The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-09-09
Some Features of It Which
Need Remedying.
State Supervision of the Districts
recommended.
A Review of the Legsi Points Abou
Irrigation as Presented by tho
LAWS of tho state of
California.

be remedied:
DEAR SIR:-I regret exceedingly that
I ana prevented by business affairs from
attending the third National Irrigation
congress to bs held at Denver in Sep
TENDER. also regret exceedingly that
because of lack OF public interest in our
work here in California the members oil
our state commission have not been able
to prosecute the work entrusted to them
so as to make q report to the approach.
ing session at Denver that would reflect
credit upon the commission as we'll as
upon the state. and possibly be OF ser
vice to the friends OF irrigation in other
states in arid America.
For 10 years | have devoted much
time and money to the irrigation work
in this state and have received no COM
peusation for that york, except the eat.
isfsction OF seeing two blades OF grass to
grow where only one grew before, and
many drops of water to flow where
none flew before" This satisfaction is
good pay. it is true, but when make q
deposit of it in the First National bank
and commence checking against it. l
find that there is screw loose some.
where in the business transaction.
To recepitulate, there was no money
raised in this state to pay the expenses
OF the state commission, and hence it has
done no work.
II the CITY of Denver could be allowed
to run the congress of the United States
for just ten minutes. l would be willing
to gamble 16 to l that the financial al
lsirs of the nation would be put on a
sound bimetallic basis, go that the peo-
pie would have the sinews of war within
their reach, and trip from Los Angeles
to Denver by man OF ordinary means
would not be financial impossi bility.
II the masses OF the people could be in
duced TO turn their attention and their
votes away from that old tariff chestnut
and direct them towards the live hnan-
cial and other questions OF the day, you
would find that the great American eagle
would soon flap its wings proudly over
@ prosperous people and shouts OF Joy
would 20 up from millions OF homes
where today starvation stares the in
mates in the face.
Bqs you viii ls paas sdapps ms ftES s spnu
question while the ship of state seems
crew appear to c care Inc more t' Tor personal
promotion than they do for saving the
ship.
But have great faith In the American
people. and every thing will come out
all right in good time.
The psople will act, and they will act
with frmuess, and In the right way.
And whom they do act, let the so.called
statesmen of the present day please
Ell rom under.
with our arid lands?
There is no better bssis for state law
than the present irrigation distrct law
OF California; but it must be modified in
some essential particulars.
The California irrigation districts now
indicate very plainly what these haodif.
cations should be.
There must be state supervision. A
state board of irrigation composed of
five mem bers. four OF whom should be
ex-oiticio, such commissioners by virtue
OF holding certain state official positions,
together with stats engineer, should
constitute that board. The attorney
general should be one OF the members.
Ihie board should have Jurisdiction over
the formation OF the districts. The
state engineer should make a careful ex-
animation OF the engineering problem.
The attorney-general should look after
all legal questions and ths entire board
should consider the proposition from a
business standpoint. This examination
should be honest and exhaustive and no
district should be formed without the
OF the state board.
Here in California we have had dis
tricts formed on q speculative basis
where interested parties cared more for
.he money to be made out of the sale OF
he water rights and the sale of the
snds than they did for the reclamation
II the arid lands within the district.
These districts came to grief. Hence we
rave a number of dead districts-dis-
riots that should never have been
organized.
We have had mistakes made in the
ormation of districts from a business
tsndpoint. A few settlers ia q sparsely
ettled locality-men of no business
raining have rushed ahead and UNDER
AIKEN great irrigation enterprises, re-
uiring the expenditure OF hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars, and the exercise of
t the highest type of financial and en- |
ineering ability. They have not been
quail to the occasion and disastrous
'recke have been the result. They were |
onest but not competent to do such
FORK.
There have also been legal mistakes
lade that have been very expensive
nd very disastrous. Hence our state ia
trewn with wrecked irrigation districts.
II takes time to construct large irrga-
on systems. Our district law has been
l force now over six years. We have
'me very good districts whose systems
70 completed and are in good working
rder. We have others that will bo sue.
,ssful when the works are com pleted,
ut which are being delayed by fnana
al and other causes. We have dis
lets which are on the doubtful list
icy May como out az right and they
sy not-whils probably one-fourth OF
le districts formed will never, as dis
lets, irrlgate an aero. Many OF these
lures could have been prevented by O
'mpetent state supervision.
the California diBtrict syRtem is TODAY
fsring because 1t seems to take from
70 to seven years for the aupreme
urt of the United States to express an
,inion as to the constitutionaiisy of
If district law. Awaiting the decision,
pitalsts are siow to invest in irrigh-
On bonds and districts contain ng over
O0 900, 600 worth OF property are more
less in ststu quo condition. The
lestion has been before the United