Imperial Valley press., 1913-11-25
Imperial Valley People
In Great Convention Ask
For the Holtville Route

There was a surprise in store for
the delegates to the highway conven-
tion yesterday afternoon. The Tulane
theater was filled to it's utmost ca
pacity, while at least 200 people were
assembled ON the sidewalk in front
of the building, unable to gain admis-
sion.
Holtvile citizens had come over in
body and all the towns of the val
ley had good sized delegations pres
ent. The expectation was that pro-
posal would be made for a highway
direct eastward from Ell Centro
through Holtville to Yuma as an al
tentative to the proposed route from
Brawley through Mammoth wash, but
instead of that, Engineer 0. K. Park
er of the Southern California Automo-
bile Club made an able presentation of
the several available routes, recon-
mending a road from Imperial juno
tion through Browley and Imperial,
OF FL Centre, eastwardly to a poir.
two and half miles east of Holtvi'le
thence southerly to the international
line and swinging through Mexico in
crescent to Yuma. He pointed that
the county proposes to build from Ca
lexico to connect with this road, and
that following this plan would give
the tourists the option of passing
through Holtville or Calexico, thus
placing every important town in the
valley on the road.
The meeting had been called to or
der by Fred E. Jackson of San Diego
on behalf of the Automobile Club of
Southern California, and j. Stanley
Brown had been chosen chairman and
E. E. Bennett secretary before Mr..
Parker read his report
1t was one of those assemblies Of
people in which everybody is making
motions, amendments, amendments to
amendments, substitutions and amend
ments of substitutions, until there was
confusion everywhere, while a large
part of the time two or three speakers
were on the floor at once.
Then the whole matter was laid on
the table and new start of motions
and amendments was made, 1T being
apparent in the confusion that the
only opposition to the proposed ryut''
came from Brawley and from the
Ocean to Ocean Highway Association,
represented on the floor by John S.
Mitchell of Los Angeles. This is the
highway association working in com
petition with the Southern Highway
Association, which proposes to make
San Diego its terminus.
Before the discussion began the San
Diego delegation, more than sixty
strong, announced that they had de-
cided that the route should be selected
by the people of Imperial valley, and
they had therefore passed resolution
not to participate in the voting. Mr..
Mitchell commended San Diego for
this act and announced that the Los
Angeles people present would also re-
frain from voting.
Supervisor Beal, Philo Jones, II. l..
Fulton and DIR. Dowdy were the chief
spokesmen for Brawley, insisting that
Brawley would not consent to the
adoption of the "southern route" and
finally announcing that they would
withdraw.
Rev. w. G. Conley, j. B. Parazette,
M. w. Conkling and others of lmper-
ial valley spoke on behalf of adopting
the plan proposed, and when the final
vote came on recommending the plan
proposed for the highway by Engineer
Parker for road from Imperial val
lev to Yuma, the vote was unanim-
Gus.
During the discussion, Col. Ed
Fletcher of San Diego called atten-
ton to the fact that San Diego was
working for highway across the
nation and was going to see the road
built.
A communication from the presi-
dent of the Southern California Auto
mobile Club stated that that organiza-
ton made it rule not to participate
in the selection of any routes, but
when the local people had decided to
build on any line, the club stood ready
to help, and in this case the club
would aid in financing the road so
soon as the route was selected.
Delegates from San Diego also
pledged assistance in the construction
of the road, and from the appearance
of things, the opening of this high
way will impose little burden on the
people of the county, especially as it
lis conceded to be very inexpensive
,.ooJ RI construct