The record-union., 1895-02-13
qHB DRAINAGE BILL IS SCOTCHED.
Sacramento's Citizens Are Emphatic
ally Against IT.
They Fear That 1t Would Impose an
Enormous Tax Burden on
the City for Years.

land owners are 10 slt IN judgment on 1t,
and their hostility to the measure is
well known. Whether or not the bill
can be amended so as to make it &C
ceptable to the people of this city and
county, remains to be seen. Certainly
In its present shape they are almost
unanimously against it.
The meeting was a large and repre-
sentative one. 1t was called to order by
Dr. u. NJ. Dixon, who stated its object to
TO be the consideration of Senate bill 51l,
known as the drainage bill.
Although the bill was not satisfactory to
all interested, he hoped it would not be
killed in its entirety.
w. a. Gett, Jr., of this city, said he
understood the meeting was one of the
citizens OF this city, and OF them alone.
Ale moved that Mayor Steinman be Sc
lected as its Chairman.
DIR. Dixon said the meeting was an adj
1ourned one. At the meeting Saturday
evening he was elected Chairman. AL
though caring nothing for the position,
he would have to consistently declare the
motion out of order.
OPPOSED TO BONDS.
Frank Miller of this city said it was
understood by the people two years ago
that the Commissioner of Public Works
CusS with the Advisory Board the recla-
NATION problem. He did not think many
meetings were called. Provision is made,
he said, in the bill for the reclamation of
the low lands to be continued. The
proposition 10 get the money to complete
the work will be for the districts to vote
for bonds. de objected 10 paying interest
on any debt whatever. He was opposed
TO bonded Indebtedness. If the bonds
are to be issued, they must be paid. They
VIII run for twenty years at . per cent,
winch VIII make the amount SiS,0UU,OOU.
1t IS the worst business enterprise ever
introduced to the people OF Sacramento
City.
TOO MUCH DEBT NOW.
Judge Armstrong said he was familiar
with the whole section of country sought
to be reclaimed. lie believed that nearly
$780, 900 had been expended in attempts at
reclamation already. 1t might be feasible
10 reclaim these tule lands, and in the
future the necessity therefor may be APP
parent. Just now there is no use for these
waste lands, especially when the farmer
must almost give away what he produces.
lille the reclamation of these lands
would benefit this city TO some extent,
still 1t must be remem bered that there are
now vast tracts OF good land that are not
occupied. We lind that back in the tif-
ties piece OF extravaganza saddIed this
city with an one rous debt, and now, just
as we are about 10 shake OF that load, IL
Is proposed 10 burden us with another
enormous debt. 1t is the same old dis
trlct, organized in 1861, known as Dis
trlct >, taking in the land on the east side
of the river down to the Mokelumne and
on the other side was District Is en-
bracing the overlooked lands over there
II IS the same old scheme to enrich the
lew at the expense OF the many. Saving
nothing about the Inability Of the Legis-
laLure 10 enact such q law, we must look
at il in another light. The smallness OF
the proposition ought to damn 1t. We OF
Sacramento cannot afford to mortgage
our property to help carry out such d
scheme. II forced upon us by the Legis-
lature, he Judge Armstrong; would con-
test such law, inch by inch and foot by
loot.
Judge Armstrong was frequently in
corrupted by applause.
WILLIAM BOYNE'S VIEWS.
William Boyne said he considered it
practically impossible tor the present
generation TO reclaim the tule basin He
discussed at some length The reports of
Inc Government engineers on the effects
oil hydraulic mining, ana declared that
o. no SuCrameutan should vote for the bill
now before the Legislature. Hydraulic
mining Is still IN progress, and II would
be useless 70 try TO do anything while il
lasts. The people who own these swamp
lands want to add several millions OF
debt TO the four or five millions on which
the people of this county are now paying
interest. We are now in debt more than
we are able 20 pay, and he was opposed
TO any more bonds.
THE BILL EXPLAINED RY ITS AUTHOR,
L. L. Devlin said he came as a specta-
Tor. lie had been the attorney the past
Year for the Commissioner of Public
w OTks and prepared the bill under dis
CusslOu. The measure should be calmly
considered. II unwise, its unwisdoin
FR.A la f,.a fRravTH
cesslty Tor lnuulging "a passion or
Nituperauou. SO far as the ueCessitv for
draining tue Sacramento Valley Is con-
Cerned, he had little TO say, but it had
Deen considered a good thing by those
who had studied the subject and The i'm,
provement OF the river.
Mr.. DeylIn then reviewed the action of
the hlyer Convention and what had re-
suited thereirom, leading up 10 the present
situation. Il il be good thing to reclaim
tue district and protect the cities from
overflow, then draft bill that will he
tree from objection. II there are points
in the present bill that are obiectiouauIe
they could toe amended
Mr.. Devlin then explained the provis-
cons oi the ul4 under discussion and
said II 1t were preferable TO have the d.
IGCtCfS eIeCtSus instead of appointed by
the Governor, the bl.l could be chsugad
IL that respect But there must be some
one with jurisdiction to direct the work
CI reclamation. The Commissioner nf
Public Works must have power To de-
wise plans and see that they are carried
out.
There are three ways by which the
money can De raised TO carry on the worL,
a direct tax, bond issue. or the assess
meut OF land according to the benefits To
be derived. one or The other OF these
three methods must be employed The
bill gives the people of the district the
option TO select whichever plan they nre-
Ter. II II be the desire OF the people in
terested 70 have these lands reclaimed
the bill is ali that could le desired 10 at
tain that result.
II il be decided to issue bonds. II ba-
comes 3 land tax, and improvements Will
not be taxed. II bonds ue not lssue5
aud land assessed only according TO the
benefits received, city property would be
taxed only rs 50 much land rated in valua
the same rs similar surrounding lands.
and city let would represent q value OF
only about so
Personally, Mr.. Devlin said he thourbt
II the reclamation Of the vast tract of over
nowed land IN the proposed district were
carried out Il would be OF great benefit 10
Sacramento City. II this work IS 10 be
done, some method therefor must be de-
Nised, and II Is simply question OF
method. II the reclamation of these
lands be not desired, that is another
thing.
\ CINCU on SACRAMENTO.
f. r. Dray said he had examined the
bill, and IN his judgment il is a couple OF
generations ahead OF its time II tle bill
Is not iron bound, rs Mr.. Deyiiu had said.
the people in tie district certainly would
be iron bound If tie bill were to pass.