The record-union., 1896-12-30
EDITORIAL AS ADOPTED.
Strong Appeal to the Legislature for
Assistance

Inc committee on Memorial and Res
olutions to the Governor and Legisla-
ture, having completed it's labors. re-
ported as follows:
To his excellency, James H. Budd.
Governor, and to the Senate and AS
sembly of the State of California; Your
memorfalists, who are deeply interested
| in the Improvement of the naviga Bile
waters OF the State, in mass meeting
assembled, do respectfully memorialize
you as follows:
"The Capital City of California. bv
reason of the agricultural interests
make it common center Of commerce,
ard favored as it is by nature, should
be the second city, if not the first. in
point of commercial Importance in the
State of California. While at present
the condition of navigation at points
above CORTLAND is such that during
low water season, say from August to
November, no vessel exceeding three
feet of draft can reach Sacramento
and 1t is matter of common knpwl-
edge that even such vessels are fire.
quently required to tighten their loads
on barges before they can proceed to
Sacramento
I'VE assert that by improving the
Sacramento River it can be made in its
true sense commercial highway, and
that Sacramento City can be made a
seaport, and there can be locked at
the city front seagoing vessels of
twenty feet draft and over
1T is a we'll known fact that owing
to many causes the nayigable rivers of
Central California have been seriously
damaged, and that they are unable to
perform the function nature intended of
carrying off the flood waters so as to
prevent the surrounding lands from be-
ing overfiowed or of answering the ne
cessities of commerce.
"At present frequent breaks in the
levee above and below Sacramento City
cause the waters to leave the main
channel, spreading ruin and devasta-
ton over the adjoining lowlands. and
causing the formation of sand bars in
the channel below said breaks to the
detriment of the navigability of the
river.
while it is the duty Of the Federal
Government to take charge Of preserve
and improve the navigable waters of
California, it is the duty also of the State
Of California to protect itself 1t will
require no argument to show the vast
benefit that will accrue to the State
of California IN the way of increased
commerce and in adding to the taxable
wealth of the State, by inaugurating a
system of Improvement that will en-
able the navigable rivers of California
TO take care Of the waters that reach
them, and to become permanent high
ways of commerce. The amount of
money that will be required for this
purpose is so small as compared to the
vast amount of advantage which will
accrue therefrom that It is not only
good government to appropriate the
necessary money therefore, but it would
s. en- the hight of folly to postpone or
deny the means of Improvement within
easy reach. Fortunately for the State,
a plan of river Improvement has been
recommended by the Honorable Com
missioner Of Public Works which in
many respects. if not in ALL affords a
solution of this vexed question. All
the interests of the State of California
can unite in obtaining legislation that
viii rectify the rivers and improve them
as channels of commerce.
I'VE should all be willing, and are, to
bury any personal differences We may
have SO as to secure this one uni
versally desired result upon which in
a great measure the welfare of interior
California depends.
We desire to cooperate to the fullest
extent with the Federal Government
but believe that the interests of the
State of California require that it
should lend a helping hand to facilitate
the work of Improvement while there
Will remain in the future a large
amount of work to be done by the land
owners through means raised by indi-
vidual taxation.
The most pressing necessity ait the