The San Francisco call., 1899-11-17
THE WaTER CONVENTION.

HE conclusions reached by the convention as
20 storage and distribution OF flood water for
irrigation and power prove 10 be a compromise
between the national and State plans, in which the
stocianen. who don't want irrigation, but who do
want lcasehold control OF grazing lands got little
The best OF the irrigators
That proper system OF leasing these lands viii re-
suit in the gradual restoration OF their stoo-feedng
capacity, now seriously impaired by past over
stocking, no one doubts 1t should be speedily
entered upon, 10 the end that the great cat
lie interests may be put upon a better basis the
public grazing domain serve Its highest utility, ard
the Tigators be undeceived as its importance to
them as means OF producing revenue Tor their pur
poses.
The resolutions propose that Federal efforts be
supplemented by such State appropriations may be
useful and necessary and divided jurisdiction is
provided FOR tha, viii probably prove failure if it IS
ever tried Such division usually results in neither
jurisdiction doing anything and laying failure on
the other.
However. the convention. the resolutions intro
duced, the plans suggested and the discussions had
served to bring out many details, difficulties and
propositions io- reform that have put the whole stl-
alton plainly before the people. ......-:
In fairness 10 the managers of the convention it
must be said that the subordinate position finally as
sumed b. ali propositions that the State shall help
itself was due 10 the attitude OF the two leading
political parcs 81 the State In their platforms both
parties have canonized strongly against any State
appropriation whatever FOR irrigation purposes
knowledge OF this made It evident TO the convention
that preliminary period OF education mast be
passed in which the politicians would see light jus
tiiyng change the attitude OF parties in that re-
spect before the State can be put in position to
+hc % 80
convert It into ono Of the most important and pro-
ductiye Of utilities. ... - .......s.. -:
One feature in the Federal plan was lost sight Of
Public improvements by the Federal Government are
slowly and wastetully accomplished. Its jurisdiction
over harbors and navigable rivers is supreme and so
errarc are the appropriations and their admnistra-
iion that probable that every dollar spent pro-
duoes only fifty cents worth OF results The harbor
work in California from San Pedro 10 Eureka illus
trates this vexation Of Federal delay Another mis-
taken idea went uncorrected in the convention.
Storage reservoirs created by the State would proceed
upon the idea that each individual enterprise should
stand upon the it would derive from the use
OF the water. II reservoir were to be constructed
its creation would be preceded by an exact ascertain
ment OF the acreage it would serve. The various
qualities OF the land in that acreage would be known
foreshadowing the most profitable use to which II
NoulA DC luls anu llle price lot water
sible 10 each OF Its uses. The amount OF water re-
CURED for its service would be ascertained by study
OF the porosy OF the soils and the rate OF evapora-
ton. Then the watershed draining into the reservoir
would be deimited, the average annual rainfall
thereon would be known and the capacity OF the
reservoir for the service required would be found
With these engineering facts atT hand it would he
easy 10 find the cost OF the reservoir and OF its main
tenance and OF the distribution OF the water and
then il the would provide for the annual in
terest on the bonds issued and produce sinking
fund TO take up the principal at maturity that ind-
vdual reservoir would be carried by the land which
il serves. and there is charge upon the general
Taxpayers OF the State for either interest or PRINCIPAL
As there is doubt that the State must do even
tually, anything useful significant that is done in
this matter the permanent organization created by
the convention viii do well TO begin Immediately the
process OF education in line with the foregoing idea
The operations OF the iron and steel trust as re-