Imperial Valley press., 1914-06-16
w. F. Holt Discusses
Problem Presented

Redlands, Cal, June Is, 1914
Editor Imperial Valley Press-Dear
Sir: Referring to your telegram of
the Nth, as follows:
"Will you favor appropriation by
congress of million, such appropria-
tion to be construed by Southern Pa
cfic as settlement of claim for closure
of break; irrigation district to raise
half million, Mexican lands two hum
dred thousand; entire amount to be
used in building permanent control
and protective works on Colorado riv-
err"
as you suggest in this telegram so
far as | am personally concerned,
and | believe that it would be a great
thing for all interests concerned If
something of this kind could be got
ten through. However, this should be
taken up with the Southern Pacific
Company to find out whether or not
shey would be willing to consent to
this kind Of an arrangement. do
not know whether or not they would.
1t would seem to me that if this
matter is taken up at all it should
be taken up on a large enough scale
to fix this whole matter and fix it
right, and | do not know whether or
not the total amount you suggest, of
$1,700,000, would be enough. l am
somewhat doubtful about this. How
ever, this could be determined by care
me that if anything of this kind can
be done, that it would be we'll to fig
ure on $2,0O0,000, or possibly $2,500,
600, as the Southern Pacific's claim, l
believe, was for $1,6G0,00O, and as l
believe the government engineers re-
ported favorably on allowing them
$1,100,000, it would seem that if they
would consent for the million you sug-
gest to go this way, they would prob
ably consent just as well for their
whole claim of $1,10O,000, or more, if
more can be gotten. Therefore, /
think it would be well to take this
matter up with the Southern Pacific
and try and get their consent to al
low their claim Of $1,100,000, all to
be applied on this work, and then go
to congress and ask for an appropri-
alton of $1,50O,000 on the condition
that this was to be in full payment
of the Southern Pacifc's claim in case
the Southern Pacific is agreeable to
this arrangement.
Then the irrigation district could
bond for say $750,O00, and ask the
Mexican lands for $150,OOO, this MAX
ing altogether $2,5O0,0O0. Have this
money, or whatever amount of it that
may be needed, expended in building
first class works to control the river.
If it does not take all of the $780,
900, the balance that might be left
on hand to be held in a permanent
trust fund to be used at any future
time in case of need or in case of
any sudden emergency where the sud-
den use of money might be necessary
in case of accidents or breaks, the
irrigation district or the county, or
some other authorized body covering
the valley to keep up this work and
maintain it, raising money each year
to do so or, still better, get the gov
ernment to take it over and maintain
it if this can be done.
l am of the opinion that some we'll
defined plan that would assure the
proper amount of money for hand
ling the matter along permanent lines
would be much better and would ap-
peal more strongly to the government
aad all other interests. AS stated be-
fore, / do not know whether or not
Vic dSiHC WOuiO DC dS &C
able to this arrangement, but this
could be found out.
In regard to the matter of the put
ting in of these works in case the
money is raised, l think as to how
and where the work is put in should
be gone into very carefully and that
no private interest should be allowed
to influence in any way the doing of
this work or as to how or where it
should be done, as it is well known
fact that there was great mistake
made in the expenditure of the mil
lion dollars appropriated by the gov
ernment before. did not believe at
the time this work was laid out and
started that it was being done in the
right place, in spite of the fact that
il was authorized to be done in this
place by good engineers. 1t would