Imperial Valley press., 1919-09-17

is appreciated but the results were
nothing.
Mr.. Little When was the first wa
ter taken to the Imperial valley?
Mr.. Swing. In 1901.
Mr.. Kettner When was the first
water taken into Yuma?
Mr.. Swing. Do you mean through
the Yuma project?
Mr.. Kettner. No; l mean through
this.
Mr.. Swing. think that was about
1911 that the siphon was completed
and put in use for carrying water
from Laguna dam to the Yuma pro-
ject.
The dam that the government built
was preached in 1911, the very year
that it was completed, and the river
has run through it ever since.
The Chairman. In whae year was
the new passage made by the river?
Mr.. Swing The river broke in 1909
and the work was prosecuted down to
1911; then they pulled up stakes and
left.
Mr.. Hayden. The first break was
closed in 1906.
Mr.. Swing. That was by the South
ern Pacific; the government never
put in any money on that.
The Chairman. When that work was
done, was it deemed adequate to meet
the danger?
Mr.. Swing. No; the government
work was complete failure.
The Chairman. The government sim
ply gave up the remedy-gave up the
job.
Mr.. Swing. Yes sir. 1t WAS recon-
mended by the President the year
following that they renewed the un-
dertaking; but, largely through in
ability to get anywhere with the gov
ernment Of Mexico on an agreement
to let our country go down there and
spend the money, they finally gave
it up; and it appeared that it was not
as dangerous as it was at first thot
to be.
Mr.. Little. How far is it from the
California State line to the Gulf Of
California?
Mr.. Swing. About 60 miles. ..
Mr.. Smith. If this all-Americap ca
nal is built, will it be necessary to
build the levees above Volcano Lake
to protect the lands of the Imperial
Valley? !"
Mr.. Swing They must be maintain
ed: yes sir.
Mr. Smith. In that case, you would
have to get permit from the Mexi-
can government, would you not?
Mr. Swing. Well, can not imagine
anybody refusing to allow you to i'm
prove their property.
Mr.. Hayden. They have not refused
heretofore, but they have penalized
you.
Mr.. Swing. Yes; they profit two
ways; first, the protection derived
from it when completed, and, second
the taxes and duties they collect while
the work going on. They collect du-
ties on the material that goes into the
protection work. We have had as many
as 500 men down there working, and
all at once crowd of 'MeXicans will
show up and claim that the night be
fore there was head tax imposed and
the company must pay it; the men do
not pay it; the company must pay 1t;
the men will not stand for holding it
out of their pay.
Mr.. Rose. There is a S. tax on mules
in addition to the tax on men, is there
not?
Mr.. Swing. Whatever they can tax;
yes.
Mr.. Smith. When you speak Of your
company, do you mean the irrigation
district?
Mr.. Swing. Yes; the Imptrial irriga-
ton district.
Mr. Chairman. Is it the local govern
nor who imposes these duties?
Mr.. Swing. 1t is a very interesting
situation. Whichever one you are talk
ing to, it is always the other one who
has done it; he says, 81 am your
friend, and will try to get it cut
down." With these Carranza people
and the others, it seems to me, it is
game of catch-as-catch-can; each one
is trying to get all he can out of the
Americans.
Mr.. Little. Do they get any of the
proceeds of those taxes in Mexico
City?
Mr.. Swing. Yes, sir. The understand
ing seems to be that the right to To-
cal taxes is with the local govern
mcnt, and the right to general taxes
and duties rests with the general gov
ernmcnt, and each one is free to take
want he can get in hia own field.