The Parker post., 1912-11-16
$5O,OOO,OOO FOR
STORAGE DAMS
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER OF CON-
MERGE BACKING MOVEMENT
TO SECURE APPROPRIATIONS
FROM CONGRESS FOR COIO-
RADO.

Regulation Commission, backed by the
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
and other organizations of the south
west, is bending every effort tow
ard the passage of the Newlands bill
which will be introduced in congress
this winter This bill carries an ap-
preparation of $50, 700, 200 for the pur-
pose of erecting storage dams in the
upper Colorado river to conserve the
flood waters.
A meeting of the Colorado River
Flood Storage Convention, under the
auspices of the commission, was held
in Los Angeles last night and active
steps were taken to push this legis-
lation,
Members of the Chuckawalla and
Palo Verde Irrigation association are
leading in the movement and the
commission also includes prominent
Los Angeles business men and re-
presentatives from Yuma and I'M
perial valley.
A letter to the Herald from L. V.
Shepherd, secretary CT the Chucka-
walla and Palo Verde association
regarding this matter is as follows:
"The committee appointed by the
Cho of 70 IL -
plans for the conservation of the
water of the Colorado river to a sue
cessful consumation, are composed of
the very best business men of Los
Angeles. which practically insureS it's
success. The plan now being de-
velOped will secure the cooperation
of nearly every senator and congress-
men west of Philadelphia for the pas
sage of the Newland's bill, carrying
an appropriation of $5,000,OO0 year
for ten years for the conservation
of the flood waters of the Colorado
river
1.-The business men of this city are
interested indirectly in this matter
and will give it strong financial as
sistance, but those who are directly
interested in conserving those waters,
either for irrigation or the preven-
ton of damage by flood. should stand
ready to meet the greater proportion
of the necessary expense.
This is an opportunity that may
not come to us again iii fifty years,
so it behOoVes us to waken up the
dry bones and mossbacks and get
busy
''We hope our valley will organize,
and send a strong delegation to the
convention, ready to act
Some OF the reasons why this ap-
preparation is important are set forth
i'm a circular to those interested and
are as follows:
This year the river rose uneX-
pectedly, flooded Immense areas of
land, washed away levees that had
many thousands of dollars, destroyed
miles of canal and caused widespread
uneasiness and great financial loss.
The president of the United States
was called upon for help and sug
geSted the passage Of a bill authoriZ-
ing the immediate expenditure of a
million and quarter of dollars to
rebuild and reinforce the protecting
levees and thus relieve the situation
Although the senators and represen-
tatives involved worked valiantly for
the bill it did not become a law ow-
ing to the lateness of the session and
the fact that the appropriation bill
had already passed
"Even had this bill passed, it is
apparent, however, to those who
have given much thought and study
to the question, that it does not ade
quately meet the situation. Prior to
the time of this flood the Mexican
Government had made an appeal to
the United States Government ask
ing that its rights to certain amount
of the water of the Colorado River
for irrigation within its territory
be determined The Imperial Valley
had sent its representative to Wash
dngton to ask for the appointment OF
a commission to determine it's rights
To the waters OF the River which it
claimed were being infringed upon
by other and later filers of claims.
The Assistant Secretary of the In
terror had issued an order notifying
all persons interested that no further
claims to the waters of the Colorado
River could be recognized until these
claims had been duly ad-
Indicated and settled.
Hence it is apparent that an an