The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-11
OPINIONS OF EDITORS.

While it is not supposed that Federal Judge
will condescend to reply to newspaper criti-
cism, q good many men who have great respect
for Judge Ross would like to know how he
reconciles his decision in the Hager case with
his more recent decision in the Fallbrook case.
The former arose under the reclamation act,
the latter under the Wright irrigation act.
Both involved taking property to pay for i'm
provements made without the owners consent.
Under the reclamation act Judge Ross held
that the landowner should pay; under the
Wright act he held that the owner need not
pay. 1t is probable that Judge Ross will be
able to.point out some substantial distinction
between the two cases. There is the more rea-
son that he should, as other lawyers admit
their inability to discover any difference ex-
cept that the decisions were rendered under
different acts. The two acts, however, have
an identical purpose. In the one case there
was land that was worthless without water.
In the other there was land that was worthless
because of too much water. In districts favored
under each law there was land not so materi-
ally benefited as other land in the same dis
trict. In both cases, landowners who did not
think they were getting as much benefit from
the public improvement as others in the same
district refused to pay assessments and took
their cases into court. Judge Ross decides that
one must pay and that the other need not pay.
ent decisions, but at present they are known
only to himself. The public want to be adj
United into his Observation-Disclosures.
The Oakland Times of July 80 contained the
following editorial THE CALL of last Sunday
has valuable contribution from Frances
Fuller Victor in relation to the, missionary.
DR.. Marcus Whitman, who, together with his
family, was massacred by Cayuse Indians
r1nQ n - oil ella
Victor, who lives in Portland, is the best his
torical writer now living in this country, and
did nearly all the best work on Bancroft's
California publications. She is q quiet mod
est, elderly woman, who does not care to claim
all of her own, but her work will live after
her and her name will have eminence on the
literary baldric of Oregon.
The example of the newspapers in sacra-
mento Valley is good one. They have decided
that there is no politics in good roads, fair
taxes and a navigable river. More and more
we should apply this rule, and nothing but
benefit can come from our unity.-Halfmoon
Bsy Advocate.
William Fredericks who was recently hanged,
will be panied to learn that the appeal IN his
case has been dismissed. But the courts are to
be congratulated upon having established O
meritorious precedent by hanging Fredericks
first and considering his appeal later on.--san
Jose Mercury.
Riverside Press: John D. Spreckels tells the
San Diego railroad committee that what San
Diego wants is not more railroads but more
water. And John seems to have struck the
nail on the head with loud resounding
whaek that ought to echo from Tia Juana to
La Jolla.
Yreka Journal: The natural resources of this
country are not yet half known. A company
just formed in California viii manu- facture
new fuel composed of a mixture of peat and
asphaltum, both of which abound in mex
haustible quantities in different parts of the
State.