The record-union., 1895-08-09
INIMEAsURABLE GALL.

The Legislature of California made
conditional appropriation in the sum of
S25O.00O to build restraining dams, the
condition being that the Government
would appropriate a similar amount
Plainly stated. California proposed to the
Government of the United States that it
would give S25O,OOO to build retaining
works If the Government would give
$3.50, 900, and Congressman Johnson is ex-
pected to secure an appropriation OF
$3.50, 600, to abut upon the California $780,.
600, to build an immense dam at Deguirie
Point in the Yuba River, six miles east
of Marysville.
The astounding disclosure is now made
that, anticipating the development of
water power for the generation of cleo
trical power which might be- transmitted
TO cities where power has market value,
the Legislature passed a bill permit
ting the water power created by these
public works TO be appropriated by
private individuals. Assemblymn Rich
ard L Thomas has been inter
viewed by a San Francisco paper.
obviously at his own request, and
has confessed that he and other capital
lists have appropriated the water power
TO be created by the expenditure of State
and Government money; and that the
scheme, from it's inception to the present
time. looked simply to the construction
of great dam, six miles east of Marys-
vile, and costing $500, 900, the money for
the construction of which was to be
taken from the Treasury of the State and
the Treasury of the Nation.
Mr.. Thomas says that he and his asso-
ciates are to own this water power, and
that 1t will develop 10000 horsepower
Mr.. Thomas states that they have taken
all necessary steps to begin the work as
soon as the dam is completed; that they
have already s demand for 5000 horse
power; that they are 40 miles from San
Francisco, ninety miles from Stockton.
and six miles from Marysville. Mr..
Thomas very confidently asserts that the
Government will come up straightway
with its $3.50, 900, which will at once make
the State appropriation of similar
amount available.
The paper interviewing the Assembly
man says that without doubt the Gov
eminent will appropriate S350.00O, which,
with the S250,0OO contingently appro-
priated by the State, will make 5000, 900,
and that the greater portion of this will
be spent on the dam at Deguirie Point.
There is an embarrassment of riches in
the way of comment suggested by this
bold scheme. Perhaps We may declare
at this point that hydraulic mining has
reached the very summit of bold scoun-
drelly impudence A miner wants to
take out gold which he is to own. He
finds that to do so is to injure his neigh
boris property. The application of q
principle of equity which is as broad as
the foundation of society, and as pro-
found as the most sacred rights OF man
kind, lis violated. Finding himself con-
fronted by one of the great canons Of
civilized life, he proceeds to ask that the
injury he is about to infiict upon his
neighbor. and which injury he is going
to infiiot in his own private interest.
be averted by appropriation from the
public treasury on the theory that
hydraulic mining for private profit
is public use. and that in
the interest Of this public use
public money should be expended
Thus it develops that the very project
ors of this scheme. its legislative parent
age, have appropriated the water which
is one of the incidents of the construc-
ton of the dam to their own private use.
If hydraulic mining had possessed one
lot or little of modesty. il would have Of
fered the incidental development of a
value by the expenditure of public
money to the public. 1t would have
used as an argument in favor Of the use
of public funds the restoration of part
of the money abstracted from the treas
ury by declaring that the water power
developed should be owned by the State