The record-union., 1893-12-16
Evening Session.

The convention reassembled at S:l0
P. NJ, and the Memorial Committee re-
ported the following, through a. II. Rose,
Chairman, and r. T. Devlin, Secretary:
70 tie honorable the Senate and House
Of Representatives, IN Congress- assembled
Your memorialists, representing the
counties OF Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Co.
lusa, Butte, Sutter, Yuba, OlO, Sacra-
mento, SOlanO, San Joaquin, Stanislaus,
| SOnoma, Merced and MADEIRA, being the
counties bordering on the navigable
waters of the Sacramento and San JOa-
auin Rivers and their tributaries, and the
county of Alameda and the city and
county of San Francisco, bordering on
the San Francisco Bay, in fourth annual
session assem- mbled at sacramento City, on
the 10Th day of December, 1898, respect
| fully represent that:
The Sacramento and San Joaquin Riv
! ers are the principal naVIgable streams in
the State of California, and with proper
improvements are capable of being made
navigable for commercial purposes by
the Sacramento River from the harbor of
San Francisco to the city OF Redding, in
the county of Shasta, a distance of over
42j miles, equivalent to a canal extending
from the city of Washington to Portland,
Me. And by the San Joaquin River from
the harbor of san Francisco to Whites
IflQge,
the Sacramento River became in the con-
dition it now is, and for several years has
been, it was navigable for over 100 miles
inland by ocean vessels coming to Cali
fOrnia around Cape Horn or through the
Straits OF Magellan, and was navigable
for over $50 miles further by large river
steamers. The Sacramento River has as
navigable tributaries the Feather River,
Steamboat Slough, Georglana Slough and
Cache Slough.
The reports of the Army Engineers
show the quantity of fill in the Sacra-
mento River and the degree to which in
the last thirty years it's navigability has
been decreased. While vessels of nine
teen feet of draught formerly could reach
Sacramento City, tor many years past
vessels drawing four feet have found it
difficult to reach that city. Between the
years 1872 and 1892 the head OF navigation
was Macintosh Landing, point about
fOrty-five miles below the city of Red
Bluff but owing to the work performed
by Government engineers. the river has
now been opened to Red Bluff.
Above Red Bluff to Redding in Shasta
County, distance of forty-fOur miles by
river, the river by the expenditure OF
comparatively small sum of money is
capable of being made navigable by the
same class of boats that now reach Red
Bluff. In the immediate vicinity of Red
ding are situated immense deposits Of
coal and IRON and also vast tlmbered
areas, which. if they could find a market
| by water transportation, would be inn
mediately developed, giving employment
to many men, quickening all the ener-
gies Of California, and creating new
manufacturing enterprises.
The san Joaquin River and its tribu
taries constitute internal arteries of trade
aggregating between five and six hun
dred miles in length. This river is navi-
gable at ali stages by reason Of recent i'm
provements TO the city OF Stockton, over
one hundred miles from San francisco.
During nine months in the year addi-
tjonal navigation is available eighty miles
above Stockton to HIPS Ferry, at the
mouth Of the Merced River. 1t is capa-
Die OF further improvement to within
thirty miles of the city of Fresno.
| These navigabe channels OF the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin Valleys transport
directly more than one million and half
OF tons of freight per aunum, at rates
which, compared with railroad rates. al
! ford an immense saving each year to the
! producer and consumer. But, besides
! this, they also serve as controlling factors
! in exorDitant rates by rail transportation
| for at least an equal quantity OF freight.
! If improved to their full extent, they
would reduce to your memorialists and
their constituents still further the cost of
Transporting their products to market and
serve to develop other industries, the de-
velopment of which is prevented by high
/ transportation rates charged by rail, and
/ the present difficulties OF navigation.
Appropriations have not been made by
/ Congress for these waters and their trib-
utaries to the extent that their Importance
+ has deserved. When attention was paid
/ to other navigabIe waters of the United
States the navigable streams Of California
were neglected, and we therefore ur-
! gently request you to make the apprOpri
ations recommended by the Government
/ Engineers.
/ As these navigable channels aggregate
more than 100 miles in length, and as
( their improvement is of vital Importance
/ to California. we would urgently request
! the passage of a law providing for placing
! the Sacramento and San joaquin Rivers
under the contract and special commis-
! sion system.
The reports Of the Government Engi-
neers show the necessity and extent of
/ the improvements required III Oakland
! Harbor and other estuaries OF the bay of
! San Francisco, and we would earnestly
urge that proper appropriations be made
/ for that purpose, especially for the OPEN
/ ing Of the estuary of San Antonio into
/ the tidal basin as now constructed.