Imperial Valley press., 1915-05-21

billtl iaielilcti y. ~ lNpN hHOOu Ido
prepared the following statement on
the work in Mexico:
FL Centro, Cal, May 20, 1915.--To
the Taxpayers, Imperial Irrigation
District: My attention has been called
to an article i'm the Holtvilie Tribune
of Tuesday, May l8, entitled ITO lr-
rigate Otis Land With Oar Money"
Mr.. Rose, who discovered this con-
spiracy, said he had every reason to
believe that this is the plan, and that
it has been evolved through the po-
litica efforts of the Chandler in
terests."
1t is unfortunate that such a state
ment should be published without
proof, and this statement is without
foundation. The facts are that, by
virtue of the Congressional act appro.
priating 100000 to be spent this year
or Colorado river protection, the I'M
perial Irrigation District had to put
up an additional 100000 before the
government money could be used. This
was done, and the entire fund of $780,
600 is being spent in accordance with
the act under the direction of General
w. L. Marshall, consulting engineer
of the Department of the Interior.
The act provided that the money
should be spent on the protection of
the river levee below Hanlon's and
on the Volcano Lake levee, and its
extension to connection with the In.
ter-California railroad, and it is being
so spent. General Marshall agreed to
my general plans as to the Volcano
Lake leyee, and appointed me as en-
gineer to do the work | am on the
government pay roll, working under
General Marshall's orders.
The district board, when they put
their 100000 in the United States
treasury to comply with the terms
OF the act, necessarily relinquished all
control over its expenditure After
completing the main levee from Black
Butte eastward for miles, there
was left of the appropriation for this
work approximately $4,000. The en-
tire fund has to be spent this season
or it will remain in the United States
treasury, and would require an act
of Congress to get it out. | am at
tempting to spend this $4,000 in the
manner that | believe will best serve
the interests of the taxpayers of the
Imperial Irrigation District
The money can legally be spent
only on the Volcano Lake levee, or
its protection; but the act provides
that the levee may be extended east
ward to the Inter-C California railroad,
and | am so extending it. In doing
this work, however, | am looking to
the future needs. 1t may be, probably
will be, necessary for us to depend
upon the Volcano Lake levee for our
protection for several years. If this
proves to be the case, we should again
raise and strengthen it next winter.
and must surely raise it within two
years. Not only is the 1a,eral for
two and one-half miles on the west
end of the levee very poor for leyee
construction, but we have about
reached the limit of economical scrap
er work. believe the best and cheap
est method of Strengthening it will I've
to create a settling basin along its
base; connect this settling basin with
the Alamo at the Cudahy check by
canal, and by this means deposit plen-
ty of good clean silt along the base
of the evee, and thereafter raise the
levee with a dredge, to be operated
in the settling basin. With this end
in view, while primarily extending the
levee, | am at the same time. as far
as the fund at my disposal will permit.
starting the construction of this pro-
lection canal, and for your better pro-
lection and for the sake of economy,
| sincerely hope that as soon as the
Irrigation District comes into posses
sion Of the main canals | may be per
mitted to complete it.
The work as started is for levee pro-