Imperial Valley press., 1919-06-10
.HA R MONY IS
KEYNOTE: OF:
MEETING WITH
BODY

A spirit of harmony prevailed at
a meeting this morning OF the COM
mittee of sixteen farmers sent by
the Associated Chambers of Com
merce to Yuma with directors of the
Irrigation District. At the close of
the meeting the committee and the
board of directors pledged hearty sup
port to each other in meeting the
citical situation with the District and
the farmers face alike this summer in
getting plenty of water out of the
river.
The committee, through talks by
nearly all Of its members, declared
that the visit to Yuma had brought
out the fact most clearly that the
people Of Yuma valley will not permit
the rebuilding of the weir this sum-
mer unless there is some definite step
taken by the Imperial Valley toward
construction of the All-American ca
nal. The committee presented as So
luton Of the problem that immediate
steps to construct that part of the
All-American canal from Laguna dam
to Pilot Knob be taken. 1t was also
suggested that a brush weir might
be installed in the river in case of
the most extreme emergency. 70 the
proposition that something definite
toward the building of the All-Amer-
ican canal must be done at once, the
members of the board agreed.
President Nickerson, however, stat
ed that the board is now working
along this line and has gone so far
as to address the All-American canal
engineers urging that the engineers
report, with plans and specifications,
be sent as soon as possible.
Secretary Mclver read letter from
Engineer w. w. Schlect, a member of
the engineering commission, stating
that the report in final detail is be-
ing held up because of delay in gath
ering some Of the minor cost details.
The letter promised. however, that
general report would be submitted in
about two weeks.
President Nickerson, in reply to
members of the committee, all OF
whom expressed their confidence in
the board, said that if the members
wished to help the board they might
assist in signing up the petitions for
the $2,500,000 bond issue He de-
clared that this bond issue is abso-
lutely necessary and Of immediate I'M
portance.
On his suggestion, most of the COM
mitteemen took copies of the peti-
tion and promised to circulate them
among their friends.
Members of the committee sug-
gested that the boards 90 on record
as favoring the immediate building
of the first leg of the all-American
canal, from Laguna Dam to Pilot
Knob, making the canal large enough
not only to water the present area
of the District, btu to supply the me-
sa lands as we'll. The directors put
their heads together for moment,
and then Director McPherrin, speak
ing for the board, requested that this
matter be not pressed for week or
two, as the board desired to have a
free hand in negotiations which viii
be taken up in the next three or four
days with Yuma.
President Nickerson said that the
full board is planning to go to Yuma
in few days, accompanied by Ma
ior Leeds of the War Department, in
the hope of making some sort of deal
with the people of Yuma. He declared
that, with the full support of the peo-
pie of the Valley back of them, the
board is confident that it can reach
an agreement with Yuma