Imperial Valley press., 1919-05-07
VOTERS ORDERS
IS INSTRUCTION
TO At TTORNEY


indicated at the election of January
q, will be the basis for the activ1-
ties of the special Washington dele
cation being sent to Washington, ac-
cording to a decision reached by the
board of directors of the Irrigation
District late yesterday afternoon.
The following letter of instructions
was adopted to guide Attorney Phil
D. Swing in his work at the national
capital:
1T is the intention of this Board,
as soon after Congress shall convene
as may be expedient, to send a COM
mittee to Washington to present TO
Congress through proper departmental
channels, our request TOR immediate
assistance, in the construction of an
all-American canal, and in the for
nation of more full and complete
policy sanctioned by the government
for the complete solution of our prob
lens of finance, international rela
tions and flood protection.
"In behalf of the Board, you will
go to Washington to take up with the
Honorable Franklin X. Lane, Secre-
tary of the Interior, Director A. P.
Davis of the Reclamation Service, and
the heads of such other departments
and Congressional committees as are
most advised and concerned in the
examination and consideration of
such problems as now confront US
(the matters herein referred toy with
| the view of ascertaining how best to
present the same in concrete form to
| Congress with our request for such
| legislation as may be required for
speedy action.
"Your Board is of the opinion that
departmental approval and support
must be secured in advance of any
actual presentation to Congress of
a specific request for its action.
"You will therefore arrange for
such conferences with Secretary Lane
and department heads and such hear
ings before departments and commit
tees as may be necessary, and advise
| this Board forthwith and in detail to
the end that such other and further
committees from this Board and the
Valley as may best present our cas-
may be in attendance with you when
required.
"During the time that this Board
has been in office, it has been the
profound conviction of each of its
members that the authority and re-
|
adequately, and in sufficient time to
prevent disaster, properly complete
the work of reclaiming and protect
ing the arid lands of Imperial Val
ley, heretofore undertaken by private
capital, and now being carried on
under the Irrigation District law of
this state. The magnitude of this
work, involving, as it does, the ne
cessity for the immediate construc
tion of new diversion works on the
Colorado river, the building of ca
nal on American soil for the delivery
cf water to 100000 acres of land en-
braced within the boundaries of the
District, as we'll as upwards of 250,-
900 acres public lands in this county
not now watered, and the mainte-
nance of flood protective works on
foreign soil, renders it, in our opin-
ion, incapable of longer pclng dealt
with by private enterprise.
at is the avowed policy of this
Board to ask the authorities in Wash
ington to consider the Imperial VAL
ley and its financial, construction and
protective problems as proper field
for government action in present
development of the boundless resour-
ces of the Colorado river basin as a
source of water supply for arid lands.
"This we believe to be the unit
ed desire of all of the people of the
valley.
"In pursuit of this policy, this
Board, under date of October %, 1918,
entered into contract with the Unit
ed States, the Hon. Franklin x.
Lane, Secretary of the Interior acting
on behalf of the government, which
contract provides for connection
with Laguna dam and the construc-
tion by the District of an all-American
canal therefrom to connect with the
Districts present canal systme in I'M
perial county.
"The estimated cost of such work
is approximately $30.000,000.
"At an election called for the pur-
pose and held on the 21st day of Jam
uary, 1919, the people Of the Valley
ratified the action of the Board of Di-
rectors in entering into this contract,
believing, upon declaration mace by
the Board, based on statements made,
and correspondence received, by and
; from the department heads in Wash
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