The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-14
ASK FEDERAL MD
FOR IMPERIAL
States Representatives at
Washington to Urge APP
preparation by Congress
MUST CURB RIVER

Senator Flint will within a day or so
introduce bill into the United States
Senate asking for relief of the settlers
in the Imperial Valley, and will also
call upon the United States Government
to ask the cooperation of the Mexican
Government to close the break in the
Colorado River.
1t is understood that the California
delegation is unit for the measure,
and there is every reason to believe
that the Federal Government will take
steps to control the river and save one
of the richest valleys in the world from
destruction. 1t will be remembered
that the Southern Pacific, at great cost,
mended one break in the river and
put the stream back into its old chan
mel. 1t was hoped that the river had
| been conquered for all time, but there
was a sudden flood in the ella River,
which so swelled the waters of the
Colorado that they swept away part
of the new levees and the water is
again pouring on to the Salton Sink.
| The work that the Southern Pacific
engineers did still holds, which is proof
that the river can be controlled
Apart from wiping out the flourish
! ing colonies in the Imperial district,
the river, If not placed in it's
proper channel, will destroy the
magnificent Government works at La
| .
at Yuma and imperil the town.
The water is now threatening the
existence of Imperial. in which there
are 100000 acres of arabic land, or
half as much as in the San Joaquin
Valley. At present there are 100000
acres in cultivation under the irriga-
ton system, which can easily supply
water to 100000 acres more. The value
of the land now under cultivation is
placed at s20,o00,000 and the value of
last years crops was s7,500,000. which
consisted chiefly of alfalfa, hogs, grain
and 5000 cars of cantaloupes. Not only
will these farms be inundated, but the
thriving towns of Indio, Coachella,
Brawley, Imperial, Ell Centre and Cal
exico will be destroyed if the river is
not put back into its old channel.
RICH LAND ENDANGERED
1t is estimated that within four
years the property value Of this terri
tory would reach 500, 100000 and the
population $4,000. The Southern Pa
cific, in order to save it's lines and also
to save one of the richest producing
sections feeding it's road has spent
several. millions in futile effort to send
the river down to tthe Gulf of Califor-
MIA again.
1t is said that the latest undermining
was due to work of gophers in the
channel had not been sufficiently
secured out by the water diverted back
into it to meet the demands of the
heaviest floods that were ever poured
into the Colorado River from the ella.
The Southern Pacific engineers say
that the river can be returned again
to its old channel if the work is taken
in hand promptly, and the company
stands ready to help 1t is evident,
however, that the company thinks that
the burden of the additional work
should be borne by other interests,
which are directly affected. The South
ern Pacific has decided to rebuild its
| main line for a distance of twenty
! five miles out of reach of the flood at
an expense of three quarters of a mil
| lion of dollars.
MEXICO SHOULD HELP
The Mexican Government is involved
because it gave permission to the pro-
moters of the Imeprial Canal Company
| to divert the water on Mexican soil,
| and because out of the million acres
available for cultivation 100000 are on
the Mexican side There is no recourse
against the original owners of the I'm
perial Canal Company, or California
Development Company, which spent all
| its money in an effort to put water
on the land. The Southern Pacific
Company took over its stock in an eff
fort to protect the railroad lines and
the rich territory in the Imperial sec
tiou tributary thereto