The record-union., 1892-07-23
THE LEvEE QUESTION.

THE LEvEE QUESTION.
1t is amazing that the City Trustees
should refuse to submit the question to
the people whether they wish the levees
raised, broadened and improved thor
oughly or not. The submission could be
made, for economy's sake, without cost (;
at least for song. 1t is not necessary
that legal test of public opinion be
made-let the Trustees relieve themselves
wholly Of responsibility by ascertaining
the will of the people. a half-dozen bal
lot boxes, presided over by two good citi-
zens at each, on five days notice by the
press to the people to come up and cast
slip "yes or no." will give the Trustees
the opinion of fully 5000 of the 5000
voters of the city, and the cost will not
be $40. There is public spirit enough in
Sacramento TO secure a clean verdict
withoutthe formality of a costly election.
The judgment of the people thus ex-
pressed will advise the judgment of the
Trustees. and then they can proceed to
act as the law requires in the matter of
legal sanction TO create liability for the
work. Men are unwilling to think that
these gentlemen will oppose their opin-
ions to those of such engineers as Will
lam Ham Hall, G. E. Grunsky and J. C.
Pierson, who have had years of expert
ence in river treatment and levee re-
inforcement; or that they will set them
selves in antagonism to the judgment of
such men as Phil. Dresher, Captain
Roberts, II. NJ. LaRue, r. D. Stephens,
and twenty others, who have observed
the action Of the rivers for more than
quarter Of a century. We wish to dis
believe that these officials, who are not
engineers, river experts, levee builders,
or skilled in river treatment, and not one
of whom has made technical observa-
tions OF the rivers, or has the technical
skill to do it, will stubbornIy oppose the
judgment of taxpayers representing
100000 of city property, who, in assem-
bly, held, declare that there is a menace
to the city; that it should be removed at
once; that it can be, and that they are
willing to raise the money if the Trus-
tees will permit it to be done.
Yet it would appear from the statements
OF the Mayor that he deems the levees
safe with little patchwork. Does he
wish to assume the attitude and RESPONSE
bility this statement implies against the
positive statements of engineers who
spent twelve years in official study of our
rivers and their levees, and who fatty
and emphatieally contradict him? If he
is willing, the people are not. They pre-
fer the opinion G. E. Grunsky to that of
his honor the Mayor; the judgment of
Captain Roberts to that of Mr.. w. D.
Comstock; of VIM. Ham. Hall to that of
the First Trustee, in matters of engineer
ing and protection by levees.
So, too, it would appear from the state
ment Of Mr.. Trustee Green, the new
Street Commissioner, that everything
will be lovely if there is some work done
on the front line of levees. This was
supplemented by the astounding state
ment that the Street Commissioner deems
the point of danger to be upon the front
line, from Seventh street, back of the
railroad shops, south along the business
front. The value of this Judgment can
be estimated by those who know that
part of the section is solid ground a half
mile broad, levee high; in fact, is as thick
as the city high grade on 1, J, K and L
streets, and that what the thick section
needs is raising to counteract the bad
moral effect of water standing on top of
the ground, and to broaden the Ievee
where above street grades, and possibly
TO riprap it.
The question of systematic, thorough
Improvement is greater than these gem
tlemen have any conception of. 1t may
involve dangerous industrial cessation:
inactivity of capital, declination of faith.
manifest by Withdrawals of business: de-
probation in realty values, and so on.
This business has got beyond the pa
tience point; it is no longer one of senti-
ment or opinion or dollars, but of actual,
immediate, undeniable necessity. We
cannot induce manufacturing ventures.
large construction, further investment.
enlarged and new Industries, or rein
forcement of population by immigration,
under present conditions. We may not
only lose what we have that we cherish.
but never replace the loss.
Let water flow on the levee tops an
other season because of official stub
borness, and those lying in wait for the
occasion to pounce upon Sacramento and
wrest from it institutions it has will
have their opportunity, improve it and
succeed, despite the opinions of that esti-
nable citizen, Mr.. Comstock, and that
new broom, Mr.. Green. In fact, should
disaster overtake the city, because of re-
q IL. ~. -