The herald., 1896-12-17
TIE |RR|GATORS
IN CONVENTION
Look to California for
Guidance
TECHNICAL SKILL AND HORSE Sense
Brought to Bear on the y ater
Question
THE WRIGHT LAW IS FAULTY
But Is the Best Basis Offered for Future
Action
THE WRIGHT LAW IS FAULTY
But Is the Best Basis Offered for Future
Action
A State Irrigation Commission Regarded as
Necessity
Mr.. Creighton of The Herald, 7. 5. Van
Dyke of Los Angeles and Mrs.
Strong of Whittier De-
liver Addresses
Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
PHOENIX, Ariz.. Dec. 16--At today S
session of the national irrigation con-
gress, w. S. Creighton. editor of the Los
Angeles Herald, read an interesting pa
per on the Wright irrigation act, DIS fol-
lows:
The decision of the supreme
court of the United States sustaining
the supreme court of the state of Cali
fornia in its rulings upon the irrigation
district act was a great thing for the
creoit of the state. Anything else would
have reflection upon stability that
would be felt in. all lines of investment
that depend upon judicial decisions or
lawyers advice.
Whether the decision will facilitate the
placing of bonds of the several districts
already formed. lead to the formation
of any new ones, or hasten the building
of any works in the old ones, is quite
another matter. There is no Disgusting
the fact that within the last few years
the law has become very unpopular in
California. Were the question to come
up before an irrigation congress assem-
bled in, Los Angeles the decision would
be quite different from what it was
three years ago, when every California
delegate voted that II was a success.
1t certainly looked so then. 1t as GER
tainly looks otherwise now, Capital will
not invest to any extent in anything
unpopular, no matter what the law may
be. 1t takes something besides words
to make the effective law. The man
who lends money for per cent wants
his interests, and don't want to be told
that the law is so. and tnat the land
owners must pay some time If he is to
listen to such excuses, then he wants
10 per cent or more for his bother and
risk
1t is we'll known that even in the dis
tricts where nothing. has been done but
pile up. Indebtedness, this prayer has
been almost unanimous. Misconduct of
the directors has been the chief cause
of this, not merely the unnecessary null
tipNcation of par diem and mileage, but
on scales far more extensive, and even
where no wrong inten, was seen, there
has been a squandering of the assets
so great as to cripple some districts
before stroke of work has been done
toward getting water to the land
In all there has been painful disregard
of the fact that interest works nights
and Sundays, while crops and tender
feet have vagaries quite beyond control
of the landowner.
The Wright law is correct in principle
and largely so in detail. 1t requires but
q little amendment to make it the very
best system in sections adapted to it,
But it is now certain that there must
be state board of control, composed Of
experts in irrigation, land. law, hydraul-
les and, to a considerable extent, in
finance. The most honest and intelli-
gent board of directors likely to be found
in any district will be so lacking in
knowledge of these things that they will
squander a vast amount of money with
out knowing where it goes. This is so
in private works, and business expert
ence in other lines qualities one but lit
tie to manage SO slippery a subject as
water.
This board should decide first on the
formation of the district as an economic
proposition, not merely as a physical
possibility This was the intention oi
the author of the California act. He ex.
pected that the supervisors would use
their best judgment as to whether the
case in hand was in all respects a sUita-
BILE one for the formation of a district;
whether it was expedient and to the ad-
vantage of the land owners generally
On the contrary, they formed districts
wherever the petition set forth the nee
essary facts for a legal and physical
possibility. Consequently districts were
formed in places where no private cap
ital would dream of the undertaking
even in the widest of boom times. They
were formed where there were not only
no settlers on the land of any conse-
=
produced upon the land to pay them
with, but where the experience of years
had SHOWN that, even with plenty OF
water at reasonable price the great
American tenderfoot could not be in
weighed by any means. fair or foul, fast
enough to pay off one-tenth of the inter-
est There were many cases where it
was plain that the sole dependence for
paying the taxes was the capture of the
aforesaid tenderfoot in large numbers
and where experience had shown thai
he would gladly be victim if there were
only water upon the land Even this is
now seen to be mistake, for he will not
buy until assured Of the water, and he
cannot be assured Of the water until
substantial steps have been taken to-
ward bringing it, But substantial stems
mean Urited States gold coin and plenty
of it, And this many land owners viii
not put up because they want to get II
out of the tenderfoot first And MANY
more cannot raise it except by selling
part of the land.
1t now is plain that districts should
not be forced where there is too much
opposition, no matter how unreasona-
BILE 1t may be. Public opinion, makes
law: minority can make public opinion
never advance by saying that the law
did SO and so. and people will have to
pay. Granted that, in the long run, they
may lose their lands if they do not. that
does not give the treasurer money to
meet the coupons. What the bondholder
wants y cash, not assurances. And the