The San Francisco call., 1903-12-26
THE WATERS OF THE SIERRA.

HE Secretary of the Interior refuses to permit San
Francisco to seek the accessible point in the
mountains for water supply because it lies with
in Yosemite National Park. We treat he subject
gardess of the issue of municipal ownership of the
water supply The Yosemite Park reservation made
originally bv Congress as forest reserve, and since
then there of Congress changing the character
given it by the original The matter becomes OF
great importance the whole State account of the
of the Interior Department toward private own
of patented lands in the reservation and toward all
who make of its waters other resources
when such consistent with the purpose of forest
reservation which is the preservation of the timber.
The law gives the public the rights to water,
bitches and rights of in forest reservation that
exist public lands reserved, and the law also
gives the Secretary OF the Interior the discretionary
power to grant the same rights in national park. In
pursuance of this discretion he refuses to grant such
rights private and this city which desired
to secure supply OF potable water. Now the water
belongs the Federal Government only in meandered
streams. The water in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
does not belong the United States. 1t is the prop
ery of the State OF the people, subject TO such tenure
and use as the State law defines
The Yosemite reservation is vast area. 1t saddles
the mountains 1t covers the leading sources of
great part of the State Effective of the water with
in it, either for mining, irrigation power domestic
purposes requires that diversion at altitude
that places it within the line of the reservation Such
the situation OF the only water supply all pul-
poses of large part of the State The Secretary OF the
Interior acting he doubt believes, within his
thorty refuses permit OF the water The gravity
of the goes far beyond the supply OF this
city for involves the right of administration officer
of the Federal Government arbitrarily sequeser the
important natural of the State and forbid
their application economic needed for the life
of the community.
The action of the Secretary ties up immense mining
interests Marposa and other counties and is resrc
OF the gold output of the State AS for this city,
the case just grave would be if had other
whence derive supply of potable water, and
the Secretarys action is just the if he arbi-
trary refused to San Francisco the only available sup
ply OF water
The ground upon which he refuses to use his dis
cetonary power is that natural scenery may be marred
If contention that this is only forest be
the scenic proposition is misplaced But if that
contention be incorrect the question may well be asked
whether the preservation of scenery is compensation
for the denial of of a large part of the
State.
AS matter of fact nearly all of flow of Hetch-
Hetchy Valley is in private ownership and long
years before the reservation made The has
certain law rights by virtue of his ownership
though their assertion and require that he wage
costly legal with the Federal Government 1t is
probable that the State controller of these
has equitable interest that is actonable. The
so consequential the interests of the State and
large lpart OF our people as to warrant correcuonary
action by Congress.
No doubts that the Secretary is acting in good
faith but that's does benefit the irrgaors and
and others wh need the of for all purposes
which it may 9e applied The people interested
those who stand for progress in the policy of forest
serves That progress is impeded by inimcal public
generated in the arbitrary denial of
consistent with forest preservation. This antagon
istc sentiment is nerved and friends of the forests
unnerved by the decision of the Secretary