Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-01-31

in a series Of cataracts, will result in
conditions such that THE water cam
not be diverted by gravity into the
canals already built in the Imperial
Valley. If the break is not closed D.
fore the coming spring flood Of 1867.
it appears highly probable that all OF
the property values created in this
valley will be wiped out including
farms and towns, as well as the rev.
enues derived by the Southern Pacific
company. Ultimately the channel Will
be deepened in the main stream itself
I'D to and beyond the town Of Yuma
destroying the homes and farms there,
the great railroad bridge, ard the
government works at LagIna cam,
above Yuma.
1t is difficult to estimate how many
people have settled in the valley. the
figures varying from 5000 "ers ms M
to as high as 10000. II is also diff
cult to ascertain how much money has
been actually spent in real improve
ments. Town lots have been laid off.
sold at auction. and several hundred
buildings erected in the various small
settlements scattered throughout the
tract The greater part of the public
land has been taken up un'lcr the
homestead or desert entry laws, and
sufficient work has been done to Sc
cure title. Some crops have been
raised. and under IA, urable conditions
the output in the near future vii. be
large
The actual amount Of tangible
1, no
settlers today upon which money can
be raised is believed TO be very small.
Nearly all individual property has been
expended in securing water rights
from the California Development com
pany. or from the other organizations
handling the water supply AMI cou-
trolled by this company. II is evil
dent that the people have slender re-
sources to fall back upon. and invicW
Of the threatened calamity are prac-
tically helpless. The California D.
velopment company is also unable to
meet the exigency. The obligations
assumed b. the sale Of water rights
are so great that the property Of the
company is not adequate to meet these
obligations: in other words, a gift "
the visible property of this companv.
and of its rights would not be \ suf-
ficient offset to the assumption of its
liabilities. Nevertheless. the people I'm
their desperation were reported us
trying to issue and self lends secured
by their property in order TO give to
the California Development company
a million dollars to assist IN repairing
the break.
The complications which have aris-
en- from the transfer of the property
and the involved relations Of the Cali
fornia Development company with its
numerous subsidiary companies are
such that the United states would rot
be justified in having any dealings
with that company. until tine comp!i-
cations are removed and Jha govern
ment has a full understanding Of every
phase of the situation.
4 has been stated above that the
California Development company has
not the financial strength to repair the
break and to restore the bank of the
Colorado river to such permanent con-
dition that a similar occurrence can
not happen. II is further understood
having expended S2.OO0 900 or more for
the protection Of its interests. declines
to furnish more money 10 the Califor-
mia Development company to save the
Imperial Valley. beyond controlling the
present break in the river bank. The
owners Of the property in the Imperial
Valley. both farmers and townspeoplc,
together with the Southern Pacific
company, and the California Develop
mcnt company. have combined to Hall
upon the government for a contribu-
ton To assist the California Develop
ment company to the extent Of erect
ing permanent works to insure protec-
ton for the future.
If the river is not put back and pei
manently maintained in its natural
bed the progressive back cutting i'm
the course Of one or two years will eX-
tend upstream to Yuma, as before
stated. and finally to the Laguna dam,
now being built by the government
thus wiping out millions of dollars OF
property belonging 10 the government.
and to citizens. Continuing further
it will deprive all the valley lands
along the Colorado river of the possi-
bility Of obtaining necessary supply of
water by gravity canals.
The great Yuma bridge will go out.
and approximately 100000 acres of
Land as fertile as the Nile valley, will
be left in desert condition. What
this means may be understood when
we remember that the entire prOduc-
ing area of southern California is