Imperial Valley press., 1919-09-17

MIR. Tavlor. Has not our Govern
ment guaranteed or has not that prl-
vate corporation agreed it would fur
nish water, and could they not be re-
quled to do it?
MIR. Swing. Absolutely not; there is
no American corporation now existing
which has any legal obligation, or has
ever contlated to deliver water.
Mr.. Little. This acquisition of water
rights does not include any duty by
| which man must keep on supplying
water?
Mr.. Swing. No sir. 1t is "rake- off
if YOU gentlemen know what | mean
| by that (Laughter.) 1t is a duty on
the transportation of water through
Mexico-paid not in cash, but in wa
| ter.
Mr. Taylor. 1t is just handing them
half of your water on silver platter
as | see it.
Mr. Little. If you do not go through
there, you do not owe them anything ?
Mr. Swing. Exactly. And on the
other hand the American lands have
put into the irrigation system, through
the district organization in excess of
! 81 800 ,000-$6, 100000 in bonds and
| 81 100000 raised in direct taXes-all
Of which has been used-$3 900 900 to
purchase the system, and the balance
to improve it and add to it. The MeXi-
can lands, which get the greater bene-
fit from the resulting works, paid not
one cent of this.
The American farmers put up all
the money for buying the system, for
building 36 miles of new canals and
works in Mexico, which make posi-
Bile the reclamation of over 100000
acres of new land in Mexico, for con-
structing the annual temporary diver
sion wiers to get the water out Of the
river, and for building fleet of
dredges to get the silt out of the cam
ais and keep chem open; and in re-
turn they get what water the MeXi-
can lands do not use or waste. The
American farmers suffer and have to
prorate their water in times of short
age; the Mexican lands are never short
This condition is becoming more ag-
gravated every year. SO much for the
Mexican situation.
Now, the Yuma situation | will dis
cuss as briefly as | can. If Mexico
threatens US from the south, just as
grave a danger exists for US on the
east, where the Yuma project threat
ems TO prevent us from getting any
water at all out of the river. The cir
cumstances are these:
In 1909 the Colorado River, at a
point about 20 miles south of the CAL
ifornia boundary line, broke through
its banks and began flowing down the
Bee river into Volcano Lake. The fall
toward the lake was much greater
than the grade of the old bed of the
river toward the Gulf, and the river
at once started securing and cutting
down its bed. The recession of grade
continued steadily upstream until it
finally reached our heading lowering
the bed of the stream to such an extent
it became and is now impossible to
get water out of the river and into the
canal in low water season without the
aid of weir or diversion dam.
The federal government undertook
to put the river back in it's old chan
mel. which would have restored the
bed to its former elevation and would
have left US free to get water with
aut the use of this weir.
Mr.. HAYDEN. What is the nature of
the works at the intake?
Mr.. Swing. 1t is an immense struc-
ture. These two photographs at the
top indicating card containing photo
praphs) show the present intake
structure, Wlllcn we DuiiI dI an en-
pense Of about 100000, and $780,
coo more to connect it with the old
canal This indicating photography
represents Hanlon headgate, which
was abandonded, and which is now
used merely as check should the
river break into the canal which para
llels the river.
Mr.. Little. Docs the same corpora
ton which owns that system own the
new one?
MIR. Swing Yes sir, it is the Imperial
irrigation district, which the people
own.
Mr.. Little. Would it avoid any pos
sible complication to have two differ
ont corporations own the different
systems?
Mr. Swing. do not think any com.
lrlications follow.
Mr. Little. Well, | do not know that
thr q, ,unttlH