The morning call., 1892-04-24
GOVERNMENT DAMS.

The bill which has been introduced into
Congress, at the request Of the committee
appointed by the mining convention lately
held in this city. is attracting some atten-
tiOn at the East. 1t contemplates the ap-
pointment OF commission, TO be called the
California Debris Commission, for whose
use a sum of Sl,72Q. 900 IS appropriated.
This commission is, in the language Of the
act:
To construct restraining and impOundlng
dams, settling basins, relief canals and other
works calculated TO protect the Davigable water
ways aud channels OF the Sacramento and san
Joaquin rivers systems from the encr0achmeut
OF aud damage from debris resulting from mining
operations, natural erosion or other causes, and
permanently to improve the same; second TO
ermt In behalf of the United States. hydraulic
mining on the tributaries Of said rivers.
In order to recoup the United States for
the outlay, every mine worked by the
hydraulic process and whose debris is i'm
pounded by the Government dams is TO
pay to the Government on the first of each
month per cent OF the gross amount of the
gold taken out during the previous month.
Il was stated by the California miners who
were heard By The committee that this per
cent would amount to very high rate Of in
terest indeed on the Government outlay.
In introducing the bill the committee in
serted provision that the commission
should be under the control Of board of
United States engineers. who should have
power TO prevent any expenditures which
were not In their opinion, calculated to at
tain the object desired.
1t appears to be the opinion in the East
that this project contemplates the embarka-
ton Of the United States Government. In the
business of hydraulic mining-which is
rather a startling departure from the pur-
poses for which the Government was insti-
tuted. The New York Times thinks that
the miners should apply to the Legislature
Of California rather than TO Congress for
money to build the dams. Other authori-
ties hold that the miners should build the
dams themselves, and, If the present genera
tion of miners cannot the hydraulic mines
should wait till new generation OF miners
spring up who can.
Il is true. as tie address of the Miners
Convention states, that there is large
quantity Of gold imprisoned In the Sierras,
and that it would be a benefit to com-
meTce to get it out. But this is no
answer to the contention of the farmers
that their fields are ruined by deposits of
debris. and that common equity requires
the miners TO protect the fields before re-
suning operations. The arguments on
which the injunction against hydraulic
mining was based have, in fact, never been
refuted nor seriously. assailed. The miners
admit as much when they go to Congress
and ask the Government to build restrain
iHg dams.
Thus the question, at its present stage,
narrows itself down to the issue whether
the General Government has sufficient in
terest in increasing the national produc-
ton Of gold to warrant it in spending the
public money in supplying the hydraulic
miners with appurtenanees which are essen
tial to the prosecution of their business
Without entering upon the abstract ques-
ton of the right Of the Govern ment to spend
the public money in aiding particular H.
dustry. the East Is evidently prepared 70
contend that the miners should not ask
help from Congress until they have demon
strated, first. that the works they want are
beyond the power Of individual enterprise
tc construct, and second, that they would
accomplish their purpose. The miners
committee. 1t Is urged. has failed TO furnish
evidence on either head.