural Department at Washington will take
up this matter as it should, without ex-
pense to the people of this State, it will
obviate the necessity of employing spe-
cial consulting engineer for each district.
An impartial report by the authorities at
Washington would have many times the
value of any report made by any engineer
who may be employed by the districts
themselves