Imperial Valley press., 1913-03-10

appropriated In excess OF all that "
not put to beneficial use within the
next eighteen months,
!. That practically all the lands.
both government and Southern Pacific,
which are not now within the irri-
gated zone, will remain perpetual
desert.
8. That the Southern Pacific will
lose enormous revenues by reason o.
said lands remaining undeveloped.
Q. That the bonus policy will de
feat its own purpose and will greatly
depreciate the present actual value of
the California Development Company.
10. That if the bonus policy is
adopted, the California Development
Company will not sell for as much by
at least si,5OO.OOO when the appeal,
taken by Attorney Ives Of the Southern
Pacific. is finally decided by the su-
preme court. no difference what that
decision might be. and that the judg-
ment creditors will be correSpondingly
injured.
If. That if said policy is persisted
in the Southern Pacific will find itself
absolutely compelled to purchase the
California Development Company and
to eventually forsake the bonus policy
IN order to dispose Of its lands and
to recover its claims against the Cali
fornia Development Company.
The Southern Pacific railroad. The
principal creditor of the California De-
velopment Company. was represented
in court yesterday by Attorney Eugene
Ives. Other creditors represented by
counsel We're the New Liverpool salt
Company. BoaZ Duncan and other bond
holders and various holders Of receiv-
erShp certificates. w. B. Mathews and
Stewart Salisbury appeared for the re-
cciver. Attorney ~ Haines of San Di
$50 for Imperial Water Company No. 5
and Attorney NJ. w. Conkling for the
East sue w dltE toillpdIlH.
Thirty residents of Imperial valley.
including settlers and officers of the
various irrigation companies, were in
court.
"Development in two-iifthS Of the
valley is now at a standstll awaiting
The outcome of this litigation" p. w.
Brooks. secretary Of the Imperial South
Side Water Company. said yesterday.
Few new settlers are coming. more
than 1000 who have filed on land have
been unable to obtain patents because
they could not show a perpetual right
have been holding on to their claims
IN the hopes that something would be
done. have almost reached their limit
some Of the families are half starved
and ragged and are giving up in de
Spair.
Until the government issues patents
the settlers cannot borrow money on
their land for development purposes.
If the smaller irrigation companies are
charged bonus Of S25 an acre this.
Of course, would fall on the individual
land owners and they cannot bear the
point of desperation waiting for re-
lief
"A short term contract for water
would be very unsatisfactory. aside
from the fact that it precludes the
obtaining of patents. If the contracts
are made to run only during the life
of the receivership, then new man.
agement could come in and cut US Of.
The people Of the valley cannot stand
these uncertainties. We must be Ger
tain Of the water Let it be remem-
bered that without the water the coun-
try is a desert waste. We don't even
have a fog there oftener than once in
four years"
Representatives say that unless the
proposed contracts are made by the
receiver work on the great east side
high line canal that was to skirt the
eastern edge of the valley for its full
length will be suspended. 1t was pro-
posed to water 10000 acres with this
high line in the east and in the north
Of the valley as far west as Salton
sea. The length Of the proposed canal
Is fifty miles. The excavating work
has been done from the Mexican line
for distance of twenty miles north.
In" application Of this company for
contract was not before the court
Yesterday. but arrangements have been
made with Receiver HOlabird to obtain
water on the same terms with the other
three companies whose applications
We're filed in court.
'l am informed on the very best of
authority" said Attorney Brown, land
| believe it to be a fact, that if the
lands now unwatered in the Imperial
valley are not water stocked within
the next eighteen months they will
never be able to get the water. 1t is a
notorious fact that the California De
velopment Company is not now putting
to beneficial use anything like the full
amount Of water appropriated, and that
all Of the water in excess Of that which
IS now being put to beneficial use can
be appropriated and diverted by other
claimants.
at is well known that there are
numerous projects now being material
lzed along the Colorado river and its
tributaries which are more than likely
to take up this surplus water. If the
court requires the bonus to be charged
against the lands which are not now
under irrigation, amounting to two
hfths of the valley, the practical result