The record-union., 1892-09-15
CONGRESSMAN CAMTNETTI REPORTS.
His Remarks Before the State Board
of Trade.
Government Action on River Improve
ments, and Other Subjects of
Importance.

AT the regular meeting of the State
Board of Trade, held in the rooms of the
Horticultural Association, San Francisco,
on Tuesday, Congressman Caminetti
appeared before the board to report upon
certain matters which had been referred
10 him by action of the board, concerning
the rivers and harbors of California,
forestry and the establishment of a branch
or district department of the Department
of Agriculture.
The Secretary of the board read the
resolutions which had been referred to
Mr.. Caminetti. The first related to the
correction of the river channels and the
conservation of the navigability OF the
waterways of California. This resolu-
ton had been formulated by the Board of
Trade, pursuant to a report from its Com
nittee on Rivers and Harbors calling the
attention of the board to the condition Of
the tributaries with reference to the de-
bris stored therein and the liability that
such debris would pass into the main
channels, to their permanent injury.
The resolution called upon the delega-
ton Iii Congress representing the State of
California to secure at the hands Of the
General Government such treatment of
the nayigable rivers of the State as would
conserve their navigabilitY, and thus aid
IN the preservation of a very great factor
IN industrial development.
Mr.. Caminetti said that it gave him
pleasure to report to the board the action
of the delegation in Congress. He had
received the resolution and had given
the subject immediate attention. The
subject Of preserving the rivers and i'm
proving their nayigability in all the States
OF the Union was receiving very marked
attention. The value of these rivers as
arteries of commerce was better under
stood and more highly appreciated now
than formerly. Mr.. Caminetti read from
the proceedings of national river con-
Vention held at Evansville, Ind. He said
that many of these conventions had been
held throughout the country, showing a
wide, extended interest in the subject.
The manifesto issued by the convention
set forth In strong terms the competitive
value of natural waterways with the rail
roads. The facts stated adduced the con-
clusion that the difference between the
rates by rail which would obtain if the
navigability Of the rivers was destroyed
and the rates which the competition of
tered by waterways would enforce upon
the railways of the country was vast
amount, the annual interest on which
alone would take care of all the rivers in
the country.
Mr.. Caminetti then addressed his at
tention to the past action Of Congress and
used for illustration of his subject the
appropriations made for the improve
ment of the Mississippi River from its
mouth to its confluence with the Ohio.
The earliest legislation on this subject
jealously guarded the appropriations
against any use for the construction of
Ievees or the reclamation OF land. The
river channels alone were to be cleared.
He read from the action of Congress APP
propriating 100000 for the correction
of the channel of the river from the
mouth Of the Ohio to the mouth of the
Mississippi, and showed that each appro-
prlation up to that of last year specifically
declared that no part OF it should be used
for the purpose OF constructing levees on
the banks Of the rivers or of retaining
land either directly or incidentally.
lie then proceeded to say that at the
last session of Congress very radical
change had taken place in the general
conceptions OF the country relating to the
subject. The appropriation made by the
river and harbor bill, passed during last
winter, not only eliminated the clause
prohibiting the use of the moneys appro-
priated for the construction OF levees, but
specifically directed that such leyees
should be constructed, This he claimed
was due to the recommendation OF the
engineers in charge of the works
for the conservation of the nav1-
=
found that combining the river to it's
channel increased its securing capacity;
that the closing up of the bayous and
Sloughs concentrated its current in the
main channel of the river and in
creased its securing capacity at
low water. Thus the science of river
treatment had expanded into full grown
propositions of bank treatment. The fear
of the people of the country that the
money would be used to construct levees
and thereby reclaim lands had given place
10 higher and better conception that the
treatment Of river channels involves the
construction OF levees so as to give con-
troll OF the river currents. Thus the ap-
preparation of two millions of dollars,
made by the last session of Congress for
the Improvement of the navigability of the
Mississippi, was to be expended for the
most part perhaps in the construction of
works upon the bank Of the river, which
would make the currents of the river the
instrument OF improving the channels by
deepening them through the securing
capacity OF the water.
From this standpoint the Congressman
desired TO treat the whole subject of river
improvement of California Heretofore
the rivers Of this State had been choked
with mining detritus as well as natural
erosion from the mountains. The condi-
ton of their beds was very bad indeed.
and the first question to which the board
had called his attention was the con-
servation of their navigability. Trusting
10 Congressional effort for the solution Of