Imperial Valley press., 1921-04-16
AMENDMENT !
Of BENEFIT
TO EN- TIRE
VALLEY
Colorado River Power De-
vel0pment Measure Re-
ceives Support From Many
Civic Bodies in Every Sec
ton of State.
Especial to The PreSS.h

SACRAMENTO, April 16-Har-
Messing of the Colorado River in a
huge S100,O00,OOO irrigation, hydro
electric, flood control program destined
to supply a fourfold increase in cleo
tric power supply in Southern Califor-
MO is made a possibility through pro-
posed constitutional amendment No.
II introduced by Assemblyman Frank
F. Merriam of Long Beach, and pub
lished in The Press of Wednesday last
when the Imperial Irrigation District
by resolution endorsed it.
Seven western states, California,
Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah,
Colorado and Wyoming. are jointly
concerned in the proposition, and will,
it is hoped, all combine in assisting
the Federal government engineers in
perfecting 4 plan whereby the Colora-
dos potentialities for destruction shall
be turned to beneficent uses.
Merriam's proposed amendment to
the state constitution would serve as
an enabling act providing as follows:
That the state of California, OR any
municipal corporation or political sub
division of said state, may provide for
utilizing of controlling the water of
any stream situated outside of this
state, or partly within and partly with
out this state, or many enter into con-
tracts with political organizations or
subdivisions outside of the state to
acquire, establish, construct, own and
maintain works, plants or structures
for furnishing water or electric en-
ergy.
Completion Of certain proposed
construction affecting Southern Cali
fornia, it is said, would supply 4,000,-
900 additional horse power to the
southern portion of the state and
would make available water for irri-
eating hundreds of thousands of arid
acres.
This amendment" Merriam ex-
planned, "is offered at this time in an
ticipation of the future needs and op-
portlinities of the state and especially
Of Southern California.
1T is general law applicable to
the entire state and of equal import
ance to every section, although the
prospective improvements to be de-
vised by the Federal government in
the Colorado river region, affording
almost unlimited development of the
water and electric facilities, make an
act of this kind especially desirable
to the south.
1T is only the part of wisdom and
foresight to prepare now to take ad-
vantage of these opportunities, two
years being required to complete the
consideration and obtain a vote of the
people on the proposed amendment" "
Northern and Central California
representatives are expected to sup
port the Merriam resolution because
of the claim that development of the
Colorado river project will take care
of the needs of Southern California,
portions of the state virtually a
free rein in developing the power re-
sources of the San Joaquin valley.
In brief supporting the proposed
amendment, the following argument
is made:
"The amendment is proposed in view
of the fact that the United States Re-
clamation service, under special au-
thority of congress, is now making in
vestigations looking to the establish
ment of works on the Colorado river
! for reclamation of arid lands and
which would also afford flood protec-
ton, and opportunities for the develop
/ ment of electrical power, and that the
Federal Power commission, established
under act of congress, has stated that
it is about to make a complete study
of the Colorado river basin to deter
mine a proper plan for the utilization
and control of the waters of the river
having regard to irrigation, powe,
developmen and flood control
The development Of the Colorado
river is needed to provide for the re,
clamation of arid lands in Southern
California; for the protection of the