more ways than one. The lack of a con- finterviews are especially valuable as re cise and complete statement of the entire situation has been keenly felt, while the multiplicity of questions that arise require vast labor and much time in explanation. In the present edition the CHRONICLE has undertaken the task of presenting the entire question in such shape that every possible inquiry can be met. The Wright law and all its amendments is given, so that those interested can study it for themselves and become familiar with all its minutiae. Concise summaries of the scope of the law are also given by able writers, so that readers with no taste for legal terms can, at a glance almost, understand just what the law provides. Supplementary to the law and its explanation, a history of the litigation which has arisen in various districts is given, showing the points covered by the repeated decisions of the Supreme Court, in every one of which the constitutionality of the law has been sustained. This portion of the history of the act should be read with especial care, as it affords the clearest exposition of the various disputed points, an understanding of which will prevent much misconception and clear away a great deal of misapprehension which might otherwise result in unnecessary litigation. Contributions upon the subject of irrigation from the pens of such able financiers and business men as C. P. Huntington, A. I. Rhodes, Francis S. Newlands and others are given, showing the estimation in which irrigation is held by then. as a factor in the development of the State and the building up of the wealth of the people. The value of irrigation bonds as a security is also touched upon in no uncertain terms, and their indorsement, coming from such a source, is one of the strongest that could be received. moving the impression that has obtained to some extent that San Francisco was inIdifferent to the development of the interior. As will be seen from a perusal o the utterances given, the best business men of the city are fully alive to the fact that the interests of San Francisco and of the interior are closely bound togetherso closely that influences unfavorable to one are equally so to the other, and whatever benefits the one is certain to operate similarly to the other. There can be no escaping this logic, and it is gratifying to find so many willing to put themselves on record in the unreserved manner shown. An interesting portion of the accompanying matter is that devoted to a sketch" of the irrigation work done in this and in foreign countries. A graphic picture is thus afforded of the vast benefits conferred upon communities where irrigation is the rule. To immense increase ing wealth is shown in an unmistakable manner, while the fact that the greatest. growth in population and wealth in California for the past two decades has been in those localities where irrigation enterprises have been most largely fostered is demonstrated in the most convincing shape. Many of the more notable instances of the reclamation of desert lands through the aid of irrigation are given at length. It is certain that nowhere in the world as there been such an entirely unique development in many respects, and for this reason especial emphasis is given to the wonderful work done at Riverside, Anaheim, Redlands and elsewhere. Those places are types of what may be expected wherever intelligent enterprise and sufficient capital engage in the work of reclamation. The CHRONICLE has, in a word, aimed in the present edition to present a full, imSupplementary to these papers are the partial and correct statement of the conwritten indorsements of a large number of dition of irrigation as it exists to-day in the most prominent bankers in this city this State. It has endeavored to leave no and throughout the State, in which irri- possible question unanswered, but to furgation bonds are recommended as a high-nish the fullest and freest information class security. Many of these indorsements come from financiers who have had an opportunity of personally watching the growth of wealth through irrigation enter-i prises, and who are fully aware of the value of securities based upon such a foundation. A particularly notable feature is the series of interviews with leading business men upon the subject of irrigation. These upon every branch of the subject. How well the task has been performed the reader can decide for himself. of water needed, and the current swift, us 5 per cent, and when doing its maxiwhile the bed is composed of bowlders to mum duty would realize 10 per cent, net a great depth. It was deemed advisable profit on the capital invested, besides furto divert the water by means of a tempo- nishing homes for many thousands of rary bowlder dam into the Hurd war chan- people, and largely increasing the aggrenel, and this is kept open and separate gate wealth of this country. from the remainder of the stream by an The chief inducement to canal enterelaborate system of river training works. prise in America has not been mentioned, These temporary weirs for there are because it does not exist in India. This is three of them, one back of the other-are the increment in value of the land served destroyed annually by the floods and re- by the canal. There is no such increment built each year, this method being cheaper available to private enterprise in India, than to construct a permanent