The San Francisco call., 1905-01-06

an additional expense. pumping plants. etc;
the entire cost Of which will fall upon the lano
owners.
While 1t is just that the Federal Government
should restore the original natural condition
Of the channels. and that the State, in pursu-
ance of it's undertaking with the Federal GOV
ernment to reclaim the swamp lands. should
supplant this with such additional work as
should give control of food water, still 1t must
be constantly borne In mind that to sreate con-
ditions which VIII render possible the recia,
nation OF private lands by their owners al
their own expense is all that can be asked of
either and everything for direct land reclama-
tion must be eliminated from the estimates
before determining the share of the burden the
State and Federal governments shall be asked
to bear
PLAN OF ORGANIZATION.
For the execution OF the work and the ad-
mnstratton OF the funds. your committee rec
ommends the following plan of organization:
That the recommendations of the engineers
appointed by the State be adopted as the basis
OF river Improvement
That a drainage district be formed at the
present session OF the Legislature to include
within its boundaries the territory shown by
the map OF the commission of engineers.
That board of river control be created,
consisting OF two members. one selected by the
State OF California and by the Drainage
Commission hereinafter mentioned. The board
of river control TO have charge of the
structicn of such levees and channels as are
intended to do duty in disposing OF flood wat
ers. and thereafter control the said levees and
channels. such board of river control TO act in
conjunction with such board officer as may
be hereafter designated by the Federal Gov
crnment
The member of said board of river control
Selected by the State to be a civil engineer
A drainage commission for the district con-
sisting of eleven members shall be elected by
the land owners of said district: three from
Sacramento County two from San Joaquin
County. one from Placer and Yuba jointly.
from. Glenn and Butte jointly one from SUIT
ter. one from Colusa, one from Yolo one from
Solano.
Each bona fde owner OF lands in the district
shall be entitled to vote In person or by proxy
for the election of members of the drainage
commission at meetings to be held at desig-
mated places every four years and shall have
the right to cast one vote for each 81 worth OF
real estate owned by him her in the dis
trict the value thereof to be determined from
the next preceding assessment roll of the county,
and a majority Of the votes cast at such cleo
tion shall elect.
owner may be represented bv the guardian of
the estate of such infant. and that belonging
to the estate of any deceased owner by his
executor administrator. -
The drainage commission shall appoint three
assessors who shall not be owners Of or inter-
ested in land embraced in the district,
ASSESSING THE. LAND.
The Assessors shall assess upon the land
within the district charge proportionate TO
the estimated cost of the work according to
the benefits to be derived therefrom and shall
make list of the charges so assessed against
the land in each county separately; the As
SCISSORS shall return said lists to the drainage
commission, which shall appoint time and
place in each county and give notice thereof
for hearing. At such hearing any landhold-
er dissatisfied with the assessment may APP
pear before the commission and file objections
thereto. The commission shall take evidence,
If any is offered and shall decide upon the
merits of the objections so made and the de-
cision of the commission shall be final.
The drainage commission shall have power
to form new reclamation districts within said
drainage district and change the boundaries
of any district when necessary or desirable for
the promotion of better reclamation.
They shall have charge and control Of all
matters of reclamation in said district affect
ing the public safety and welfare outside of
those placed in charge of the board of river
control. and excepting those conferred upon
the trustees of reclamation districts
All existing reclamation districts to be con-
tinued as they are now formed, until changed
by the Drainage Commission. Those
isting and those hereafter created to nave
local jurisdiction as now provided by law.
excepting SO FAR as such Jurisdiction may be
affected by powers conferred upon the Board
Of River Control and upon the Drainage Com
mission.
The cost of constructing the works that
| to be placed in charge OF the Board of River
Control to be paid follows: One-third by
assessment upon the lands within the drainage
| district; one-third by the State, and one-third
| by tie Federal Government.
| The assessment to be placed upon the lands
| to be apportioned thereon according to the bene-
| fits received that Is to. say. gvoris exclusively
| benefting any particular locality must be as
sessed solely upon the land situated therein
upon the lands shall be deposited in the State
| treasury.
NEED ENTIRE FUND.
| We strongly urge that the recommendation
| the work should be guaranteed from the
start Is of great Importance. to prevent pos
| money expended that would produce no re-
suits unless the work were completed.
Any appropriation made by the state shall
be conditional upon appropriation by the Fed
j eral Government and assessment on the lands
of an additional sum sufficient to complete
i the work. and all assessments levied upon land
/ of the district shall be made available and
only on the condition that the State and Fed
| sufficisnt to furnish the additional funds to
While we recommend the foregoing specific
division of the cost. we recognize that there
| are too many conflicting opinions to permit
| a hasty conclusion and therefore suggest a
ton of cost to be borne by the different in
4 terests.
| fecting the regime of the rivers without the
| consent OF the Federal authorities and as, In
any event. joint action by the State and Fed
| eral governments Is essential to the solution
| of ths problem. the first step must necessarily
be to secure such cooperative action.
To that end we recommend that the executive
committee be- authorized to memorialize the
Legislature In the name of the association,
TO- recommend to ConsTess 'ne ard passage or
| of three engineers of the United States army
! for the purpose of making an examination
| and report ON, the report recently submitted
| by commission of engineers appointed by
! the State OF California, for the improvement
4 OF vne SACRAMENTO anu odh Jodquih tlNcfS ana
estifna ting the cost of restoring and improving
1 the original navigable capacity OF said rivers.
Such project shall include all necessary rec
ing of said stream, as well as the construction
! of any levee system systems that may be
required to rectify the river and provide means
OF escape OF the flood wave to tidewater. hav-
I, in. in view not only the interests OF naviga-
tion. but also those of hood control and rec
| lamation.
Said board. far as practicable. shall work
in harmony with any engineers. commissioners
or officers representing the State of California
4 FREE FREE }
: WITH
\. SUNDAY CALL