The San Francisco call., 1899-06-11
TO PREVENT FUTURE
SCARCITY OF WATER
SCHEME FOR I'M
POUNDING THE SURPLUS.
A Conventio of Influential Men,
Looking On4y to the Welfare OF
California, to Be Called.

A number of wealthy and Influential
gentlemen of this city have undertaken
to call a convention for the purpose cl
starting one Of the greatest movements
for the benefit of the entire State tha'
has ever been placed before the puphc
The proposition is to build reservoirs 1ol
the storage of the food waters TO be useC
in times when water is scarce or certalr
sections are threatened with a drought
To make the proper start the cooperation
of all large commercial and industrla
bodies is necessary. and to this end the
promoters have issued the following let
ter The replies of all receiving the same
have been favorable, and a convention Is
likely to be called in short time:
Gentlemen: The drought of 1898 cost
the State of California over $4,000 900:
For twenty-five years we have appled
to the National Legislature without
relief. 1t refuses to regard the ques-
ton as a national one. NO interstate
questions are involved IN the sources
of water supply of our State, as such
sources are almost within our geo
graphical boundaries. There Is, there
fore, no reason why we should expect
aid from the National Government eX-
cept possibly in assisting to regulate
the flow of the few streams IN the
State which are called naVlgable anu
which would come strictly within the
purposes and spirit of the river ana
harbor bill. OF late years the atten-
ton of the National Legislature has
been turned toward the irrigation oy
storage reservoirs of lands still owned
by the United States. We have no Such
lands of any appreciable amount III
this State, therefore our chances Oh
relief from this quarter are less, In
our opinion, than they We're years ago
If we wait for ii we will all be dead be-
fore it comes.
Private capital will not invest in
storage reservoirs, as the return must
be small or the public oppressed. The
Wright irrigation act has been prac-
tical failure. Moreover, the control
exercised by the Boards of Supervisors
over such investments frightens prl-
Vate capital.
With State control over its winter
food water California is capable Of
The possibility of drought and uncer-
tainty of crops deters home seekers
from coming here. The State should
step IN and at once. Its powers are
powers There is no reason why Call
fornia should not do what France,
Egypt, Lombardy and India have al
ready done and done successfully
We believe that the State has the
remedy in its own hands and that it
must now take up the question of the
storage of flood waters as the only
means of its future salvation
In our opinion San Francisco should
take the initiative in putting such a
plan into practical operation. 1t should
country that it recognizes the fact
that it's very existence depends upon
the success of the country, and that 1t
is willing. even eager, to assume It's
proportion of temporary burden
which will result in direct benefit to
the State at large.
When early this year another dry
season seemed imminent we devoted
serious consideration to this matter.
Several informal conferences were held.
Data were also collected convincing us
that it would require only a beginning
of diSintereSted, sincere and earnest
men to inaugurate movement that
would start a gigantic but perfectly
feasible plan to successful termina-
All the plan needs behind it is infiu-
ence, energy, patriotism and removal
from jobbery and theft. The movement
must be non-partisan and with such
falling into the hands of politicians.
The undertaking is gigantic, but prao-
teal and feasible.
And for this purpose we propose to
call a convention at an early date in
this city, the delegates to be selected
as representative men from the cities
and towns of the State. and invite you
to join officially in the call for such
vention will be to adopt a definite,
practical plan by which the State may
impound its flood waters and distrib-
ute them during the seasons of low
water at reasonable rates,
We cannot state definitely as yet
what that practical plan may be That
must be left to the combined study and
wisdom Of the delegates.
We have addressed a similar invita-
ton to other influential bodies of this
city. At a Joint conference the Cali
fornia Water and Forest Society has
already agreed 20 cooperate with u.s.
Bespeaking your early attention to
this invitation. we have the honor to
remain yours very truly,
l. w. HELLMAN,
z. B. POND,
GEORGE DAVIDSON,
HORACE DAVIS.
F. w. DOHRMANN,
HUGH CRAIG,
W. Fl. MILLS,
JAMES D. PHELAN,
PHILIP LILIENTHAL,
TIMOTHY HOPKINS,
WILLIAM THOMAS.