The record-union., 1897-12-22
RIVER CONVENTION MEETS.
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cised it because they represent the SEN
timent Of the communities Interested
and they have a right to demand tfdt
the hoard carry out the provisions OF
the law One dredger at work Woulo
soon deepen the channel of the river
so that it would carry the water De-
tween the Feather River and Sacra-
mento. No matter whether the money
Is thrown away or not, the people nave
decided to spend it in a certain way
and the board should do as the law dl-
rects. He did not find fault with What
the board has done, but with what II
has not done. (Applause)
DEFENDED THE BOARD.
Mr.. Buell. Of San Joaquin said he had
watched the action of the Auditing
Board and thought it was eXpending
the money wisely and judiciously, al
though he would admit that it was not
doing it in accordance to the provisions
of the law. He thought it was spend
ing the money in a way that would DO
three times as much with the clam
shell dredger as they would in building
a big dredger that would rot in the
water The people of San Joaquin are
satisfied with the work of the board.
THE GOVERNOR SAID NO.
Mr.. Corcoran said that he believed the
dredger would never be needed on the
Sacramento River, as the work would
be done without il. He did not wish
10 be appointed on the board, and had
asked Governor Budd il the board
would be compelled to build a dredger,
as his investigation of the subject led
him to think there were better ways.
and the Governor told him that the
law did not compel the board to do So
but provided that it should expend the
money for Strengthening, reclaiming
and deepening the river.
The Chairman asked if Mr.. Corco-
ran had ever read the bill admitting the
State, in which the Government pledged
itself to preserve the integrity of the
rivers, and he answered that the Gov
ernment did not always do as it agreed
TO, and it's policy has been against the
reclamation of the State rivers. He
himself was opposed to building a
dredger, until it had been proved at
Newtown shoals that erosion would
not do the work. Commissioner Leake
was in favor of the dredger.
HOW THE SAND PACKS.
Captain Roberts gave description of
the deposit of black sand that is de-
posted by the Feather River which is
so hard that it cannot be carried out
by the current. A dredger would be
necessary TO remove this. as it could
not be removed unless it was lossened
up.
THE FOURTH SECTION.
Senator Gleaves called attention to
the fourth section of the dredger bill,
which appropriates 100000 for the
construction of one or more dredgers.
He said Mr. Corcoran had confined his
remarks to section 2. He gave an ac-
count of the debate in the Legislature,
and said that the bill was passed in or
der that the dredgers might be built
and tried, and the law should be car
ried out.
AN AGRICULTURAL PARALLEL
w. T. Phipps said that the argument
of the Auditing Board was like that
CT a farmer with a good farm, who re-
fused to buy team with which to work
it because he had not money enough to
buy feed to feed them for fifty years,
while he was farming it. He held that
IL 6tNIlGl TIC <AuQ4tAllS Dual VI lklC
army engineesr neglect their duty, it
is the province of this convention to
criticise them for any injury that they
allow to be done to the river.
THE STATE SHOULD DREDGE.
The agent for the Bowers dredger
said that there might have been a
combination between the contractors in
San Francisco in bidding on the work.
Whether that is so or not, Colonel Men
dell told him that the bids We're not
high, considering the hazard the con-
tractor had to take When cut Is
made, the securing in the channel above
will often fill up the cut again, making
the contractor double work and ex-
pense. The cheapest way, he thought,
was for the State Ia do its own dredg-
ing. He had not given figures for the
building Of a dredger, because the COM
pany could not tell what ii would cost.
He could only say that it had built one
in Oregon that was doing good work for
$150000.
DEMAND ON THE GOVERNOR.
Mr.. Cutter offered resolutions as fol-
lows:
Resolved, That in the judgment of
this convention the members Of the
Auditing Board created by an Act of
the last Legislature are highly censur-
able for failing to carry out, or 10 at
tempt to carry out. the provisions of
said Act, which states in explicit terms
that the appropriation therein made is
mainly for the purchase Of one or more
dredgers TO be used in river improve
ment.
Resolved, That this convention, rep
resenting the counties most vitally in
terested. demands that the Governor,
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