New-York tribune., 1907-01-13

fall back upon, and in view of the threatened
calamity practically helpless. The California
Development Company is also unable to meet
the exigency. Obligations assumed by the sale
of water rights are SO great that the property
Of the company is not adequate TO meet these
obligations: in other words. gift OF the Vlsi-
would not be a sufficient Offset to the assump-
ton of its liabilities. Nevertheless, the people
issue ana sell bonds secured by their property,
80 order TO give to the California DeVetopnieht
Company 81 100000 to assist In repairing the
break.
The complica tions which have arisen from the
transfer of the property and the involved rela-
tions Of the California Development Company
with it's numerous subsidiary companies are
such that the United States would not be Justi-
fed In having any dealings with this company
until the complications are removed ana the
government has full understanding OF every
phase of the situation.
APPEAL. FOR FEDERAL AID.
II 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
conditions that similar occurrence cannotsilap-
pen. 1t is further understood that the southern
Pacific company, having expended SZVooVo OF
more for the protection of it's interests decllnes
to furnish money to the California Devel-
opment Company to save the Imperial Naueyr
beyond control from the present break in the
river bank. The owners of the property In I'M
perial Valley both farmers and toWnspeople
together with the Southern PaciHo company
and the California Development Company nave
combined to call upon the government Tor
cont tribution TO assist the California Develop
ment Company to the extent of erecting perriia-
nent works to insure protection for the future.
If the river is not put back and permanently
maintained I'm its natural bed the progressive
back cutting in the course of one or two years
will extend upstream to Yuma. as before stated
and finally to the Lag1lna dam. now being bullt
by the government, thus wiping out millions OF
dollars of property belonging TO the government
and to citizens. Continuing further II VIII oe
prive all the valley lands along the Colorado
River of the possibility of obtaining necessary
supply Of water by gravity canals.
The great Yuma bridge will go out and az.
proximately seven hundred thousand acres OF
land as fertile the Nile Valley will be left in
a desert condition. what TINS means may pe
understood when we remember that the entire
producing area of Southern California is about
two hundred and fifty thousand acres. A most
conservative estimate after full development
must place the gross product from this land at
not less than 500 acre a year, every ten
acres of which will support family when under
intense cultivation. If the break IN tne Co!o-
rado is not permanently controlled the nndllclai
loss TO the United States will be great. The en-
tire irrIgable area which will be either SUB
merged or deprived of water in the Imperial
Valley and along the Colorado River is capable
of adding TO the permanent populatlon OF Ari-
zona and California at least three hui1ured anu
fifty thousand people, and probably hve hundred
thousand.
Much of the land will be worth from $500 to
$500 an acre to individual owners, or total
of from $3.50, 100000 to S7oo0oo.0Oo
PROMPT ACTION NECESSARY.
The point to be especially emphasized is that
rroupt action must be taken, il any, otherwise
the conditions may become so extreme as to be
tnonracticable of remedy. The history OF past
sttempts TO close the break in the river bank has
shown that each time through delay the work