Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-15
CITY WILL ENTER
WATER LITIGATION
SAN BERNARDIN0 JOINS IN
SUIT
Municipal Officials Decide to Go tc
Law for Protection of Supply.
Salary of constabIes
Held UP
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
SAN BERNARDINO, Nov. 14.-The
city of San Bernardino will enter the
water litigation against the Riverside
pumping companies along with the
ranchers of the valley This decision
has been reached by the city council
which has retained Judge H. c. Rolfe
to look after the city's interests with
City Attorney Swing and the sum OF
$1,000 has been appropriated toward
the city's share of the expense.
The city will start suit in inter-
Vention in the case of S. b. Parish VS..
the Gage Canal and Pumping company
of Riverside, which is yet to be tried
The case is along similar lines with that
of Barton VS.. the Riverside Water
company now on trial before Judge
Bennett of Kern, in this city, and much
of the testimony in the present case
will be used in the Parish case.
The city officials feel that this action
is absolutely necessary for the pro-
lection of the city's interests, as the
flow of the city's wells has been re-
duced one-half by the deep wells of the
Riverside companies.
Tells of Former Conditions
The case of Barton VS.. the Riverside
Water company, now on trial, is get
ting down to hard work. The most in
teresting witness thus far has been
Former Supervisor John Clark. who
is a large rancher. He told in graphic
terms of the changed conditions in the
valley since the deep wells have been
taking the water to Riverside. The
flood of 1862 was recalled, when this
valley was almost lake and the peo-
pie had to take to the hills.
The moist condition of the lands in
the valley was told of, and how he
first had to commence to irrigate in
1899, and since then had been gradually
compelled to use more and more water.
The surface of the ground is now hard
and dry where 1t was formerly moist
and productive and thousands of head
of stock roamed the pastures here.
Other ranchers are occupying the wit
ness stand today telling of the condi-
tions as they have observed them, and
of their experiences in fighting the
gradually drying up conditions of the
valley, all because of the loss of the
water
Hold Up Officials Salaries
The constables and Justices through
out this county will have to wait for
their money until the supreme court
can pass on the salary law which was
in force throughout the state for some
time. The supervisors have refused
to pay the fee bills of these two
classes of officials for October and have
ordered them all held up pending hear
ing from the court. The extreme bills
from some points on the desert was
one of the chief causes for holding up
the bills, they running as high as 5000,
where on the salary basis the figure
was $50. On the contrary, some of the
bills of the officers from the thickly
settled portions Of the county were
less than half the salary they had been
receiving. The auditor had refused to
pass on the bills because of the uncer-
tainty of his position in view of the
possible action of the court.
The First Presbyterian church OF
this city will extend a call to Rev.
j. II. Speer Of Denver, Col, who is in
the city, and occupied the pulpit of the
church last Sunday
John Ward and Thomas Moore. two
OF the men arrested for robbing the