weir. This because the Government is the sole owner canal controls 10,440,000 acres, or which it of the land. Here, however, where land irrigates 1,000,000 acres, and has 456 miles can be purchased for from $1 25 to $2.50 of main canal, 2599 miles of distributaries, per acre, and when irrigated will sell for 895 miles of escapes and drainage cuts, and from $40 to $100 per acre, or bring an its total mileage is 3910. Each distribu-equivalent revenue, the increased return! tary would be a large canal in America, on an investment is obvious. and has numerous masonry bridges, regulators and aqueducts along its line. Another great canal system is that of the Sirhind canal in the Punjab. The diversion works consist of the usual weir with undersluices in it, and regulators at the canal head. In the first few miles the fall is great, and there are a number of drainage works, of which the Siswan Superpassage carries 20.000 second-feet and the Budki Superpassage 30,000 second feet of water. The main canal and principal branches are in all 4950 miles in length, of which 503 miles are main navigable canal. Its discharge is estimated at 7000 second-feet, though it generally carries only from 3700 to 4000 second-feet. The gross area commanded by the canal is 4,521,000 acres, of which 800,000 acres are irrigable. In the autumn of 1883 the duty of water per second-foot on the supply entering at the canal head was 119 acres or $113. The total original cost of the works was $12,000,000, of which, exclusive of cost of land and maintenance, $400,000 was for head works, $6,500,000 for the main canal and branches, exclusive of $1,100,000 for right of way and navigation works, and $300,000 was for drainage and protective works. The great extent of the country, its topographical features, its enormous population and the volume of its large rivers permit and require canals of length and section surpassing beyond all comparisonany to be found elsewhere, unless it be in the single instance of the Imperial canal in China. The great Ganges canal is arranged for navigation as well as for irrigation, ite aqueducts and embankments being built upon a scale which is unequaled in modern times. The canal was built and projected by the Government. The other canals of importance in the northwest provinces. and the Punjab are the Eastern Jumna, the Western Jumna and the Bari Doab. canals, carrying from 2000 to 3000 feet of water per second and each several hundred miles in length. Passing from Northern to Southern India one finds in the delta of the Canvery, the Godavey and the Kirtna rivers a comprehensive system of canals, no one of which, indeed, can compare in length or in dimensions with those just named, but which, taken together, irrigate very large areas in their respective deitas. These delta systems have enriched people and State alike. They have placed declining districts in a condition of high prosperity, and have produced this result in a very short time. For 800,000 acres of irrigable land the earthwork cost $4 25 per acre; or-our con- Under the care of the British Governtract prices in the West being say 10 cents ment irrigation enterprise in India is per cubic yard, while theirs is but 4 cents making great headway. Among the systhis earthwork would have cost us $10 62 tems that have been commenced and parper acre. The masonry works, such as tially completed within a comparatively falls, weirs, regulators and bridges, cost in recent period are the Soonsekala and Belall $2,400,000, or $3 per acre irrigated. lairy canals, from the Toombuddra river, Rubble masonry costs in India about $3350 miles long; the Soane, just completed, per cubic yard. In the West it averages say $6. Hence these masonry works would have cost us $6 per acre. In our works we would avoid the expense of the numerous masonry bridges constructed in India. Say one-third can be deducted for the cheaper material and less masonry work, and it would cost us $4 per acre irrigated. Drainage works cost: about 73 cents more per acre, or say in all, the Sirhand canal would have cost us $15 35 per acre irrigated, against $8 in India. from the river of the same name, to carry 4500 cubic feet per second, with a capacity to irrigate about 1,000,000 acres; the Sirhind canal, from the Sutlej river, to cost $15,000,000; the Lower Ganges canal, to carry 6000 cubic feet per second; the Orissa canal, built by the East India Irrigation Company, all of which are very large enterprises, some of them rivaling the Ganges canal in magnitude and importance. To these may be added the Agra canal, from the Jumina, and the Eastern Ganges canal. All of these except two have been built or restored by the Government, which owns all of them but one. The water rates charged averaged 90 cents per acre irrigated; we would charge at least $2; in some localities far more. Many of the larger canals have been As the cost of construction in America constructed for navigation as well as irriwonld be twice what it was in India,gation, the toll collected from freight and while the receipts per acre are more than passenger traffic forming one of the regu double those of India, it is not improbable iar items of the annual reports. Trementhat under similar circumstances such a dous engineering feats had to be perwork, when partially utilized, would yield formed at the head of some of the big The financial results of the different systems