The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-14
RIVERS AND HARBORS
Some Hard Nuts to BE Cracked at
the Convention.
The Contest Between the Miners and the
Farmers-A Chance to Reopen the sacra-
mento and San Joaquin Rivers.

TOMORROW the River and HarD0r C0nVen-
ton will meet in Sacramento. The pro-
gramme which the convention has in view
is to take steps to secure the proposed Con-
gressOnal grant of $4,000 for improving
the navigation of the Feather, Sacramento
aud San Joaquin rivers. as recommended
by the Board of United States Engineers.
The meeting will undoubtedly be a large
one.
There is a very deep interest taken in the
matter Of extending interior navigation by
residents of the great valley, all the way
from Fresno to Red Bluff. These two points
are the limits Of possible artificial navlga-
ton on the San Joaquin and Sacramento
respectively.
On Tuesday the State Board Of Trade by
unanimous vote, approved OF the objects
OF the proposed opening OF the rivers, ana
urged on the Congress SiOnal representa- tlves
OF the State the immediate securing OF the
appropriation. At present the limits Oh
tide water have been set back from sixty
TO seventy miles, aud there are many parts
OF the Sacramento River where the bed Is
from two TO three feet above the level OF the
surrounding country, so that extensive
breaks have occurred and the banks III
other places have had to be strengthened by
leYees. MarySYile Is a case III point.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
The meeting of the Rivers and HarbOrs
Convention is called by tile Chairman and
there is a large Executive Committee with
iull power to act. In conversation with an
official, who will be present and take
prominent part the latter said: This con-
yentlOn should cOniine itself strictly to mat
tiers connected with the direct Improvement
u the rivers through the United States
Government 1t ought not to venture out
side OF its sphere of legitimate action. That
sphere OF useful action is the Improvement
OF CALIFORNIA; rivers III the same manner
that other great streams and navlgable
rivers Of the United States have been i'm
proved. As to the conflict of interest be-
tween the hydraulickers and the farmers,
the subject has been very Intelllgently
handled by the Anti-deDris Association,
which has pushed its cause in the courts
and before Congress with energy and sue
cess. There are more than 1000 miles OF
naYgaOle channels connected with the pay
OF San Francisco. These channels flow
through more than million acres OF highly
fertile land, and control, or are capable OF
controlling, under improvement, the rates
10 and from many times this area. Grain is
actually brought into San Francisco market
from Portland, Oregon, and San Diego Tor
less money than from San Jose or Alameda
County, in which county the Government
has spent more money for the Improvement
OF navigation than in all the balance OF the
State OF California combined"
The convention will probably hold one
session in the afternoon and another In the
evening. after which it will adjourn subject
to the call of the Chair
VIEWS OF A CIVIC.
A cynical citizen who was asked his
opinion as TO the outcome of the agitation
for the improvement of the rivers thus eX-
pressed himself: California being repre-
scented rather by a Senator or Senators from
the Southern Pacific Railroad of Kentucky
{
lnteres ted to hear the eloquent speeches
which will be delivered in Congress by the
Senators IN favor OF the proposition OF re-
ducing the OnerUus burden OF rates paid by
California producers and consumers"
SUGGESTIONS
The Technical Society of the Pacific
Coast IN a paper read before Ii on NOyem-
Der 2, 1883, gave a general review of the
swamp lands ana river systems of the State
and made tie following sugges tiOnS:
FirSt-Let Congress be urged 10 direct that a
general plan FOR the protection and Improve
ment Of The rivers OF The valley OF California be
made through he United States Engineer De-
partment, requiring the Board Of Engineers de-
signing this system 10 act IN harmony with such
laws as the State OF California may enact, and
with view as tar as possible OF enlargng the
drainage capacity OF the channels.
Seeoud-Let the State enact a law (a) creating
a Board OF Engineers, who shall devise gen
eral system OF reclamation for the valley; ~
requiring all works built by col pOratiOns, dis
tllctS or individuals 10 De In HARMONY WIN iltS
general PLAN as tar as possible; aud prohibiting
any work from being done which would In any
way oDSttuct the general PLAN (c) authorizing
the consolidation OF ali districts so as to bring
them under one management; I'D providing an
annual fund to be expended by The Board OF
Engineers IN constructing certain large and
general portions OF The plan.
When IL IS considered that over 1000 900
acres OF land IS involved, whose minimum value
IL reasonably safe from overflow, Is 500 per
acre, the magnitude OF the Interest becomes APP
parent
has been followed out by the River COnven-
ton and has received recognition by Con-
gress IN tue shape Of q Board of Engineers,
who have designed plan and submitted a
system for carrying out the plan so far as
can be accomplished 10 the fiscal year
sYsTEMATIZED ACTION.
THE following up of this plan in Con-
gress, said the official before quoted, will
result III substantial recognition Of the
importance OF clearing the rivers by an
appropriation and the Inauguration of a
series Of Improvements. The second sug-
geStion made has not yet been followed up.
Considering the fact that for every dollar
spent by the general Government on the
Improvement Of one river in the United
States the State authorities, municipal and
quaSI-munlclpal, corporations aud private
citizens spend from So to $40, the necessity
OF systematizlng action at the convention is
evident.
Only in this way is Il possible to get the
vast sums spent by eyee districts and re-
cIamatlOn districts to become of value in
systematic and harmonious whole"
I CHTT- DT ACTJNTT =: oLoo-a.