The record-union., 1892-07-22
DEBRIS MATTERS.
Sentiments of the Directors Of the
Valley Association.
They Are Embodied in q Report Made
by Committee Appointed
for the Purpose.

In accordance with resolution adopted
at the last meeting of the Directors OF the
Anti-Debris Association, the following
report has been prepared for that body,
and addressed to Boards Of Supervisors
and the public:
To COu1,tu Supervisors and Citizens of
the Sacramento valley: The Directors of
the Anti-Debris Association of the Sacra-
mento Valley, at a meeting held at the
office of the President in the city of
Marysville July 9th having under con-
sideration the proposed convention OF the
several river counties, to take place at
Sacramento City August 9th, appointed
the President, Secretary and Manager
committee to draft paper expressive OF
the sentiments of this Board OF Directors
on the movement in question, which re-
port is as follows:
Hydraulic mining has covered up and
destroyed $4,000 acres OF the most fertile
and highly improved land Of the State.
1t is to-day deadly menace to a region
vastly greater than that already rendered
worthless and uninhabitable.
1t has reduced the drainage capacity of
the rivers one-third, thus rendering
necessary, at enormous expense, the con-
struction OF levees for the protection Of
life and property.
1t has reduced the navigability Of the
rivers, natures highways, fully one-half,
and has rendered them dangerous and
difficult of navigation at all times.
1t has sent more than two hundred
million cubic yards of mining debris into
the bays and harbors of San Francisco,
and has started as much more on its
downward course to join that gone be-
fore.
Confident in its legal right to do these
things, it submitted to the arbitration of
the courts with the implied promise of
dered.
The judgment of the courts, both State
and National and of Congress, was pro-
nounced against this contention, yet with
few exceptions it refused obedience to de-
crees, and clandestinely continued its
deadly work.
Realizing the approaching end to such
Illicit acts, 1t then made an appeal TO Con-
gress for aid to turn away the impending
ruin from riparian interests, meantime
promising to desist from its prosecution
of the business until it could be resumed
under Government supervision, with
safety to the rivers and farming lands.
AT the very moment this appeal was
being made to the National Government
no less than forty monitors were in
operation as if ignorant of law, DEGREES or
agreement.
In seeking now to avoid the DEGREES
every possible Subterfuge was resorted 10
to make it seem as if running the mOni-
tors was accidental, or that few logs or
brush were sufficient to counteract the
force of the hills when cast into the tor
rental streams, apparently forgetting the
memorable words of Judge Sawyer when
speaking of impounding dams in the case
of Peter Hardt VS.. The Liberty Hill, 1T
is clear that we should not be justified in
an attempt to prescribe in advance any
kind of dam under which a large com
munity shall be compelled to live, in
dread of perpetual, seriously alarming,
and ever present menace"
In view Of this situation the question
again confronts the people of the Sacra-
mento Valley, indeed, of all who favor
the transmission of this glorious heritage
to posterity unimpaired, "How shall they
obtain the protection vouchsafed them by
Congress and the courts ?''
In pursuance of the above object a Sac
ramento Valley Convention was held at