The Imperial press., 1904-11-26

rights on Mexican territory hs-cauSc ui the Audrada contract which tho Otis. Chandler tseul,lv suc,vc,l,~i to.
 If the future shall develop that this position is currrct. then the lmlwrial Valley Water Users Association hy Mcssrs Holt aud Lombard, who were sent tu Washington to further tue in. terrSis .f the is.uplc ut the Valley in helping tu bring about public ownership oi the Imperial canal system, will. in' deed have made most excellent con. tract for their constituents, the Water Users Association.
 On the other hand supposing that these Washington AtturncNs should bc able to tiud purchasers tor the Coutin. gent lcc ui 5n,OOO shares Oi Mexican water aights, what would be the result whether they sull them for httv cents a share ur tjO OO a slare Ul a base charger We cannot understand that it would make any difference, whatever, tu the Water Users Association except that it would b- largely benefited il these shares We're sold at an early dat" after government ownership Was assured. lt would mrau an immediate income tO the treasury ui the Imperial Valley Water | Issrs' Association ot al least fifty cent ger acre tnt, or t2b ,ODOO per annuni ant possibly the sale ot four acre feet per yvaI which would amount tu $lOO,uOO pcr auum Oi an in- come to the Imperial Valley Water Users Ass, citation.
 lt might he asked what isa reasonable f,'c? We believe that the legal prOies- sion all agree that q contingent fee should bs, at all times larger than fixed or guaranteed lee, ami the Was"- iugton attorneys, Thayer X Rankin, in accepting the contingent ive Oi 5O,UOO acres Ui Mexican water rights as their only compensation aside from the $2 .jOO retainer iss,, are taking their chances ou dispusing oi those water rights. The iact still remains that the sOouer they are dIsposesi oi and attached to Mexican lands the sooner an annual income will begin to flow into lh. treasury of the Imperial Valley Water Users AssocIA- tiuu, providing, of course, the deal goes through Aud the people become the owners of the Imperial Canal System.
 lu further discussing what might be considered a reasonable attorney fee It will bv remembered that Attorney Shir- ley C.. Ward, when the question of at fttr 1aS htth@Hb VI NbAitN- ton with iilIug various suits for dama- ge- against the California Development Co.,, took the position im the presence of F. II. stanley and others that retainer fee oi $5,UOO and $25 ,0O0 additional would bs, reasonable charge for law yer tO make. Ii MT. Ward was correct in hl- estimate Ut the attorney lees In his connection with the proposed damage suits, then Attorneys ThaycT X Rankin are certainly putting much lower es- timate on their services than Attorney Ward placed un his services.
 In this connection lt might be well to state that there k another big advantage in the Imperial Valley Water Users Association dealing with law riTm un the plan oi contingent fec for the req son that our people are new in the I'm. perial Valley and have taxed themselves tO thc utmost lu improving their lands, building homes for their families and stocking their farms. therefore, con tingent fee, in our opinion, has many advantages over fixed fee for the pcu pie of the Valley.
 On Wednesday of this week, George W. Boutwell,, one uf the directors of the Water Users Association, in couveTsa- tiun with Pres. N. r. Holt and others made tne statement in effect that il he had the money iu hand he would not be willing to pay $25, ,OOO even for the pro-