Imperial Valley press., 1908-02-22

Chamber of Commerce, have been cited to appear in the United States Circuit Court on Feb. 27 to show cause why they should not be adjudged in contempt for having signed and for warded to Judge Wellborn the resolu- tion adopted by the Chamber on Feb. II. An officer from the U. s. Marshals office arrived in E1 Centro on Thurs day night and served the papers, and induced the foreman of the Press printing office to identify signatures which are not denied, and ordered him to appear as witness.
 This is an outcome of the injunction issued against the California Develop ment Company to prevent the dis charge of water into Salton Sea, where the works of the East Liverpool Salt Company are under about ninety feet of water and nobody knows how many feet of mud. The injunction is sup posed to facilitate evaporation of Sal ton Sea- and restoration of the salt works. It was interpreted by the c. D. Co.'S manager as an order to shut off water from the plant of the Holton Power Company, and the plant was put out of business at noon on Feb ruary II, depriving all the towns in Imperial Valley of light and power and causing great inconvenience and loss to the community.
 Although the power canal was closed promptly, the flow of water in the Ala mo was not reduced; in fact, it was in creased by the discharge of a greater volume into other canals for the pur pose of securing them before applying the injunction to the irrigation sys- tenn, and for several days many times as much water as the power plant uses was flowing uselessly down the Alamo.
 Cause of the Trouble.
 The Chamber of Commerce under took to place the facts before Judge Wellborn and to explain the conse- quences of partial enforcement of his order, not being aware that any pro ceedings connected with the case, which he had decided and which had gone to another court on appeal, were pending.
 It appears, however, that citations to answer for contempt in failing to obey more promptly the order of injunction had been served on officers of the c. D. Co.,, and regarding the action of the Chamber as an improper attempt to approach and influence the court in behalf of those officers, than which nothing could be further from the minds of the members of the Chamber Judge Wellborn regarded the resolu- tions as disrespectful to the court and directed that contempt proceedings be taken against Brown and Havens. News of the courts action was re- eived with great jubilatiOn by enemies of the power company and of Fl Cen tro.
 The Situation.
 Five or six days after closing the power canal, the c. D. Go. obeyed the injunction as applied to the irrigation system, and began the attempt to con trol the water supply at the heading on the Colorado river instead of at Sharp's heading. This necessitates two days advance notice from mutual companies to the 0. D. Go. of the re- quirements of irrigators and it remains to be seen if water can be supplied in the exact quantity required at any moment by farmers from forty to sev- enty miles distant from the point of control. In other words, can canal seventy miles long, carrying water enough to constitute large river, be handled like a garden hose with a faucet and stop-cock? The farmers