The herald., 1893-10-10

Mr.. L. M. Holt, an old time citizen of
Los Angeles, an acknowledged author
ity on irrigation matters, having re-
turned to this city to live after an ab-
Bernardino counties, was found by a
HERALD representative in his office, No.
1101a South Broadway, and, being de-
sirous of giving the HERALD readers
some reliable information on the all.
important question now so prominently
before the public, the reporter applied
the pumping process with the following
good results:
"Yes," said Mr.. Holt, 81 was one of
the California delegates to the Salt Lake
irrigation congress in September, 1891,
but took no active part therein, as l
was on the verge of severe attack of
malaria fever, which put me to bed on
my arrival home, and did not feel like
doing anything at that time that was
not necessary.
"The Salt Lake congress was largely
attended by able representatives from
all the arid states and territories of the
United States. The representatives at
that time did not come from beyond
our own country. The presidency of
that convention was given to California,
and Hon. @. @. Wright, author of the
Wright irrigation law, was called to pre-
side. This was done as recognition of
the great services rendered this state
| and the irrigation interests of the
| country by that gentleman. | had the
honor to propose his name for that po-
eition in caucus OF the California dele
CATION, and it met with hearty and
unanimous endorsement.
'Hon. w. Ii. Mills, John P. Irish and
M. M. Estee of this state, were promi-
nent among the members of the con-
eress and their eloquence and sound
Judgment did much to shape the action
OF that body.
"The congress was composed entirely
of delegates appointed by governors OF
the states and territories-each state or
territory being entitled to 80 delegates.
The coming congress will have larger
attendance, as delegates are being re-
ceived from counties, agricultural and
horticultural societies, irrigation COM
paniea and other bodies as we'll as by
appointment of governors. l think that
under the call, irrigation districts would
be entitled to representation and they
should avail themselves of that priv
ilege."
"By the way, how are the irrigation
districts OF the state getting along?"
Every well. There are some defects
in the law but these defects are being
remedied at each season of the legels-
ture. One defect is that the Law does
not provide that the districts shall re-
port to any one-any etate officer; hence
no official information concerning them
can be obtained. In 1890 compiled a
report of the various dietricts in the
state at that time, and that report was
/, placed before the legislature fofits guild.
ance. There had been 26 districts Or
gsnized at that time, covering / $40, ,453
acres. Twenty.one of these districts had
voted bonds TO the extent of IS, ,452, 600.
J and bonds had been sold and traded to
the extent of 81 ,903,000.
"Last December compiled another
report for the benefit OF the last legisa-
ture, and / am now compiling another
report, which will be more complete
than any other ever gotten up, and it
will chow very satisfactory progress
being made in the districts OF the state.
This report will appear in the forthcom-
ing illustrated irrigation edition of the
Rural Californian, which will be issued
in October, just prior to the meeting OF
the irrigation congress. l am engaged
on that edition at the present time, and
am succeeding beyond my most ssnguine
expectations in getting irrigation data
from all over Southern California, the
state at large and Arizona.
"Among other matters | am getting
the data for table which shall name
every irrigation system, large or small,
in the counties of Los Angeles, San Ber-
nardino, Riverside, Orange and San
Diego, the number OF inches of water in
each eystem, the number of acres that
can be irrigated and the number that
are now actually being irrigated. This
will be most valuable compilation
one that has never heretofore been at
tempted.
SIT seems strange. Fifteen years ago
our people thought that the limit of ir-
rigating arid lands in Southern California
had been very nearly reached. We are
today irrigating 10 times as much land
as we irrigated then, and there ia water
in sight in some of the counties to irri-
gate 10 times as much land as is being
irrigated now. San Bernardino county,
for instance, is irrigating at present
something over 40, 900 acres of land, and
when it's systems are fully util-
lied and the reservoir systems now
outlined are completed, the capacity
to irrgate will be over 10 times the area
under water now. If 10000 acres OF ir-
rigated lan6s produce $4,000 900 OF
assessed wealth, what will 100000 acres
produce? ?"
" Prospects for storage water did
you cay? L have always been consid-
cred few years ahead of the times, but
am willing to put myself on record and