The San Francisco call., 1901-12-21
Federal Supervision
Asked for Plan
of Forestry.
Private Ownership of
Water Rights De-
nounCed.

shall renew our efforts to secure the enact
ment into law Of the bill having that end In
view which was passed by the last Legislature,
but. unfortunately, did not receive the sigma
ture Of the executive. But we favor this ap-
preparation only upon the express condition
that all reservoir sites and arteSian basins dis
covered on public land shall be held for pub
lie works to be hereafter constructed by State
OF nation, rather than turned over to private
individuals or corporations.
6. We are opposed to the storage Of the
trench the system of private water monopoly
which, in the language Of President Roosevelt
cannot prevail without causing enduring
wrong" We believe all such storage works,
together with main canals. should be con-
administration. This policy is practically tden-
tical with that proposed by the President for
public lands under which the nation provides
the capital and management necessary for the
creation Of works. while 'the cost Of con-
struction should as far as possible be repaid
by the land reclaimed"
T. The construction Of large storage works
under any plan, on streams already in active
with existing canals. While we declare our
unalterable conviction that in all such cases
the public interests must be treated para
mount, we nevertheless favor the fullest pro-
lection of vested rights now recognized by our
laws and judicial decisions.
Thanks to National Administration.
The thanks of this association are hereby ten
dered to the United States Geological Survey
and to the irrigation Investigations of the De-
partment of Agriculture for the efficient work
QOne ana lne anu ulSlTuCllNc TepOTlS
been accomplished in collaboration with this
association during the year 1900. Our thanks
are also extended to the Secretaries of the
Interior and of Agriculture who made such
collaboration possible We hereby pledge our
undertaken by the two departments Of the
Federal Government above referred to in the
State of California.
We favor the creation Of a Bureau Of Irri-
cation, fully equipped and supported with ap-
bureau to be under the Department OF Agr1-
We Join with others Of our fellow citizens
in the expression of an earnest desire that the
President of the United States may soon be
able to visit California and thus furnish us
citation of his great service to California and
Officers Are Elected.
The report was adopted amid enthusi-
the election of officers for the ensuing
year. There was no contest in the cleo
tion, which resulted as follows:
William Thomas, president; N. P. Chapman.
vice president; Arthur r. Briggs, first vice
president; J. P: Lippincott second vice presl-
dent; F.. w. Dohrmann. treasurer; T. C
President David Starr Jordan Of Stanford Uni
versty, E. F. Adams, W. S. Green, W. z.
smythe, scipio Craig. ]: NJ. Wilson. C. D.
Thomas Frank Soule and A j. Pillsbury.
President Thomas was greeted with
cheers when he thanked the members for
re-eieeting him and pledged himself to
work hard for the association until 1t had
accomplished its objects.
The following were appointed rs the ex-
ecutive committee by the president:
Chief Justice w. H. Beatty. President Ben
jamin Ide Wheeler Of the State University.
Frank J. Symmes W. H. Mills, Judge J. d.
Works of Los Angeles and E. B. Willis Of Sac
ramento.
A recess was then taken until evening
AL the evening session the delegates and
ladies who attended listened to addresses
delivered by Professor ]. M. Wilson and
Professor Wilson spoke on 1.-The Results
of Irrigation Investigation and Keifer'S
subject was 1.-The Extent of the DeStruc-
ton of Our Forests and the Remedies
Therefor"
Professor Wilson told of his investiga-
tions in Yolo County as examples of what
could be found in the entire State. He
gave a history of how the exclusive water
rights Of Cash Creek had been obtained
in pioneer days and the difficulties that
beset all who tried to use the waters COM
ing from Clear Lake.
The address was illustrated by many
stereopticon views and was an able argu-
ment In favor of the conservation Of the
waters of the State, which the speaker
said were either sold at big prices to con-
The facts and figures presented by
Keifer showed a terrible menace to the
forests of California at the hands of the
lu1nberman. Millions of feet of timber
were being destroyed by the log cutters
ak and by fire and steps, were being
taken to preserve young trees or to re-
place those cut down.
Keifer also showed that there were
many opportunities for the building Of
natural reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada
Mountains and that the time was close at
hand when the Federal Government and
the State of California would take such
steps as necessity required to save the
waters and forests from ruthless waste
and destruction.