The record-union., 1892-12-01
The Blow That Hurt.

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among the catastrophes so far reported /
have noted the following incidentals:
The bones were blown out of a Goldfish
which hung in our pantry, and the
feathers, together with all the cackle and
other vanity, were blown off the female
contingent of the fowls here. The Plym-
9th Rock rooster, which essayed to crow
at dawn, was also struck by the severe
blow, and lost his crow, which the wind
carried away-a notable example of ''as
the crow flies"
The lanes and roads were so strewn
with boughs and twigs one would think
Boreas had intended the litter for him
self, while in the conservatory the horns
were blown off the oXalis.
In the library the wind blew tale
from the bookcase, but it was waggish
and an idle tale and lacked ballast
AS the wind continued even the water
in the creek blew-but then it's often blue
1t would have been fine night for
kites. as everything tlew-even the CHM
ney fiue.
The wind also blew in a saloon window
Cfor the drinks, and when it struck the
meat market, where an undressed beef
was suspended it actually blew the lights
ont of it, and whistled on in search of
other victories.
Dust was blown into the eyes of pota-
toes, and the ears of corn were twigged.
16kgS were DlOWu OIL SOIl6 mutton, anu
the head off a fiume.
1t even blew the blast out of some pow
der, and altogether it made more hustle
than model milliner, while the victori-
Gus Democrat held his breath and gave
the wind chance.
heard 1t blew the tail off the comet,
but it didn't come it, really, though it
was difficult to tell-its-cope so far from
the Lick Observatory.
Now we are singing:
Hush my dear lie still and snore;
Cease, rude Boreas, blow no more.
But he answers, ever and anon, "Oh!
you be blowedp' ANN ON Nus.
Work for the Legislature.
EDS. RECORD UNION: The Legislature
about to assemble will have some very
important business before it, and let us
hope that the sixty days allowed for work
will not be wasted and the more import
ant measures neglected. a United States
Senator is to be chosen, and, if we are to
judge by the past, there will be q good
deal of log-rolling in the third house and
a waiting to see who can produce the
heaviest sack. This may consume much
of the time that ought to be given to other
and important business, but let US hope
that the time is not far off when the
people themselves will elect their Sem
ators, SO that the office will be no longer
for sale. If the people are qualified to
elect their Governors, congressman and
judiciary, certainly they ought to be COM
petent to choose their United States Sem
ator.
One important measure that should be
attended to is an amendment to the Con-
stitution exempting mortgages from tax
alton. That was foolish clause at the
start. 1t was one of those cinching
clauses, but it had the opposite effect
Capital can always take care of itself, and
is only stumbling block between con-
tracing parties, and very often is an in
jury to the would-be borrower. There is
one class of borrowers who can't come
into the market at all-parties who own
lands in reclamation districts.
There is reclamation tax, and no mon
eyed man can tell what that tax will be in
the future. Savings banks won't loan to
them at all. So, at best, it only works a
hardship and no good comes from it.
while some of the most valuable lands
can't have loan from money institu-
tions. So, in that way, money gets tied
up, and, in another word, puts limit to
money-lending and no doubt works a
higher interest if the loan can be had on
this class of securities.
Another amendment to the Constitu-
ton is to exempt fruit trees and vines
from tax until they are supposed to be
productive of revenue to the owner, say
three or four years. As the law stands
now trees and vines are taxed as an
improvement, and Is a serious question
Tor the orchardist or vineyardist when he
counts the cost of planting and cultivat-
Ing, spraying, fencing and taxing during
these four years and nothing coming in.
a stranger would suppose it was intended
for preventive.
Ii you wish to encourage immigration
there must be inducement and encour-
agement to go into this branch of in
dustry, for it is this alone that will give
population and employment and will
tend in the end to break up large land
holdings. Grain-raising will not bring
population, but the reverse, and the
farms to be bigger, for with steam power
and the combined harvester the small
farmer will be crowded out and would
have to have to go back to the East
where he could till his forty acres, have a
crop every year and have more of the
necessaries of life on his piece of land.
Certainly there is no limit to the de-
mand for California fruit. Only study
out plan of distribution. Just think of
a town of 5000 population that know of
that had not yet eaten California fruit.
Mr.. Mills gets down to this thing in good
shape as commencement, and no doubt
the railroad companies will give it their
thoughtful consideration, for it is to their
interest to do so.
So let the land of the orchardist and
vineyards only be taxed until it comes
into profitable bearing, or, in other
words, until it produces, and then, and
then only, to tax the whole of the land
the trees or vines, or whatever it may be.
Next comes the question of land recla-
nation. AS you are aware, California
entered the Union of States, and with
1t all OF the swamp lands within it's bor-
ders were ceded to the State with the con-
dition that they be reclaimed. But has that
part of it been carried out2 1t has not.
only in part, and that by piecemeal, and Is
only confusion OF plans and efforts, and
for that reason good deal of failures and
a waste of money. There was never as
yet comprehensive and general plan
adopted by the State, and until that is
done individual effort will, in measure,
only be a failure.
Let US hope that the coming Legislature
will give this its careful attention. There
should be State Commission that would
have full control of all levees along the
river banks, with the advice of a compe-
tent engineer, so that there would be
harmony i'll all their works, whether
they be corporations, districts or indi-
viduals, in order that the general safety
be assured and that nothing be left to
individual Judgment; that when break
may occur where Joined and continuous
levee, that such break be repaired as soon
as is practical and at the expense of the
owner, district or corporation, after due
notice, the charge to be first lien on
such land and be collected according to
law to defray such expense. This principle
should apply to all streams in the State
having levees, whether they be navigable
or otherwise. There is a great deal of
bad feeling sometimes between indi-
viduals.
One other thing. l don't know that we