Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-29
CONDEMN SMITH
IN RESOLUTIONS
COPY SENT REPRESENTATIVES
AT WASHINGTON
CONGRESSMAN TAKEN TO TASK
BY CHAMBER
Statements Made In House Relating to
Extension of Forest Reserve
Denounced by Business
Men

at which Congressman S. G. Smith of
the Seventh California congressional
district was denounced for statements
attributed to him in connection with
Los Angeles water project:
Whereas, Congressman Smith OF
this state, in a recent speech In the
national house of representatives, re-
lating to a proposed extension of the
Sierra Forest reserve, attacked the adj
ministration OF the forestry bureau,
presided over by Clifford Pinchot, be-
cause of it's favorable attitude toward
such extension; and,
Whereas, The statements OF SAID
Smith, on the occasion referred to,
were, In several important particulars,
grossly unfair, misleading and false,
and were calculated to deceive MEM
bers of congress and other persons not
acquainted with the facts, to the pre-
judice of the forestry bureau, and to
the injury of the city of Los Angeles
in connection with its project for op-
tanning water supply from the owens
River valley, as appears from tne iol-
lowing specifications, based on the con-
gressional Record, towit:
"First-Said Smith charged said for-
estry bureau with seeking to have such
forestry extension made in order 10
obtain control of water rights in the
owens valley, in the interest or one
party favored by that bureau, VINO
desired to secure said rights, to the
exclusion of other claimants having
earlier appropriations, thus conveying
to the house the impression that sucn
favored marty was a private Individual
or corporation. That said Smith, hav-
ing made such charge, persistentiy
evaded questions by other members OF
of congress, which, II candluly an.
swered, would have disclosed the 1act
that the party referred to by him was
NOT a private Individual or corporation,
hut the city of Los Angeles, ana tnat
the chief forester, desiring to ald tnat
city in carrying out its project, had
refused to approve certain prlvate
mower and water schemes conflicting
herewith, and it was only when com
nelled by the pointed inquiries OF otner
,nennhers of congress that said smith
finally stated, L think, perhaps, in JUS
= tice to the house / should throw one
side light on this question. The party
that 1 have referredto as oesnins -, IN
obtain this monopoly of the water III
the valley is the city of Los Angeles
Discloses Real Ground
.Second-Said Smith, having been
forced to disclose that the real grouno
os hia complaint against the forestry
bureau was that it had seen MT TO en-
courage and help public enterprise as
against certain adverse private pro-
iects. then endeavored to avoid the Ell.
feet of his admission by asserting tnat
the city of Los Angeles is proposi,.ss
10 construct an irrigation system, ana
that II did not want or intend 10 use
tba waters. In question, for munlclpai
nurnoses. but desired to secure controi
al. the same for the irrigation OF lanus
adjacent to Los Angeles rms asseI,
ton was false, as SAID Snitn WEI
axnew. The sole purpose of the city OF
los Angeles, in going to the owens
vaiIev for water, is to obtainsa supply
for ,nunicipai purposes, sunlclent Ior
dts nresent and it's future neeos' AS
matter of course, under wise pIo-
vision, there should be consioeraple
quantity of water In excess or tne
citv,s needs for many years to come,
and while this excess supply may pe
s,aad for other purposes, includlng IT.
riration, until all of it shall be requlrsu
for use within the city, 1t Will mercy
Constitute a reserve supply, wnlcn ui-
timately will be deVoteu e~eiusi'eiS ~
municipal uses. ,.oa
@Third-Said Smith also endeavoreo,
a.. hia sneech, to discredit and in1ure
the oityss water project by asserting
that nothing has been done toward
carrying it out except some SURVEYS
and some efforts to finance that un-
aarta lxing.' This assertion also was
Seise as said Smith we'll knew. or
might easily have ascertained had ne
desigesf ito make a candid and truthiui
statement on the subject.
aThe owens river project OF the city
90 los Angeles was\ initiated in the
snring of 1905. The city has voted
bonds in the amount of S24SOO,0oo 1or
the purpose of carrying out TINS en-
terprise and a force OF more tnan wv
men is now employed in connection
with the construction of the necessary
works. OF these bonds $1,5OO,OOO were
sold prior to the passage by congress
In June. 1906, of the right or way Dill
in aid of such project, and $l,O2O,O0o
have been sold since that date out
of the funds thus raised, expenditures
have been made or contraolcteo SUD
stantially as follows: ..oooo
For lands and water rights. 49,. .Sl'Soo'oVo
For machinery surveys and gem
erai construction expenses. soo'ooo
Tota, so. 400, 900
One Statement True
.The chamber of commerce recognizes
as true one statement made by Mr..
Smith, namely:
"I have been resisting it (the exten-
sion by the forest reserve) IN season
and out of season for nearly year. l
have been doing all that / could to
block the Hrogress of the movement
from the time it began; and the
chamber finds, in the mental attitude
thus revealed, the reason and the ami
mus which prompted Mr.. Smith IN
making the Misrepresentation and
misstatements of which his argument
in the house is chiefly composed.
Therefore be it resolved, that the
Los Angeles chamber of commerce de-
nounces S. c. Smith, representative in
congress from the Seventh district of
this state, for his unfair and untruth-
full statements In congress concerning
the water enterprise of the city of
Los Angeles, the most important and
extensive work of its kind ever under
taken in the west, and for his hostile
and malicious opposition to the fores-
try bureau, which, under the admins
tration of the Hon. Clifford Pinchot,
has been conducted upon the wise and
lust principle that the remaining nat
ural resources of this country should
be conserved for the use and benefit
of the people.
President.
FRANK wIGGINS.
Secretary"
Bishop Johnson to Preach