The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-03

the water supplies, and thus rendering
valueless arid lands surrounding their
holdings. These lands were then pur-
chased, tract by tract, and absorbed by
these land kings.
''The beneticent Wright Act called a
halt to this easy manner of absorbing
the valuable lands of the State. y means
has thus been provided whereby poor
man might secure a home"
lie further said that when the bonds of
the NJ odesto district were first placed on
the markets they were considered excel
lent securities and found ready sale in
switzerland at ninety cents on their par
value, and that great numbers were also
disposed of in England. He declared
that the present condition of the bonds
OF the Central District was owing to the
Iact That each district attempted to marke ct
Inelr bonds at the expense of the others.
lie thought if the Central District or any
other one now desiring to disorganize
had used prudence they would have had
nc no occasion to apply to the Legislature
Chairman Seymour declared discus
slonS closed. having reached the hour set
Tor the discussion of Wright's Senate Bill
No. l52.
Z. 2. Wright, author of the "Wright
Law" was called upon and entered into
an elaborate discussion of his law and the
proposed amendment. He stated that 1t
was difficult for any community to effect
an organization for the good of all, with
out strong opposition springing up, and
TINS was the reason, primarily, why the
Qluerent irrigation districts have been
formed. The good faith of every district
was pledged to the payment of assess
ments and for provisions whereby Off
GERS OF the district may be paid for their
labors.
The final payment of the bonds de-
pended largely, he said, upon the proper
organization of the district and the eff
1ectlVe management of it. There must
be some provision made for compensate
ing the men who transacted the neceS-
sary business of the district. There must
be an Assessor to list the property, a Col
Iector to receive the assessments and a
treasurer to eXpend the funds. He in
sisted that the payment OF interest, and
IN TACT the general success of the system,
depended upon securing efficient officers
ana that this could only be done by pay
Ing them adequate salaries. There was
great cry OF economy. Speaking of this
Mr.. Wright said that the expenses of the
Modesto Irrigation District since it had
been organized was $500 annually for at
torney's fees and $500 for general expenses.
MIR. wright stated IN answer to a cues
ton by Judge Schell that the Modesto
District paid annually to their attorney
500, but that they had paid Judge Rhoads
So,OOO to carry the matter through the
courts and that he had ably carried out
the work lntrusted to him. The speaker
protested that the fee was very small
one, when 1t was remembered that mill
ions OF dollars were at stake.
DO you pretend to say that only $500
year IS paid by that district for attorney
fees aside from the $1,000 paid Judge
Rhoads?" questioned Judge Schell.
don't pretend anything" returned
Mr.. Wright, except what l have said.
The law, as it stands, will bear me out that
$500 year is the amount allowed the
attorney OF the district. l do not say that
the services Of attorneys have not been
amount is all the law allows"
"Oh! that is different" returned Judge
Schell, "lor think Mr.. Wright himself
receives much more than $500 wear
from the district himself"
There is claim" continued Mr..
Wright, that this bill gives the officers
unlimited power. This is a mistake.
The people have everything in their own
hands. They may fix the salaries of the
officers at any figure they desire They
might make them so very small that they
would be equivalent to no salary at all. -
Judge Scheu thought no one on the
committee could seriously object to pay
ing officers of districts ample salaries.
He thought the bill had a more pernicious
effect in appealing Section Is of the
Wright Law" which invested the Board
of Directors with the power OF levying
assessments to complete the irrigation
system.
Mr.. Wright responded that he was glad
to hear the concession. He did not see
how any member could disagree with
him on the salary question. AS to the
effect of the bill on Section 10. he desired
to say that it was in no way affected bv it.
The board retained all the power they
ever had. The Supreme Court had de-
clded that 1t was within the province of
the board to levy assessments. The law
provided that they must make such as
sessments where it was necessary to COM
plete carrying out the enterprise OF the
irrigation system undertaken.
He further said he had no ak to grind.
He appeared only in the interest of econ
omy and the practical carrying out of the
objects of the irrigation system created by
the Wright Law" The Supreme Court
had acted according to its light in ruling
against the legal meaning of the Act, but
that their rendering placed the district in
an unenviable position. one in which it
had not even the power to levy assess
ments, and he was here to insist that this
committee work to place the irrigation
district in the light which the original
Act intended.
Judge Schell did not desire to be under
stood as being untriendly to irrigation.
He wished to do all he could to further
the interests of. the system. He did,
however, object to tampering with law
which had proven to be ample for all
emergencies. He thought that with one
exception, the original Act had never
been improved by amendments. 1t APP
peared to him a dangerous thing to indis-
criminately delegate powers to boards
and officers.
Judge Waters hoped the committee in
considering the bill and the arguments
for and against it, would not be preju-
diced by the remarks of Mr.. Wright, to
the effect that he, Mr.. Waters, was a we'll
known enemy of the district irrigation
system. He desired to heard, and hoped
that his argument should be accepted only
for what it was worth. Judge Waters
then entered into a long argument to show
that by the proposed amendment the prop
erty-owners OF irrigation districts would
be deprived of certain protection which
heretofore had been a safeguard whereby
they had been induced to enter into the
district scheme and had mortgage6 their
real estate as security for money used in
improving their property. 1t also i'm
paired the obligation of contract whereby
the people were induced TO enter into the
district.
The speaker cited number of author
tiles to support his theories. He entered
into the consideration of the bill in detail
and made an exhaustive legal argument.
He maintained that the Legislature had
no right to change the securities of the
bondholders to make them better any
more than to depreciate them. The pro-
posed law would materially affect the
status not only of the men who held the
bonds, but the persons who created them
and were resting in the security of the
original Wright Law"
Judge Waters claimed that under the
broad term improvements" in the pro-