The record-union., 1895-02-12
Sacramento, February IL, 1885.
A Lawyer on the Drainage Bill

EDS. RECoRD-UNIoN: Senate Bill No. 5l7,
Drainage District" ETC., now pending be-
fore the Senate, will, if it becomes a law,
entail a tax of probably upward of S4,-
100000 upon Sacramento city. | am in
formed that Hon. A. II. Rose, Commits
sioner Of Public Works, states as his esti-
mate of the amount of money required
for the use of the district the sum of
S., 600. This, it will be understood, is
the principal sum required exclusive of
interest.
The Act provides that bonds may be
sold at 80 per cent of their face value and
bearing per cent. interest, the principal
payable: 2 per cent. of the bonds at the
expiration of eleven years, per cent.
each year up to the twentieth year, and
thereafter per cent. each year until the
bonds are fully paid. 1t would require,
then, $40, ,000,0 OF bonds to raise 9,OOO.-
600 of money, while the interest provided
to be paid would estimating that s., ,0OO,-
600 would be sufficient for the purposes
required-makem more than another 50, ,000,- =
600 before the bonds are fully paid OF.
This, however, is upon the assumption
that nine millions of dollars will be
sufficient; but all persons who under
stand the way in which public work is
done, and estimates therefor made, will
understand that the chances would be, if
this bill should become a law, that the
nine million dollars sugges ted will only
be the commencement of the work, and
that in fact three or four times that
amount will be called for.
The bill provides that the drainage dis
trict-which is to be composed of certain
lands in Solano, Eolo, Colusa, Glenn.
Sutter, 1uba, Butte and Sacramento
Counties Including the city of Sacra-
mento)-shall be divided into five divis-
ions, of which division No. shall in
clude that portion Of Sacramento County
situated within the district. There shall
be board of five directors-one director
from each subdivision-so that Sacra-
mento County would have only one rep
resentative upon the Board of Directors,
We will have nothing to say, however, as
to the selection of such director, for by
the provisions of the Act, the Governor
Is to make the appointment.
1t would be difficult to obtain a state
ment OF the assessed value of the lands
proposed to be included in the district.
but it is not probable that such assessed
value exceeds S25, 600, 900, as the total as
sessed value of all lands in the eight
counties of Colusa, Glenn, Sacramento.
Solano, Yolo, Yuba and Sutter-ex-
elusive OF improvements-is but $50, ,OOO,-
600. The assessed value of city lots in
Sacramento City, exclusive of improve
ments, is, by the last county assessment
roll, SiiIlo,U03, so that IL Is probable that
nearly one-third of the money REQUIRED
for the proposed reclamation would be
called for from Sacramento City.
The fifteenth section of the proposed
Act provides for the assessment, in the
event bonds are issued, and provides for
an assessment to be made upon all real
property in the district at its full cash
value.
Upon an issuance of SIC, ,000, 900 worth of
bonds under this Act, the proportionate
part of it which will fall upon Sacra-
mento City would certainly be not less
than S3,000,000, exclusive of interest.
Many people deem the city to be hope
iessly in debt because we owe a little
over SSO0,000. Can our citizens afford to
remain silent and allow this additional
Indebtedness of s., ,000,000 with interest to
be saddled upon the city?
w hile this Act provides that there shall
be i've directors of the drainage district.
yet in fact the Act is so drawn that these
directors have comparatively little power.
and The Commissioner of Public Works
is made absolute dictator.
Section of the Act provides: eft
shall be the duty OF the Commissioner of
Public Works, as soon as practicable. to
devise, plan and estimate the cost of
works necessary for the drainage of the
district, such as canals, sluices, and cuts