The San Francisco call., 1898-01-21
Home and Federal Au- thOritieS Will Work in
 Harmony.
Auditing Board to the COn1nlis- SiOnerS of Public Works
 Meets.
Secures the Cooperation of g Cow ernment Engineer and Listens to
 Farmers Grievances.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


 SACRAMENTO, Jan. 2O.-The Aud ltlng Board to the Commissioners of Public Works met this afternoon at the Capitol. with Chairman Corcoran and a full board in attendance.
 Major Heuer of the Government En- glneering Corps on the Pacific Coast was present and entered into a con- tract with the board whereby he be- comes a consulting engineer to the Commissioners of Public Works. At no time in the history of California has there been such close relations as now exist between the State and Fed eral authorities in the matter of river improvements.
 Major Heuer was somewhat reluc- tant in his acceptance of the board S proposition to employ him as consult ing engineer, but was prevailed upon to accept, and to sustain his right to act in that capacity an abstract of the United States statutes was re- ferred to. The major remained in consultation with the board during the afternoon, and dur ing the brief period of his participa- ton in to-day's meeting it was shown that a most decided advantage will come from his identification with the State Department of Public Works.
 Commissioner Leake was very much elated over the arrangement and eX- pressed himself as follows: Things are certainly coming our way in river matters, and by this arrangement with Major Heuer our department will not only have the benefit of advice from one of the most competent civil en- gineers of the United States, but in cd hot in securing the services of a man who has made study of river matters in California and is familiar with every phase of the question:"
 The following petition was received from residents along the river adja- cent to the city of Marysville.
 We, the undersigned land owners of Sutter and Colusa counties, believing it to be of immediate benefit to the Sacra- mento River and to the lands adjacent thereto to have weirS constructed across Butte Slough and Tisdale Break up to the height of the natural bank, earnestly re- quest, If there are funds at your command to be used for the improve ment of draining, that some portion be used to build said weirS and the work prosecuted.
 The petition was presented by 4. F. Bingham of Marysville, who personally advanced arguments favoring the pro- ject.
 A communication was received in the shape of an agreement on the part of the farmers on the Yolo side of the Sacramento River to construct levees in front of their land fronting on the Sacramento River, and to complete the same on or before October 1, 1898, in accordance with the report of the Com missioner of Public Works, and of such a height and dimensions as he may recommend, the agreement being made conditional upon the building of ease ments or overflow weirs and not to become binding upon the resident own CTS until the Auditing Board to the Commission of Public Works agrees to build the same.
 J. O. Coleman presented the matter and stated that the farmers were will ing and anxious to maintain their levees at a proper height, provided the board would construct weirs or ease ments. The board ordered the engi- neers to locate the most advantageous plans to establish the easements.
 A communication was received from Attorney General Fitzgerald giving his opinion upon the following resolution:
 Resolved, That the Attorney-G General be requested to advise this board whether the State would be liable for damages if Commission of Public Works by and with the consent of this board on the right or west bank of the Sacramento River which weir or easement would carry the surplus water of said river above the tWenty-four and one-half foot stage at Sacramento into the adjacent county.
 The Attorney General in reply says: ''I am of the opinion that this work should be constructed under the act providing for the appointment of the Auditing Board to the Commissioners of Public Works, approved March r, 1897, and in particular under section of said act"
 The board then adjourned to the Su- preme Court chamber. where a delega- tion from Marysville had assembled to ascertain what would be the policy and action of the Auditing Board on river improvement in the future.
 MT. Stone of Marysville, chairman of the last river convention, stated the ob- ject of the visiting delegation.
 Chairman Corcoran briefly outlined the work already undertaken by the board, and said that contracts had al- ready been made to remove the New ton shoals and arrangements made by which the farmers on the Yolo side would build up their levees, and the board would then construct weirs or easements to permit the tide of high water to flow into the Yolo basin.
 MT. Parks of Marysville arose and remarked that his people would like to know what the sentiment of the board was regarding the purchase and em- ployment of dred2ers.
 Captain Hall expressed himself as favoring dredger. provided the river could not be relieved through the ope- ration of the water by confining it in narrow channels by means of jetties as already contracted for.
 Senator Doty made a vigorous de- fense of the board and declared that the resolutions of censure passed by the river convention were uncalled for. He said he would favor a dredger when ever the necessity arose. He was fol- lowed by Patterson and Markley, who proclaimed themselves along the same lines