Imperial Valley press., 1912-08-20

phasises particularly the bond which is
being formed between the new county
and San Diego.
According to Assessor Barker's state
ment the people of the Imperial valley
have always lelt that Los Angeles was
inclined to overlook the value OF their
dlStuct as back country. For years San
Diego has been endeaVorng to get u
foothold in the valley, but this was rem
uered almost impossible because there
was no connection between the two by
railroad and very poor connection Dy
wagon road.
one year ago San Diego began push
ing work on a first class highway toward
the Imperial county line. The under
standing was that Imperial county would
make IT'S own connection 10 the common
county boundary. But Imperial county is
a very young organization and the eX-
penses OF getting under way We're SO
neaNY that road building became practl-
callN impossible.
When the San Diego county road was
completed representative OF the port
went TO IL Centre ana at Il meeting with
the board Of Supervisors and leading citi-
Zens, volunteered to spend $4,000 Of san
DiegO'S road funds in building the Impe-
rial county road rs far eastward as this
sum would go. Moreover, san Diego Of
fered to loan to Imperial her road build
mS machinery and her stock.
These offers were Immediately accept
ca. ana now il will be only a matter O
a few months until a good motor an(
wagon highway is completed tying Sal
Diego to ImpeTialS county seat. Alread.
| this movement toward Il union mas re
suited III the establishment OF II semi
weekly automobile service from El Cen
trO to San Diego, hauling both express
and passengers, and Mr.. Barker say
that the patronage of the line has beer
such as to encourage San Diego TO looi
on their road investment as "A profitabl,
one.
In the meantime also Il railroad is be
ing constructed between the two points
and although the work is progressing
but slowly IL is generally believed tina
the line will be completed within TIVE
years. The Southern Pacific has done ev'
erything in its power to prevent riva
road tapping the valley, and went SO fal
as to get into negotiations with the build
ers of the San Diego road 50 that tn.
work is now tied up. Whether the South
ern Pacific some other corporation
completes this line it will be the mean:
of giving San Diego the business of th'
great Imperial valley, both importing anC
exporting.
Los Angeles is given credit for ont
magnanimous and helpful act in the las
year which does much to mitigate th'
somewhat unfriendy spirit of the vale!
toward Los Angeles. This act was di
rectly that of the First National Bank o
this city in accepting demands of tn,
| Imperial Irrigation district and advanc
ing money on these demands when i
appeared probtble that the district woulC
fail because of lack of funds to carry OF
its initial expenses. This assistance wa.
all that enabled the district to weather
the storms of the first few months of it!
existence.
The lowering of freight rates between
the valley points and Los Angeles alsC
helped the valley and encouraged its set
| tiers TO look to Los Angeles with more
favor, but it is pointed out by the peo
pie of the district that unless Los Ang
eles gets actively into friendly competi
tion with San Diego the latter will short
ly have the business and the bacl
country.