The San Francisco call., 1895-10-19
100000 FOR PROTECTION.
HENRY MILLER SAYS THAT IT
HAD TO BE DISTRIB-
UTED.
SOME WENT TO SACRAMENTO.
THE BALANCE USED TO KNOCK Our
THE WRIGHT LAW IN THE Ma
DERA IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

DERA IRRIGATION DISTRICT.
"Mr. Miller. did you spend $1,000 at the
last session of the Legislature to influence
legislation in your favor?"
NO"
"Nor the session before2"
s'No"
Nor at any previous sessions OF the
Legislatnre?"
"Yes."
GLOW much, M Miller?'
The surviving member of the firm OF
Miller & Lux drew up his chair and pre-
pared to answer the questions. He pro-
ceeded with caution.
"We spent great deal more than that
"How?"
"Keeping men at Sacramento to protect
our rights. They were trying to intro
duce some thieving laws that would have
worked great injury upon us. We had
to do it to protect our lands and our water
rights. We knocked 'em out. too''
Mr.. Miller drew his chair up a little
closer and proceeded to say some very
pointed things about the Wright law,
which, 1T appears, is very distasteful to
him.
You see, we have irrigation interests all
over the State, and when the commission,
acting under the Wright law, came to
MADEIRA district and wanted to incorporate
under the provisions of the Wright law we
were compelled to take care of ourselves
by knocking them out entirely in that
section.'
"But the Wright law had already passed
the Legislature and there was no occasion
n 10 hot in, 70
Cannot you tell me a little more about the
money spent at the capital?'
es. ou are right about the thieving
Wright law having passed, hut-there are
others. We had to keep our eyes opened
all the time. Mind you. young man, there
was no such thing as bribery. No, no.
Don't think that. 1t was all disbursed in
perfectly honorable way. We have al
ways employed high-priced legal service
and it comes high. And then remem Der
that 1T is not to be expected that represen-
tatlves are going to stay in Sacramento
without being paid. All those things cost
money. But l want to tell you about that
had to convince the people that the minute
the Wrisht law went into effect they were
gone. We had TO get out good deal of
printing and briefs and other little things
that would protect us and our interests.
We had to spend good deal of money, you
see.'
About how much, Mr. Miller, in round
numbers?' was asked.
well, counting what we received from
other interested parties, I should say
10000"
Was all of that spent in defeating the
incorporation of the MADEIRA district? Did
not some of it go to Sacramento?"
"Oh, yes; little, I" answered the Cattle
King in ali offhand, easy way. .'But, of
course, it was all used up in paying just
the bare expenses of protecting our inter-
ests. Mind you, we had no dealings with
the members of the Legislatures. Now. get
that straight. Sos
Now about this Wright law. Suppose it
goes into effect in a certain irrigation dis
trict and bonds are issued to build canals.
The arguments laid down are that the
laboring man will have plenty of work to
do and that the country will be under per-
feet irrigation. That sounds all right, and
every groceryman and merchant and
saloon.keeper in the district begins to
The first thing they know there is an
assessment slapped on the district. and
they have to go down in their pockets and
put up. They begin to cool off then.
There is not single section of Califor-
MIA where the Wright law is in operation
that the people are not bankrupt. tell
you, 1t is the worst law on the statute
books of the State of California 1t simply
forces people to turn their ditch building
over to somebody eIse Who wants to do
that2 | don't. We convinced them up in
MADEIRA district that we were able to build
our own bitches when we wanted them.
Do you suppose | don't know how to build
an irrigation ditch? Well, guess 1 do"
MIR. Miller said this as though his ditch
building record stood alone and pre-emi-
nent above all others, and that it spoke for
itself.
What Will be the natural result when
the man In the north end of district finds
that he has been paying to build ditch
lot 10, the use OF the farmers of the south end.
Inc work is turned over to the Supervisors
OF the county, and they run the water
where they think best. yet the whole popu-
latlon OF the county has to pay for it. Just
make that good and strong, if you please.
The people never have understood it be-
tore, and | think it's about time they did.
The lay of the country is sometimes
against any good being done by laying ir-
rigation bitches. 1t may be run so that
the country above it will. be all dry, and
on the other hand the country below it
will be all flooded. Dry land is just as
good as drowned land. The Wright law
is no good, and something ought to be
done so that people could tend to their
own business without the interference of
any body else. If man wants to irrigate
his land let him do it. If he does not
want to irrigate his land let him alone and
do net force him to do it by assessments
and other thieying laws. l guess that's
about all there is to say about the Wright
law. i could talk of it for five hours, but l
would never change my mind about it,"
Mr.. Miller was very pronounced IN his
denunciations of the law and compared it
to various kinds of sure-thing games that
the wary have learned to let alone.
REI leInNQ Tu0IeNT ann pRnGREee