The record-union., 1899-11-16
QUESTION OF FLOOD
WATER STORAGE.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

CONTINUED from First PageJ
exercised within the national PARIS
and that Congress be asked 1urther ~
permit the acquisition OF reservoir
sites within the parks under the Saint
conditions now imposed by the Inter
Tor Department within the forest re-
serves, where the location does not IN
terfere with any permanent improve
ments now made in said parks. IL De-
ing recognized by this convention that
the formation of many lakes Wltnln
said parks adds to the beauty OF the
scenery and at the same time extends
the supply of water available for lrrl-
CATION and power purposes which TINS
convention realizes anu affirms is the
most essential element in the upbulld-
ing of the State, adding great value TO
the dry and semi-arid lands which are
permanent to the State and nation
Mr. Maddox spoke in explanation OF
the resolutions, which were then re-
ferred to the committee.
G. NJ. Heintz of Los Angeles sent to
the desk the following resolution,
which was received with applause:
Resolved. That the United States
and expend it's money so far as Cali
fornia is concerned, in retaining its
millions of acres of arid public domain
in this State, leaving for the State
and private enterprise the work of re-
claiming the lands now held in private
ownership by the dry ranchers of the
State.
Resolved, That whenever this great
work is accomplished and the State
shall have provided satisfactory legal
system whereby the work of dlstrlb-
uting the irrigation waters of the State
from storage reservoirs to the lands to
be irrigated that the National Govern
ment should be called upon to assist
in the work of impounding our flood
waters.
This resolution came as near to the
purpose of the convention as any that
had been presented.
The first contest of the convention
was creatsd by Attorney John D. Works
of Los Angeles, who, as the represen-
tative of "a number of the large water
companies of Southern California,
sought to secure the passage of reso-
buttons in their interest. The resolu-
lions submitted by him were as fol-
lows:
Whereas, The orchards of the State
and its vast mining interests are the
outcome and result in large degree of
the investment of private capital and
of private enterprise and industry; and
Whereas. 1t is declared as one of the
reasons for embarking the State of
California and the Federal Govern
ment in the investment of their reve-
nues in the storage and distribution of
the Hood waters of the State, that our
laws are such that private capital will
not be invested in works of this kind;
and
Whereas, 1t is to the best interests
of the people of this State that the
investment of private capital as we'll
as public funds should be secured for
the development, conservation and dis
tribution of all the waters of the State;
and
Whereas. 1t is our plain duty to pro-
teet vested rights and foster private
enterprise and thrift; now therefore
Resolved, That, while we believe it
to be our right and duty to secure all
the aid possible from other sources, IT
is the sense of this convention that
such new laws enacted as VIII insure
TO private capital already invested in
the development storage and distribu
ton of water, fair and reasonable
return of the money properly and nee
essarily invested for such purposes.
and encourage further investments
and renewed activity in the develop
ment and supply of water to the arid
lands of the State;
Resolved, That while we believe in
the wisdom and justice of the constitu
tional provision making the waters of
the State, appropriated for sale, rental
and distribution public use and sub
ject to State control, it is the sense Of
this convention that the rates to be
charged by companies so dealing with
water should be determined and fixed
by some disinterested body to be pro-
yided by law, and not, as now, by con-
sumers of water furnished by said
companies. or officials, elected by such
consumers, and that all such rates
should be fair. reasonable and just.
These resolutions provoked a warm
discussion.
Judge Works spoke to the resolutions
and made a forcible speech in defense
of the rights of the water COM
panies.
He was followed by ]. A. Filcher,
who defended in vigorous language the
present law, of which he was the au-
thor. we have heard of oppression of
monopolies and corporations in this
State, but we never had anything that
compared to the oppression of the
tyrant," said Mr. Filcher.
George H. Maxwell followed with a
strong address. He said in part: Past
experience has shown these two things
in this State - irrigation investments
can be made safe, irrigation specula-