The San Francisco call., 1899-11-15
pL ANS FOR FLOODWNTER STORAGE
rneStneSS and
fairness Mark
Proceedings.

cacy of his resolution. and, giving the
history or irrigation conventions In the
state, said that his resolution was the
substance of a bill authorized in the Riv-
erside and Fresno irrigation conventions,
which had been defeated in the Senate
by the use of money.
There is no law in the State now" he
exclaimed, but the shotgun for the ap-
preparation OF water out of stream In
! the evolution of the law waters in
California we have got as far as the shot
gun; Now we must get to some other
Mr.. Cosper called for an explanation of
| the plan submitted by Adams of Santa
Cruz, and that gentleman went on at con-
| siderable length to elaborate his Ideas AS
matter of mere Self-intereSt the more
! humid parts of the State could afford to
help to irrigate the more arid regions: The
State, he said, would never have its high
est development and greatest prosperity
until the arid lands were irrigated and
! provision was made to store waters for
use in dry seasons.
H. Wenstock of Sacramento introduced
a resolution that it was the sense of the
! convention that every effort should be
| made to secure both Federal and State
the State
Delegate A j. Pillsbary. in presenting
decidedly important resolution, said he
was in favor of everything in sight, but
while he was in favor of national aid and
State conservation he impressed upon the
| delegates that they could not afford to
| lose courage to push forward individual
! and private enterprise, as has been done
! heretofore. His resolution was as fol-
/ lows:
Whereas, The distribution of the un-
fmpounded waters of the streams of
California has heretofore been attend
ed by extensive litigation from con-
! flctlng claims so that some localities
nave expended more money in litiga-
ton than in the construction of needed
irrigation works; and whereas, the
immediate expansion of the irrigated
area in California can best be achieved
! by securing a more certain knowledge
OF existing water rights and the more
! equitable distribution of the free flow
of the streams in excess of such ex-
listing rights, and pending the formu-
latlon OF a system or systems of water
! conservation,
Resolved, That this convention de-
! clares in favor Of such legislation as
will require all persons and corpora
ttons using for irrigation any part of
| the water OF any stream in California
to within a reasonable time and before
tribunal provided by, law for hearing
ana determining such controversies
make proof of their claims to use such
water, to the end that all rights to
water may be made matter of definite
| record, after which a statute of linn
| ltatlonS shall preclude the possibility
OF again putting such rights into
| jeopardy and the reSduarY waters
may be made available for the further
expansion of the irrigated area under
such conditions as the law may i'm
pose
! X L. DeVlin OF Sacramento introduced a
resolution requesting the Governor of the
! State to take steps to keep in proper re-
pair the State easement at Elkhorn and
the jetties at Newtown shoals. He also
! spoke on the general question.
! P a. Buell. of Stockton submitted a res
olution that California should take the
/ initiative in the storage of the flood wa
ters and the convention should act ac-
| cordingly.
George H. Maxwell. one of Sonoma's
| delegates a representative also of the
! nd
nized as the head and front of opposition
to the. proposition to issue bonds for i'm
pounding the flood waters Of the State
| then mounted the platform. The conven-
! ton listened eagerly to his remarks He
! said:
AS understood the call under which
this convention has come together il
is to formulate plan for two things:
First. for the storage of the flood wa
ters of California; second, for the dis
tributiOn Of these flood waters For
! my own part, before l read the resolu-
tions l have to offer, l want to say I
most heartily indorse what has been
said by Mr.. Adams and Mr. Pillsburv
with reference to this movement I
| believe that the great State Of Califor-
mia, with the cooperation of the Fed
! eral Government, within well-estab-
lished constitutional lines, can solve
every question that is before the peo-
| pie to-day which comes within the
purpose and object of the call of this
convention, but believe that you cam
| not solve it and that you never will
solve II until the people or this great
State come together and harmonize
and absolutely unite as one man upon
! whatever policy we undertake to carry
out. Now, that being so, 1t seems to
me that it would be a grievous mis-
take for this convention to undertake
to force through this body any reso-
luton, any policy, anything which is
contrary to the firm and strong con-
victions of a large minority of the CON
vention. In other words, if there are
things we can agree upon, let us de-
clare for them; If there are things we
do not agree upon let us wait and see
if we cannot get together before we air
! our quarrelS.
The plan l propose to present to you
now is the plan of the National Irri-
cation Congress for solving the prob
lem that confronts you, and one that
will solve this problem within time
| shorter than any one would deem pos
sible. The shibboleth we have gone
under is irrigation without debt