The record-union., 1899-10-25
THE WATER STORAGE CONvEN
TION.

THE WATER STORAGE CONVEN-
TION.
Some bankers, merchants, lawyers
and public-spirited citizens, interested
in the growth of the State, propose to
take up the question Of the storage of
it's flood waters. In the address issued
to the people by the promoters Of this
movement, it is clearly shown that no
chain is stronger than it's weakest link;
that the minimum flow of water under
natural conditions occasions break in
the supply which is fatal to the
economic use Of the waters Of the
State for irrigation, mining and me-
chanical purposes. Practically all the
waters available for these purposes are
now In use, and this is particularly true
OF the rivers of the San Joaquin Val
ley. All land which depends upon water
for irrigation the year round is now
under irrigation. A further extension
Of irrigated areas will depend upon the
creation of new water. This can be
done only by storage.
The Los Angeles Times thought 1t
saw in this an opportunity for creating
a prejudice against the movement by
declaring that the Southern Pacitio
Company was favoring it. 1t has said
that the Southern Pacific Company has
lands it wants irrigated. 1t would find
it difficult to point out these lands. The
Southern Pacific Company recently lost
100000 acres Of land south Of Te-
hachapi by reason Of decision which
restored the lands in conflict with the
grant to the Atlantic and Pacific Rail-
road Company to the public domain.
Beside, there is no water flowing into
the Moiave Desert which could be
stored for the irrigation Of 5000 acres.
The Southern Pacific Company owns no
land in the San Joaquin Valley which
could be irrigated. 1t owns no agri-
cultural land either in the San Joaquin
or Sacramento Valleys, having disposed
of them long ago. 1t had no land grant
land grant was by way of San Jose,
crossing the San Joaquin Valley at its
upper end These lands have long ago
been disposed of.
It is authoritatively stated that Mr.
Huntington is in favor of the policy of
having the Government store the water,
and this in the nature Of things must be
true. The Southern Pacific Railroad Com
pany's land grant embraces every odd
numbered section in the Humboldt Val
ley, State of Nevada That company
has about two and a half millions OF
acres OF land in the Humboldt Valley,
which, If the waters belonging to the
cacbment area Of that valley We're
stored, could be reclaimed from aridity
and irrigated.
It is impossible for the State OF Ne
vada to inaugurate a policy of action
by the State. The entire assessed value
Of the property of that State is about
S20,000,000. Mr.. Huntington and the
Southern Pacific Company would, there
fore, be strongly in favor of the policy
Of Government action, because a State
policy as relates to Nevada is impossi-
BILE, and because two and a half million
acres Of irrigated land would be worth
at least $40 an acre, or $25,O00,OOO for
the land the company ownsin that State
The Southern Pacific Company, then, a;
we'll as other railroads, find their inter
est on the side OF Government action
The Northern Pacific, which had G
grant of 100000 acres, has at least
1O,00Q,000 acres which might be bene-
fitted by irrigation. But the States ir
which this land is located are too poor
to ever hope to inaugurate State pol
icy Of water storage.
AS already shown, the Southern Pa
cihc Company has no lands which
would be benefited by the storage OF
the food waters of California, while il
has large bodies of'land in Nevada ant
Utah to be benefited. And what is true o.
theS Southern Pacific Companyis trueof &
great many other railroads. The Unior
Pacific has lands to be benefited by
irrigation, lying in the States which
could by no possibility inaugurate {
State policy Of storage.
The Los Angeles Times" has jumped
into the railroad camp and is making
a holy show of itself, pretending to bt
there for the sole purpose of injurinl
the railroad companies. Moreover i
remains to be noted that the people
who are opposed to doing anything be
cause 1t may benefit a railroad viii
fall into the category of those wht
would ultimately do nothing whatever
No man can stick a spade in the grounC
without inaugurating a proceeding
which will eventuate in benefit to al
interests, including the railroad
THE PEOPLE OF THE SIXTH