The San Francisco call., 1899-04-08
Appointed in Spite of
the Vetoes.
SIX "THANK YOU" OFFICIALS
WATER AND FOREST SOCIETY
GOES AHEAD.
Will Voluntarily Follow Laws We
toed by the Governor an Makes
Prof. Davidson Commits
sioner of Irrigation.

California has a Commissioner Of Irri-
cation and a Forestry Commission even
if Governor Gage did pocket the bills
passed by the last Legislature creating
these important Offices
The laws thus enacted and killed were
passed at the initiation and recommends
ton Of the California Water and Forest
Society, lately organized to deal with the
vast problem of the States water re-
sources and their conservation. Now the
Water and Forest Society has gone ahead
in the direction of carrying out the laws
practically as if they had been approved
and has appointed the officers contem-
plated
The Commissioner of Irrigation is Pro-
fessor George Davidson and the Forestry
Commission is composed of Professor E.
w. Hilgard of the University of Califor
mia, Professor Dudley of Stanford Uni
versity, Abbott Kinney of Los Angeles,
Warren Olney Sr. of San francisco and
George ToWle of Placer County.
The officers named are simply officers OF
a voluntary society, but it is the idea
that they shall in a large measure fulfill
the functions of such State officers. This
action was taken at meeting of the
executive committee in the office OF Sec
retary E: H. Benjamin day before yes
terday. The PRESIDENT United States Sur
veyor General ]. NJ. Gleaves; Secretary
BENJAMIN, E. A. Denicke, John ?. irish,
Sonntag, Craigie Sharp, Edward F. Adams
and others were present. 1t was the con-
sensus of opinion that the society should
go ahead with the work contemplated IN
the beginning and strengthen itself with
members and money.
In effect the defeated legislation pro
Vided for the appointment of the officials
named, TO serve without pay; that the
Commissioner of Irrigation should CO.
operate with the United States Geologi-
cal Survey in preparing surveys, estl-
mates, ETC., for sites for storage reser-
voirs for impounding waters for mining,
agricultural and industrial uses; that re-
ports be made on the feasibility, etc, or
such reservoirs and irrigating systems,
and that the Forestry Commission should
devise means of protecting the forests of
the State from destruction by ire or wan
ton depredations, and recommend means
for preserving the forests and OF storing
and distributing the flood waters of the
State.
Such Commissioners could do little more
in two years than acquire information in
field that requires vast amount OF
investigation and formulate recommends
tions for further progress. This the Cali
fornia Water and Forest Society proposes
to do. Professor Davidson Will give to
the work what time he can spare from
his work as professor of commerce at the
university, and others will devote much
SThe society recognizes the fact that
the question of the control of the waters
of the State is the great one, said Pro
lessor DAVIDSON yesterday. G1OW IdA -
the State and how far is the Government
in control and to what extent does the
common law doctrine of riparian rights
interfere with the best disposition of the
waters of the streams and lakes? I sup
pose that 1 will be expected to cooperate
in finding what can be done toward con-
trolling at least the flood waters. Infor-
nation will be compiled, Investigations
made and the possibilities canvassed. The
first thing the society needs is money. One
thing will be early discovered. If we have
terest. in irrigation and allied subjects
Last year people were suddenly interest
ed in the water resources of the State
and the Importance of the water prob
lem. In 1873 the people went wild for ir-
rigation The next year there was plenty
of rain and irrigation was forgotten. That
has always been the way with them"
formation will be compiled in a report
which will be laid before the next Legis-
lature with we'll considered proposals for