The San Francisco call., 1904-02-23

for the riot of fun and the extraord-
mary libertN taken with the names of
prominent public men that prevail
there. Mr.. Hanna is said to have made
his first after dinner speech at a meet
ing of the club and here also he
was overtaken for a moment With stage
fright, but, recovering, delivered one of
the wittiest and cleverest addresses
heard there. This last session was held
at the Arlington Hotel, where Mr.
Hanna lived, and although under treat
ment of the doctors he attended and
stayed late. President Roosevelt and
long list of -netables were present
The character of the entertainment is
indicated by the name of the club.
AT THE GRIDIRON CLUB.
The utmost liberty of speech is in
| dulged in with reference to the dis
tinguished guests, who always prize
and accept invitations. For it is an
axiom of the club that mo reporters
are admitted" 1t is sort Of executive
session that. unlike those of the Sen
ate, remains inviolate. Nothing that
is said there ever gets into print-that
is, nothing material. On the occasion
referred to- for instance, one member,
representing a ventriloquist, introduced
a string of manikins-all very much
alive but representing the conventional
thing. Each manikin was labeled with
the name Of some distinguished guest
Mr.. Roosevelt, Mr.. German, Mr. For-
aker and Mr.. Hanna among them. The
operator addressed to each of these
series of very pertinent and impertinent
questions, the answers to which, given
by the manikin in a high treble, were
very entertaining to all present. Mr..
Hanna was not called upon this time
to make an address, not because it was
thought he could not respond but be-
cause d club member preferred to speak
for him. Concealed by ferns and talk
ing through a megaphone he presented
the Hanna manner and style of ad-
dress with great success. That was
month ago.
The funeral of a Senator is a matter
of precedent. That which character
lied the first as observed by and in the
chamber must characterize all others.
The ceremony is made impressive b.
mplicity-simplicity is the keynote
DISAPPOINTED CALIFORNIANS.
The California delegation, and es-
pecially the southern members, are
very much disappointed over the fail
ure of the attempt to get the neces-
sary appropriation for the Los Angeles
Federal building into the urgent def
cheney bill. The amendment passed
the Senate, but failed in the House in
spite of the recommendation of the
Secretary of the Treasury. The House
members of the joint committee to
which the bill was finally referred alb
solutely refused to reinSert it because
there We're so many other cases of the
same kind that to insert one would be
to make trouble and enemies. These
House members of the committee said
they would not oppose a general bill
covering all the cases. Such a bill will
be introduced. In case of failure here
an attempt will be made to provide for
it in the sundry civil bill. So that
there is yet a good fighting chance for
the appropriation.
Daniels bill granting to the Califor-
mia Development Compsn. the right
to divert the water of the Colorado
River for irrigation purposes is going
to raise some interesting questions.
The California Development Company
has, in fact, already diverted the water
and has built several hundred miles of
bitches, demonstrat, its utility by
growing big crops of alfalfa and things
in the desert, or what was the desert.
NEW IRRIGATION ISSUE.
Now the question has been raised as
to their right to do so, the Colorado
being listed as a navigable stream.
The State of California has given the
company the right to the use of 10000
cubic feet per second, which is more
water than there is in the river at
certain times of the year-and the COM
pany is prepared to take it, or at least,
all there is. Now the Government has
mad a plan for employing the Colorado
River in the same way, and has made
large Withdrawals of the desert lands
from location with this in view The
Government plan is to take the water
at point above where the private COM
pany appropriates it. Should the plan
be carried out-and a large sum of
money has already been spent on it
it would leave the private company
without water, and its work would go
for nothing. If Mr. Daniels bill
passes it would confirm the right of
the private company and the Govern
ment would have to quit, because it
would have no right to deprive the
company of that which the bill grants
it. Government officials-those in the
Geological, Survey who have charge of
the irrigation work-differ as to the
merits of the case. Some-or at least.
one-claims precedence for the Gov
ernment in the enterprise. and argues
against the bill before the committee.
Another and higher official is disposed
to let the private enterprise spend it's
money and reap it's reward, if it will,
seeing no point in having the Govern
ment spend money where private in
dividuals are willing, and the same end
be served. 1t is certain, however, that
there will be opposition to the bill, but
the company is preparing to make a
hard fight. The question of the right
TO divert the water of a stream be-
cause it is navigable, and because the
diversion will reIlder it otherwise, will
ut lrr1x IO