Imperial Valley press., 1912-08-12
STATE WATER USERS ARE
AGAINST A COMMISSION

SAN BERNARDlNO, Aug. l2.-ine
organization here last week of the
California Water Users association
was completed at a meeting OF the
executive committee, composed OF G
W. Sherwood of Fullerton, chairman;
A. G. Kendall, treasurer; Glenn d
Smith. Ontario, secretary; A. +. Grlt'
fifth, Azusa: H. H. Garstin, Redlands;
Jack Chaffey, Whittier; R. Nj. Irving,
Riverside: H. Goodcell, San Ber'
nardino: William Bouring, San Dimas.
At the initial meeting between
twenty and thirty representative fruit
growers, and men directly interested
in the waters of southern California
gathered in response to the call sent
out July 30. and signed by A. G. Ken
dali, president of the water commits
sion of the Santa Ana Development
company of Fullerton.
Mr.. Kendall called the gathering to
order, explaining the objects of the
gathering. In the temporary organi'
zation. G. W. Sherwood was selected
chairman, and Glenn D. Smith of On
tario, secretary. The conference re-
suited in the appointment of an eXecu
tive committee composed of nine
members, which met later and drafted
a plan of action opposing the state
wide water commission movement, by
which ii is proposed through three
members appointed by the governor to
absolutely control all water matters OF
the entire state.
After Chairman Sherwood had
called the meeting to order Attorney
Henry Goodcell of this city entered
into a detailed explanation of the pur
poses of the proposed commission, eX
planning that if the scheme were car
ried through it would work to the i'm
mense injury of the water and agri
cultural interests of southern Califor
MIA.
Kenneth MacRae. A. G.. Kendall, A
B. Paddock, A. p Griffith and others
spoke in strong terms against the
proposed enactment, seeing in it q
move to place in the hands of Cover
nor Johnson appointive powers which
in themselves, showed the utter folly
of the bill, but while this feature
brought forth the suggestion that the
motto of the new organization should
be, Let the People Rule-Thou Shalt
Not Steal" yet the gravest features OF
the proposed legislation, as seen
through the eyes of the southern Cali
fornian. are that such a departure
would mean to reopen the long lines
of water litigation which have become
an expensive part of the history OF
this section of the state, and undo al
that the courts have done in adjudi
eating the water interests which are
now practically well defined and set
| tied.
Mr.. Griffith of AZusa pointed at the
proposed legislation as one of the
strongest arguments showing why
state division should carry. He de
clared that the interests of centra
and northern California were not al
lied to those of southern California
that the north was invariably seeking
to put "one over" on the south, anC
| that in this proposed water bill the
/ fact was clearly demonstrated thai
what would suit northern and centra
/ California in water legislation would
not suit southern California.
| 1t was also pointed out that the en(
Of politics, as seen in this proposed
! legislation, was TO confer an unsafe
power upon any governor, for he
would have absolute authority to ap
point whom he pleased to the com
| mission. and to OuSt an appointee Wht
might prove unsatisfactory to the ap
pointive power.
You might as well place the dutie!
of the proposed commission entirely
with the governor" declared one frui
grower, while another chimed in tha
| it was growing more evident tha
what was needed was for the people
to rule, instead Of the state-tha
there was getting to be too much statt
control of ones private interests.
1t appeared to be the opinion o
| those attending the meeting that i
such legislation as is proposed shoul'
be enacted what southern California
would need to do would be to get il
and fight for the division of the stat
into three districts, to conform will
the three climatic zones into whicl
natural conditions have divided tn
state, and that commission appointe,
from southern California to rule thi
water affairs in this section of tn
state alone, should be appointed
though it was felt that no additiona
water commissions or laws were re
quired here in southern California.