The record-union., 1899-07-07
STORAGE or WATER.
OF THE MOVEMENT
FOR A STATE CONVENTION.
Circular Issued BY the Executive
Committee Of the CALIFORNIA;
Press Association.

The following circular letter has been
sent out to. the members of the Cali
fornia Press Association by its Execu-.
tive Committee:
VALLEJO (Cal), July 5, 1899.
On Saturday evening, June 24th, your
Executive Committee met in San Fran
cisco, at the Occidental Hotel, and with
gentlemen representing the interest in
a movement calculated to benefit the
State of California to such extent as no
other project is believed possible. The
matter was under discussion until late
in the evening, and at it's conclusion,
your committee voted it's unanimous
support, and adopted a resolution ask
ing all members of the California Press
Association to give it consideration,
that thereafter they might see in it.
as your, committee does, a measure
worthy of the energetic support of an
whose motto in life is not only to build
for the future, but to profit in the pres
ent from the accomplishments prom
ised by the future. Fer it has been
demonstrated that what the individual
can do the community may do, and
the community better than the indi-
vidual, and the State better than the
community. The story of the bundle of
sticks repeated-in unity the strength.
This movement is a project to con-
serve the surplus waters of the State
for use in the irrigation of all irrigable
lands in our State, by means of stor-
age reservoirs in the mountains, just
as France, Egypt, Lombardy and India
have already done and done success
fully, that instead of the uncertainty
of one crop annually from California's
productive acres, we will have the GER
tainty of two and possibly three crops
annually, and the added certainty of
an increase in population to a figure
five times that of the present The
project will involve the expenditure of
some millions Of dollars, yet not so
many that at any time will hardship
be felt; but the merits of the invest
ment are to be more fully set forth,
after systematic investigation, the pre-
liminaCy work of which we are invited
to participate in, and discuss through
the columns of our respective papers.
Each one can do something, say some-
thing, that may light the way, and
every exp ession of opinion will be given
its place in the volume that is to lead
to the final judgment. Therefore, that
you may be more fully informed, the
original letter of invitation, with the
names Of well known leading citizens
who have inaugurated it, is herewith
presented in full, it having been ad-
dressed to and promptly accepted by
-ir,o a:a1 ,11I
known organizations of San Francisco,
viz: The Chamber of Commerce, the
Merchants Association, the San Fran
cisco Board of Trade, the California
State Board of Trade, the Manufact-
urers' and Producers Association, the
Produce Exchange, the Mechanics In
stitute and the Geographical Society
of the Pacific. You will note from the
the last clause in the letter, that the
California Water and Forest Society
had already agreed to cooperate. The
letter follows:
June 5, 1899.
Gentlemen: The drought of 1898 cost
the State OF California over forty mil.
lions of dollars. For twenty five years
we have applied to the National Leg
islature without relief. 1t refuses to
regard the question as a national one.
No interstate questions are involved in
the source of water supply of our State,
as such sources are almost without ex-
ception within our geographical boun-
daries. There is, therefore, no reason
why we should expect aid from the Ma
tional Government except possibly in
assisting to regulate the flow of the
few streams in the State which are
called navigable, and which would
come strictly within the purposes and
spirit of the River and Harbor Bill"
OF late years the attention of the Ma
tional Legislature has been turned to-
wards the irrigation by storage reser-
voirs of lands still owned by the United
States. We have no such lands in any
appreciate amount in this State,
therefore our chances for relief from
this quarter are less in our opinion,
than they were years ago. If we wait
for it, we will all be dead before it
comes. se9k
Private capital will ? not invest in
storage reservoirs as the return must
be small or the public oppressed. The
Wright Irrigation Act has been a prac-
teal failure Moreover, the control ex-
ercised by the Board of Supervisors
over such investments frightens pri-
vate capital.
With State control over it's winter
food water, California is capable Of
supporting 100000 people and more.
The possibility of drought, and uncer-
tainty of crops; deters home seekers
from coming here. The State should
step in, and at once. It's powers are am
pie. It alone possesses adequate power.
There is no reason why California
SHOULD not do what France, Egypt,
Lombardy and India have already done
and done successfully.
We believe that the State has the
remedy in it's own hands and that it
must now take up the question of the
storage Of flood waters as the only
means of it's future salvation.
In our opinion, San Francisco should
take the initiative in putting such
plan into practical operation. 1t should
convince the people resident in the
country that it recognizes the fact that
it's very existence depends upon the
success of the country, and that It is
willing, even eager to assume it's pro-.
portion of temporary burden which
will result in a direct benefit to the
State at large.
When early this year another dry
season seemed imminent, we devoted
serious consideration to these matters.
Several informal conferences were held.
Some data were also collected, convinc-
ing US that it would require only be-
ginning by disinterested, sincere and
earnest men to inaugurate a movement
that would start gigantic but per-