The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-03
IRRIGATION DISTRICTS.
LIVELY MEETING in THE SENATE
CHAMBER LAST NIGHT.
Various Matters Considered Which
Are of Interest to the
Irri2ationists.

The joint Committees on Irrigation met
in the Senate Chamber at 1870 last night,
Senator Seymour presiding.
Senator Seawen presented a draft of a
proposed substitute to a Senate bill intro
duced by Senator ShIppee and an Assem-
bly, bill by Mr.. Price, providing for the
organizing and disorganizing of irriga-
ton districts.
General Wiley strenuously opposed
the bill. There were large tracts of land
in Kern County which were now under
systems of irrigation and were growing
in value, which, if the districts were al
lowed to disorganize by a two-thirds vote
of the people residing and owning real
estate therein, would be returned to a
barren desert. In San Diego County, in
the Alesandro district, thousands of acres
would through disOrganization become
valueless which now ranged at from 500
to 5000 per acre.
Mr.. Maxwell, attorney for the Central
District disorganiZers, said that if the bill
before the committee, or Il similar one,
was not passed great hardship would be
done to many property-owners through
out the State. lin my district" said the
attorney, 1--WE have not been able to get
one drop of water upon the lands. The
bonds were unstable. Not another bond
could be sold, and the people found them
selves in the predlcament of being I'M
able to go forward or backward. The
district did not desire to secure a law
which would destroy the prosperity of
other more fortunate districts, but TO re-
lieve themselves of Il grinding burden
which was running and crushing them
out of financial existence. AS they
now stand they are hopeleSSly involved.
Those who have mortgages on their prop
erty can only wait for the fatal day of
foreclosure. Those who have no incum-
brances cannot improve their lands.
They can neither sell nor raise money
upon their property.
''Those bonds have been on the market
for wear, and not one dollars worth of
them have been sold, and I ask whether
it is not worth while to pass law to en-
able the people of the Central Irrigation
District to pay their debts? 1t is the de-
sire of the people of the Central District
to be relieved from the condition into
which they have fallen. That district,
owing to its obligations, has shaken the
status Of every irrigation district in the
State"
Mr.. Maxwell further eontended that
private capital could sometimes do some
ting to relieve the strain i'll such a case as
the present, which could not be effected
by State management.
Senator Seymour desired to ask Mr..
Maxwell if he considered So so per acre,
the amount necessary to carry out the
perfection of the plans of the irrigation
district, heavy burden.
Mr.. Maxwell answered by assuring the
the Chairman that the people bore the
additional burden of 81 30 State and
county tax.
II want to say right here,n said Senator
Seymour, THAT | oppose this bill. In
San Bernardino County we pay that much
each year for water and even more, and
think nothing of it."
Senator Carpenter did not oppose the
principle involved in the bill, but thought
it was deficient in details. He wished to
know where the district bonds were held,
and was informed that they were almost
entirely owned by parties in San Fran
cisco. He did not object TO the principle
or the bill, but thought the manner OF
giving notice was not sufficient, as bond
holders in San Francisco might never
even hear of the county paper in which the
notice was printed. and he thought it only
right that owners should understand
what was being done. Maxwell heartily
concurred with him, stating he would be
only too glad to have such an amendment
inserted.
General Wiley said the irrigation
district system was only just in its in
fancy. 1t was experimental and in
many instances errors were made which
entailed great expense and prevented the
sale OF bonds. Another great obstacle