form an instructive field of observation, as showing the vast difference in the receipts in the proportion of outlay that may be obtained from enterprises of the same general character in our country. One canal system, for instance, known as the Canvery system, in the Madras Presidency, returns 81 per cent profit per annum on the investment, and some of Riparian rights, as they are defined by the anals, where the Ganges and other streams were tapped at the foot of the Himalayas. To carry the canal through || Italy. certain districts the tracks of mountain In alleases when it is desired to make torrents had to be crossed in many in- use of water for irrigation the proper stances. Sometimes the torrents had to authorities must be applied to for permis be diverted in other directions and some- sion. After careful examination, if it be times they were provided with broad found that existing rights will not be inchannels of masonry to carry them peace-juriously affected and that no one will be fully over the bed of the canal. Monster damaged by the proposed new works, a weirs had to be built across the big rivers concession is granted. The act of conceswhence the supply of water is taken, and sion describes the quantity, manner and' the canal carried across broad streams on conditions of the diversion, conduiting, us aqueducts. The Ganges canal, for in- ing and of the restoration of the waters, stance, crosses the Solani river on an im- the quantities required in the interest of mense aqueduct three miles long. The agriculture, industry, commerce and pub aqueduct consists of earthwork ap-lic health, and names the annual rent that proaches, which carry the canal across the is to be paid to the government treasury low valley subject to overflow, and fifteen for the use of the waters. The time within arches of masonry of fifty feet span each which the full amount of the conceded across the normal bed of the river. Over waters has to be diverted and utilized, this aqueduct flows a stream 200 feet under pain of forfeiture, is also specified, broad and twelve deep. and discretion is given a competent authority to cut short this term when it becomes justified by delays in the execution of the works. Temporary concessions are made for terms not exceeding thirty years, but at the expiration of such term the grantee has the right to obtain a renewal of his privileges for another term, and so on successively, saving the modifications which altered conditions of the locality or of the watercourse may render necessary in the agreement of concession. The renewal of a concession may be denied when in the preceding term the waters have not been used, when the privilege has been abused, or when, in the judgment of the adminis tration, the grautee has not used his privileges for the proper and specified purpose. privilege it must be accompanied by plans When an application is made for a new for the works proposed to be built for the diversion, conducting, use and restoration of the water, which are presented to the prefecture of the province and are thence communicated to the provincial deputaThen the projects are published in the intions interested for their observations. terested communities, notifying all interested parties to be present at a specified time to present their views. The provincial civil engineer goes over the ground with the applicants and other interested parties and reports his opinion. If it be lavorable the desired concession is granted. were the same systein applied in CaliforFrom the foregoing it will be seen that nia much of the litigation and almost endless disputes over water rights would be prevented, and that no such thing as mo the smaller canals even more than this. On the other hand, many of the systems show an annual deficit, owing to the tremendous cost of construction and proportionately less cultivable land to supply with water. Taking the canals as a whole, however, they are a very good property, paying the shareholders on an average as much as 10 per cent. The tanks, it has been calculated, afford a revenue of about $7,750,000. It may be noted, in conclusion, that in India the Government is really the landlord, a circumstance which makes the obligation of irrigation peculiarly strong, and which at the same time insures a share of profit which could not inure to a private company. ITALY. Governmental Control of Waters and Systems of Diversion. 1 Both in the laws regulating the control of the water and in the appliances for irrigation Italy stands easily at the head of all the countries in which this art is practiced. From the earliest times the importance of an artificial supply of water in the cultivation of the soil has been rec-nopoly in water could prevail. ognized, and every effort has been devoted to securing the best means for conferring the greatest benefits upon the people at large. The result has been the establishment of a code of laws which might well be patterned after by other irrigating countries. It will be of interest to glance at the more important features of the laws gov erning this subject, as valuable hints may be derived therefrom. In the first place, the waters of running streims are recognized as the property of the Government, or, rather, of the people as a whole, and no one is allowed to interfere with them without first obtaining a concession. i ticed in Italy from the very earliest times, |