Imperial Valley press., 1910-11-19

{ the canals and the water These squatters cut the canal banks and take out ditches where they please and without asking anybody's permission or advice, Dozens of cuts have been made in the Alamo banks on both sides and checks have been put in by the squatters on their own plans, regardless of the engineers. The tops of some of the structures are barely above the present water level and any increase in the volume carried by the Alamo will overflow them. The inspection party found some Mexican porth-bank eight feet wide and ten | feet deep, and when the receiver de- manded information as to their au- thority, they could only say that they were acting under orders of squatter. Under the contract between the So- ciedad and the California Development Co.,, which Receiver Holabird charac- terized in court as iniquitous, the c. D. Go. is obliged to maintain the canal in Mexico and keep the system in operation, but has no control over the Mexican use of water, and since the Southern Pacific took possession of the Sociedad's property and revenues, not a cent of money paid for water in Mexico comes into the hands of the receiver or the C.. D. Co. If the Depositario has any authority to reg ulate the diversion and use of water in Mexico, he does not appear to be exercising it for the protection of the canal. It is said that he has expostu- lated against indiscriminate cutting of the banks, but the squatters seem to pay no attention to his protests. If the gentle paisano may cut holes in the canal bank where, when and how he pleases, there appears to be no reason why he should not sluice out the bank entirely and let all the water out of the Alamo at any time. The receiver can keep gophers and musk rats from making holes in the levees on the American side, but he has no power to prevent the paisano from destroying the levees and banks ill Mexico that are built with money sup piled by water-users in Imperial Val ley
 It is evident that the Mexican users, legitimate and otherwise, are prepar- ing to use more water next season than ever before and the only con- trol the receiver has over the matter is to see that they do not take more than half of the entire flow in the canal. The Alamo cannot carry more water than was delivered during the past year Do the water users of Im- perial Valley need to be told what that means to them?
 After seeing the conditions in the Alamo, Receiver Holabird said "The canal evidently>is carrying very nearly it's full capacity now, and it will not be possible to meet demand twenty per cent or any per cent. in excess of last years demands of the mutual companies The revenue therefore must be less than the estimate and will not enable me to have any work done that is not absolutely necessary to maintain the canals"
 Ten or twelve miles below the head ing an old overflow channel known as Quail river leaves the Alamo and runs south into the delta. Engineer Ockerson proposes that in the flood season the headgates at Hanlon be opened and the surplus water diverted from the Alamo into Quail river and allowed to overflow the grazing lands of the C.-M, Co. in Mexico. In order to carry out this project, 1t will be necessary to put a check in the Alamo and gate at the head of Quail river to prevent the flood water from pass
 ing down the Alamo. Presumably the cost of the work, which may amount
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