The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-02-18

CLASS cOQQulOn. But nyurau1c MINING
has now absolutely ceased, and California
is entitled TO her due, and what would
have gladly been granted years ago by
Congress If satisfied of the cessation OF
hydraulic mining.
IMPORTANCE OF RIVERS FOR COMMERCE.
All the products of the greatest portion
OF California could be transported TO the
Bay of San Francisco without the aid of
railroads.
In the report of B. F. futile, Commits
sIoner OF Transportation of California for
the years l877-7S, it is said on page 40:
Fortunately for this State nature
waterways for the free use of our
people for transportation purposes than
III many other portions of our common
country. A judicious system of
Improvement of the inland waters of this
State would do more to keep the cost of
transporting its products TO market at
low rates than scores of penal enactments
and infiexible tariffs for the regulation of
charges by transportation companies.
The favored location of most of our agrl-
cultural and timber lands renders eX
tortlonate rates impossible if the navi-
gable waters of the State are cared for
as thelrlmportance warrants"
AT page 90, same report, it is said:
Borderlng upon and adjacentto these
distance of from five to fifteen miles, lies
the greater part of the productive portion
OF california. The same may also be said
OF the agricultural land along the coast,
the products Of which find their way to
market upon the ocean. Upon these
waterways ply every species of steam and
sail craft adapted to their navigation, and
1t is not an over-estimate to say that
three-fourths of the agricultural and
nine-tenths of the forest products reach
the markets independent of the railroads :
or IN other words, the rates for transport
ing them are determined by the facilities
afforded by these means of transportation.
If these water facilities did not exist,
the railroads would indeed have a
perfect monopoly Of the carrying trade.
With these agencies, however, effect
uallyl! preserved, offering as they do
opportunities for profitable traffic
to the water craft, SO far as the car
rage of the products of the soil to the
general markets and of supplies to the
interior is concerned, there is not much
to fear from railroad monopoly"
The importance of the San Joaquin as
commercial highway is shown on page
29S5, Report Engineer U. S. Army, APP
pendlX Wv, and of the Sacramento on
page 1888, same report.
In the appendix to the report of the
California Commission, on file with your
committee, and in the statistics prepared
by Captain j. II. Roberts, of the Sacra-
mento Transportation Company, and the
accompanying diagram made by him,
showing the location of the Sacramento
River with reference to shipping points
on parallel railroads, filed with your
committee, the great importance of the
Sacramento River for commerce is COM
pletely demonstrated.
IMPORTANCE TO CALIFORNIA.
The improvement of these nayigable
waters is of vital Importance to California.
Three annual conventions have been held
for the purpose of urging upon Congress
the necessity of aid for these rivers. Last
year delegation was appointed to pre-
sent the subject to your committee, and
so impressed were you of the importance
of these streams that you had special
commission of engineers appointed for
the purpose of examining these rivers.
Their report is now before you, and on
behalf of the State of California it is
urgently requested that you make the
appropriations for the purposes recon-
mended.
AS showing the deep interest mani
tested IN the question by the people of
California, we subjoin a memorial re-
Gently presented to Congress:
$40 the Honorable the Senate and House
Of Representatives lu Comqress as
ing the people of the great Sacramento
and San Joaquin Valleys, and the
adjacent counties, and the city of San
Francisco, CAL, in third annual session
assembled at Sacramento, January Is,
1892, respectfully represent that, in COM
pliance with the provisions of Section II
of the River and Harbor Act, approved
September 19, 1890, special Board of
Engineers was constituted to consider
and report upon the needs of the Sacra-
mento and Feather Rivers and their
tributaries in California, with a view
to their future Improvement.
1.-The said Board of Engineers did, by
your authority, make a thorough per-
sonal examination of said rivers, and in
a report transmitted to the House of Rep
resentatives by the Secretary of War,
February 10, 1891, recommend the appro-
priation Of the sum total of S645. 900 for
the Improvement of said rivers, while
the Government engineers in charge have
recommended the appropriation of the
sum of Sl46,20 for the Improvement of
the San Joaquin and Mokelumne Rivers
and their tributaries, and $4,000 for the
improvement of Petaluma Creek, in CAL
ifOrnia
1.-The Board of Engineers, after thor
ough examination, have reported that
hydraulic mining, the chief source of in
Jury to the navigability of the Sacramento
C.
dicted by the Federal Courts, thus rem
dering it possible to gradually and GER
talnly restore said rivers to their original
value as nayigable highways, and to
maintain said navigability so long as hy-
draulic mining is not resumed in any
manner which will allow further arti-
fetal erosion of gravel deposits to con-
tribute detritus to shoal said rivers.
The necessity for these appropria-
tons was made very apparent by the
said report, and we indorse in full the
statements therein contained. The i'm
portance of these rivers to the commerce
of California and the Nation cannot be
over estimated.
Wherefore we most earnestly request
you TO make the appropriations as recon-
mended by said special and regular Gov
eminent engineers for the immediate and
necessary improvements of said rivers in
California without any reduction, and
that the entire amount be made immedi-
ately available"
In conclusion, earnestly asking you to
make the appropriations recommended
by the Board of Government Engineers.
we desire to thank you for the courteous
attention you have given US. Respect
fully submitted,
ROBERT T. DEvLIN,
GEORGE OuLEYER,
Delegates from California River I'm
provement Convention.
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