The record-union., 1893-02-10
be borne by the lands to be re.

is an argument that would Justify the es-
tablishment of irrigation works to create
values. 1t would justify the planting of
an orchard because it pays higher taxes
than vacant lands. 1t would justify
subsidy to foundry or machine-shop
because they encourage labor and pay
taxes. In short, and this has been the
position of this journal uniformly, there
can be no justification in spending
dollar from the public treasury to create
private property; such expenditure is
justified only when public property is
created.
In other words, drainage and reclsma-
ton in this matter are separable when it
comes to State expenditure. A commits
sion to carry forward the correction of
rivers and the conservation of their nav
liability might cooperate with drain
age scheme and economy result. But a
commission with power to drain and thus
reclaim land, and to use public funds for
such private benefit, will violate the
sound doctrine and break down the
settled policy that private property must
augment its values by its own expendi-
ture.
The irrigation districts of this State
have been formed with that policy in
view. They have not the aid of a Board
of Control at State expense, nor did they
ask it of the Legislature. The values they
create are the result of self-imposed taxa
ton upon the lands affected beneficially.
In this case of reclamation, and drainage
as material factor of reclamation, the
funds should be raised by tax upon the
lands themselves. This is not a great
burden. Upon 100000 acres of land the
call for $4,000 to lay out the scheme and
provide for its comprehensive superin-
tendence by a Board of Control is as
nothing-a few cents per acre, a mere
trifle. 1t can be easily raised upon the
lands if the scheme is worth anything
prospectively, and thus the whole COM
prehensive system contemplated by the
bills can be set up and put forward with
out violation of the policy of non-expen-
diture of State funds for private uses.
Let the friends of the scheme, and we
apprehend that in its largest sense it has
no enemies, reflect also that there is
just animosity to the creation of more
State commissions. There are too many
already, and the policy of the State is to
cut off, not to add to their number.
1t should be seen to also, that the bills
are so amended that no lands IN an irri-
CATION district and taxed for irrigation
are included in any reclamation
or drainage district; so it should be pro-
vided that whenever land is within an
district organized under what
is known as the Wright law, it shall be
exempt from the provisions of the drain
age Act.
The bills before the Legislature, with
these amendments, to wit, excepting all
lands in irrigation districts, and making
the Board of Public Works a board of
central control for local purposes and its
support imposed upon the lands, and its
creation due to the free-will action of the
people, ought to pass.
1t might be that under them not all
districts in a properly comprehensive
scheme would at first come in; but none
the less the Board of Control should have
as is now contemplated for the
Board of Public Works, to consider the
work in its relation to the whole section.
AS other sections come in, as Ithev will.
their works will thus bear harmonious
relation. as is contemplated in the bills
now before the houses. to the whole
scheme; as they affiliate they can be given
representation in the Board of Control,
and thus all the features now contem-
plated be preserved, save only that of
asking the State to enter upon expendi-
ture for private land benefit.
1t is possible that some friends of the
scheme, and we count the RECORD UNION
as second to none in that classification.
will interpret these suggestions as un-
friendly. Nothing could be farther from
the truth. We ask the adoption of a
policy that will insure the permancency
of scheme of such vast Importance, by
eliminating from it an element that flies
in the face of wise policy, and that will
tend to make the whole scheme the shut
tlecock of legislative whim and political
vagary. Take it out of the State treasury
wholly, impose it upon the lands to be
benefited, remove it from liability to
embrace irrigation districts, and it be-
comes not only practicable, but infinitely
stronger than under the outlined plan of
the bills. All that is needed is legislative
sanction under which vested rights NAV
grow, to initiate a procedure, not only
feasible, but that can be put afoot within
the coming season, if once the starting
point is indicated and the procedure is
sanctioned by law.
THE PROTECTORATE,
There are some people who run away
with the idea that because Minister