The record-union., 1898-01-11
DEBRIS COMMISSION WORK.

A Washington dispatch in yesterdays
"Rscord-Unlon states that General Will
son, chief of United States engineers,
has stated to our Congressional delega-
ton the situation concerning the Cali
fornia Debris Commission, consisting of
three army engineers, for examination
of debris conditions affecting the navi-
cation of California rivers.
In that statement General Wilson is
made to say that California has appro
priated S2J0.000 to aid the United
States in carrying on such construction
as the three engineers referred to may
report and have approved; that Con-
gress has made the necessary enact
ment to enable the United States Gov
eminent to receive the money, yet it
has not been turned over to the Federal
Government. This seems to be a mis-
take General Wilson would seem TO
have been misquoted. He knows what
the law appropriating that S250,000 is,
and just what are its provisions, hence
it is puzzling that he should intimate
that California has failed to do that
which she had promised to perform.
The California Act provides that when
the United States commission has
agreed upon plans, fixed upon specifica-
tons and entered into contracts for
work deemed by ii necessary, the State
Debris Commissioner shall examine
them and report them to the State
Board Of Examiners. If the latter body
approves of them, that fact shall be
reported TO the Federal Commission,
whereupon as the work Of carrying out
such contracts or plans proceeds the
Federal Commission may call upon the
State Commissioner to draw money to
pay the bills from time to time equal
10 one-half the sum necessary to meet
the cost Of the work, but not in excess
of S25Q000 And the same process Is
TO be observed in the purchase of sites
for the works.
Now as no plans have been agreed
upon, as the work Of examination Is not
nearly ended, and as General Wilson
himself says such preliminary examina-
ton VII not be completed for some
nine because of the arduous labor in
xolved and the difficulty Of such prelim-
snary- inquiry. upon which the Federal
Commission will base it's report Of ad-
vice to the War Department, no use
OF the money set aside by California
has been possible.
There is no provision for paying the
S250,000 over to the Federal Govern
,nent. There can be no payments ex-
cept on approval of plans by the State
Board CT Examiners; therefore, the
statement credited to General Wilson
Is perplexing. Indeed, it is not provid-
ed that the money appropriated by the
State shall ever be paid over to the
Federal Government. On the contrary
it is expressly provided that California's
share OF expenditure shall be applied to
payment Of claims OF contractors and
persons who do service upon such
works as the Federal Government may
undertake.
1t may be, however. that there is a
hitch in this matter that viii prove
troublesome. Government engineers Will
scarcely be willing TO submit any plans
OF theirs to the State Examining Com
mission. The Legislature knowing this
provided that the State Commissioner
should examine such plans and con-
tracts as the Federal Commission may
agree upon and report to the War De-
parsment, and that he shall lay the
same before the State Board of Exam
iners, whereupon the State win pay 30
per cent of the cost of work in carry
ing out the plans in sums called for
from time to time on bills presented by
the Feseral Government in behalf OF
contractors and others. but such bills
must go before the State Board OF Elk
aminers for approval.
It may be then that, since the Federal
Commission has asked for the whole
sum to be turned over to the Federal
Government, and since their request
had to be declined. that even after the
engineers report. the War Department
will decline to proceed upon q partner