The Parker post., 1913-06-14
PALO VERDE
MAKES KICK
VIGOROUS PROTEST FILED
AGAINST EFFORTS OF I'M
PERiAL VALLEY TO GAIN
MONOPOLY OF COLORADO.

WASHINGTON, June lO.-t Special
to the Press) In seeking to estab-
lish the rights of Mexico and Mexi-
can investors to the waters of the
Colorado river for rigation-which
is perhaps a very proper and aud-
able thing to dow f. Hoabird.
receiver for the California Develop
ment company, is running counter to
various other interests which have
protested and are protesting against
his plea that the taking of water
from the river be suspended at least
as to new enterprises, until the Mexi-
can rights have been passed on and
determined Among those who are
entering protests are the Chucka-
walla and Palo Verde Irrigation as
sociation, which through it's secre
tary, L. V. Shepard. has just filed a
letter with Representative Raker pro-
testing against Hoabird's attitude.
"If am correctly Informed"
writes Shepard. under a Los Angeles
date, "Mr. Holabird of this city re-
ceiver for the California Develop
ment company in the Imperial. val
ley, is now in Washington trying to
get congress to pass a law prohibit
ing any individual, organization Or
corporation from taking water from
the Colorado river for irrigation,
claiming that it will interfere with
prior rights.
IL do not know that his efforts
are directed solely at our organization
but since he undertook to defeat the
passage of senate bill 1875. in the
last session of congress, giving re
lief to about 500 entrymen in
Chuckawalla valley and Palo Verde
mesa, Riverside county, Calf, we dc
not doubt we are. included in the
present case. We do not expect or
intend to interfere with any prior
rights on that river. but we do OBJ
ject to the California Development
company acting the dog in the
manger.'
There is an average of 15.00O.-
900 acre feet Of water passing down
the river annually, according to the
government measurements taken at
that is more than enough 10 irrigate
) 100000 acres every year. All of
the acreage available for irrigation
along the river, between the Needles
and the gulf. will probably not
amount to more than $500 900
"The people in the Imperial val
ley appealed to congress last winter
for an appropriation of 81, 100000 to
build levees to protect them from too
much water in the Colorado river,
but as soon as anyone else wants to
take some of it for irrigation pur
poses, they Immediately holler, there
is not enough for us 1t is a we'll
known fact that Salton sea has been
kept full of waste water from their
ditcheS Besides this water has ever
been flowing into the sea from the
river
'The Palo Verde Valley Mutual
Water company filed on 300 900
inches OF water in the Colorado river
while about 100000 is all they can
use beneficialIy Other companies
along the river have doubtless done
the same thing; filed on much more
than they can hold under the state
law
eve admit that the river is low
for two or three months of the year,
but it is at a time when but little
water is required for irrigation. II
the low stage of the river is to be
hundreds of acres of the finest land !
the sun ever shown on will lie UNI
developed, with vast amount of wa
ter flowing past it for ten months |
in the year, to sea already full. We !
can see no valid reason why these /
hundreds of acres can not be allowed 7
the use of this large surplusage OF |
water for nine or ten months in the |
year, which is ample time to produce |
splendid crop before interfering |
with prior rights at a low stage
I'VE hope congress will not do |
anything that will in any way assist |
Col. Holibird in his dog in the man
ger policy, and make it impossible
to reclaim and develop large area
of land rich in agricultural and horti
cultural possibilities.
f. ]. DYER, |