Imperial Valley press., 1914-12-18

along the Colorado. 1t will be noted
that nothing is said about the objec-
tionable features outlined in the I'm
perial Valley Press. No thought is
given to the interstate or information
al character of the stream, to the need
of storage before further water ap-
preparation is made, or to the plan
with which it would conflict of in
ducing the federal government to take
charge of the stream.
The Riverside Press article fol-
lows:
The plan for reclaiming 100000
acres of desert land along the Colo
RADIO river, in the eastern end of Riv-
erside, San Bernardino and Imperial
counties, under the provisions of the
Carey act, and providing employment
in the development work entailed
therein for the army of unemployed
which annually invades California
during the winter season, has been
definitely launched by the state con-
servation commission, and a project
which looked like an iridescent dream
when first suggested seems to be in a
fair way toward realization.
This is the word which is brought
by Francis Cutie, the Riverside mem
ber of the commission, who returned
last evening from a meeting of the
commissioners in San Francisco. Mr..
Cutie was instructed to confer with
certain engineers in Los Angeles, rec
commended by w. c. Mendenhall of
the geological survey at Washington,
obtain their ideas regarding the feas-
ibility Of the plan, and report back to
the commission, which will select an
engineer to make the preliminary re-
connaisance Of the land in question
and prepare maps and special data
which can be presented to the state
legislature at the coming session. This
preliminary report is TO be secured inn
mediately, and in order to keep pri-
vate spectators from attempting to
profit by making filings in advance of
the state, the government will be
asked to withdraw from entry 1,OOO,-
600 acres of the government land at
once.
Mr.. Cutie briefly outlined the pro-
ject this morning as follows:
"Under the Carey act the State of
California has the right to file upon
100000 acres Of government land,
acquiring title thereto by the same
process which the individual home
steader is required to follow. The
state has ten years in which to put
water on the land, and this term may
be extended another five years at the
option of the secretary of the inte-
rior.
"There are about 100000 acres of
government land yet open to entry
in this section, along the westerly
bank of the Colorado, and the commits
sion has the assurance Of engineers
who are familiar with the topography
Of the country that at least 100000
acres of this is excellent farming land
upon which water from the Colorado
river can readily be placed.
"While it is too large project for
an individual or most corporations, ii
is entirely within the power of the
state to handle, under the Carey act
particularly if the plan of develop
ing it by the labor of the unfortunate
tramp class can be worked out.
can irrigation project in its pre-
liminary stages is particularly well
fitted to offer employment to this
class of labor. In the building of ca,
nals and lateral bitches the work car
stop at any point and be taken ur
again the next season without mate
rial loss or damage to the work al
ready done.
"The plan is to make this clear.
ing house for all the unemployed
who come to California. They will
be taken up by the sheriff's office Of
the various counties and sent to the
scene Of this labor. If they are mer
who are honestly seeking work, anG
show their willingness and industry
railroads and large corporations who
need so to 100 men on some big job
can send here for the laborers, and
the best men will thus be in a posi-,
tion to get permanent positions at
good salaries.
at will probably be the plan to
provide not only shelter and food for
these workmen, but perhaps a small
per diem of salary, so that the hon
est men will feel that they are work
ing toward an independence.
"Those who refuse to work on the
terms offered can of course be treat
ed as they are now in most of the
counties-put on the rock pile, or on