Imperial Valley press., 1919-01-20

as one of the considerations on wnich
they will let us go to Laguna Dam,
and they have said that is their de-
termination, because they have TO
have that power to carry out their
own plans.
ALL-AMERICAN CANAL.
''Now as to the cost of an all-Ameri-
can canal You are not going to get
something for nothing. Whenever
man comes around and makes that
kind of proposition, put che hand
on your pocketbook and the other on
your watch, and look out. The lands
that are going to benefit by any irri-
cation works have to pay their just
proportionate cost thereof, whether
you call yourself a project a district.
or whatever you call yourself, and
that is simply all the contract pro-
vides for here, that the land benefited
shall bear its just proportion of the
cost. We cannot set money from the
government without interest by going
under the Reclamation Service. Mr..
Davis said in my presence, that very
Shrewd Congressman had figured the
government was losing 10 or more per
cent of its investment, by not charg-
ing interest He was an Eastern Con-
gresham, and said why should New
York and The Atlantic Coast States be
taxed to improve lands in Colorado
and California? Mr.. Davis said that
he hoped that the government would
keen it's faith with those projects al
ready started but he had no hope Of
-. a. euy luDn7. TO- IuHr. ','''.-9 e.,
without interest Mr.. Mondell, who is
called the father of reclamation pro-
iects. introduced bill, which bill APP
propriates $50,000,000 for reclamation
projects, to be repaid with per cent
interest. And those are projects
which have already been statred by
the government. l want to say to
you that it was made very clear to
us by our Senators and Congressmen
that it is difficult to get an appropria-
ton from Congress.
Congressman Osborne says that
propositions that you and | would
readily agree are so meritorious that
Congress ought to appropriate the
money without an argument, the East
ern Congressman and Senators will
violently oppose and call it the graft
of the Western states in taxing the
Eastern states to pay for improve
ments in the Western states.
"Mr. Davis said the same thing.
"Mr. Lane, / think, has something
that is going through. | think the
entire American nation feels so CRATE
ful towards the boys who went over
there and offered everything they had,
that American Congressmen are go
ing to help to show in some material
way the appreciation the people feel
"Mr. Lanes $100,000,000 project is
meeting with public APPROVAL, and
some community is going to be af-
forded the privilege of participating
with Secretary Lane in that project,
and I am not afraid to say that We
have one of the best propositions to
assist The government in carrying out
this plan.
Mr.. Bradley, confidential advisor
and assistant to the Secretary, said:
There may be some other project
which offers more favorable returns to
Mr. Lanes program than the Imperial
Valley, but if there is, L don't know it.
That is where | think our oportunity
lies in getting assistance from the
government. Some of you people are
SO suspicious Of your own folks that
you know that you would rather have
the money expended under the. super
vision OF men you don't know, and
who are 5000 miles away, than have
it expended by men you have known
for a great many years, and know all
about That is perfectly natural and
human, and | don't criticize anybody
that feels that way. The contract eX-
preSsly provides that the All-American
Canal shall be built absolutely under
the control and supervision of the Sec
retary of The Interior, which means
under the supervision of engineers of
the United States government.
>. :. GET OUT OF MEXICO.
"The other important feature be-
sides getting to Laguna Dam is the
getting of our canal out of Mexico. Mr..
Holt mentioned some of The phases of
our legal relationship with Mexico.
With all due respect for Governor
Cantu, who is an exceptional man, the
necessity of operating water system
which is largely in "a foreign country,
is very unsatisfactory. So it is di.--.-
cult for us to understand the MeXi-
can language and Mexican laws and
Mexican courts and Mexican proceed
ure. There must be some reason why
land on this side Of the line is worth
a lot more than on that side. on
ditions over there are still considered
unstable and uncertain. If we had our
water on this side OF the line also, our
land would be worth a great deal
more.
"Under present arrangements we
will get less waller each year. We
are here because we have water. We
will leave whenever the water stops.
There is only 100000 acres in exico
today in cultivation, there is about an
other 100000 that can be put in. There
is cheap coolie labor now at work un-
der the direction OF capital, rapidly
reclaiming that land, and putting it un-
der cultivation. There is 10000 acres
under the Imperial Irrigation District
that has never been under water, and
that land is just as much entitled to
water as your land because every
acre of land under this district has
exactly the same right to the water,
1t doesn't take a wise man or woman
TO figure out which side of the bound
airy line will have to 30 without