Imperial Valley press., 1922-08-21
SWING URGES FAST
WORK IN SUPPORT
OF BOULDER BILL

( "If the people Of California fail to
return Hiram Johnson to the United
States. Senate, much Of the work all
ready accomplished in behalf of legis-
lation for the construction of Boulder
Canyon dam will be lost and the ulti-
mate success Of the bill now before the
arid lands committee made extremely
said Congressman Phil u.
Swing in his first address upon his re-
turn from Washington, at the State
Street Christian church last evening.
In opening his address, Mr.. Swing
said it is not his purpose in returning
to California to tell people how they
shall vote, but to acquaint them with
the progress made on the Boulder dam
project and get their co-operation in
putting through. legislation favorahla
to it, in the shortest possible time. Hss
has been at one end of the game in
Washington, and the people here in the
valley at the other, he said, and his
present visit is to compare notes and
find the quickest and best way to in
sure success of the greatest construc-
tive problem the west, OF any other part
of the United States has ever had to
deal with.
Dam Means New Empire
/, CONSTRUCTION of Boulder dam by
the government means not only the
prosperity of Imperial Valley, and Cali.
fornia,' said Mr.. Swing, "but the
prosperity of the entire territory en-
braced in the country drained by the
Colorado river, and will make possible
the building of an immense empire on
what is now worthless land. II will
provide homes for hundreds of ex-ser-
vice men, make the southwest the
granary of the nation, and supply suffi-
cient power to enable the cities of the
Pacific Coast to surpass the eastern
states as the manufacturing section OF
the country. The east always will have
manufacturing troubles as long as it Is
dependent upon coal as the source OF
its power. The Pacific Coast, with the
hydro electric power developed, by
Boulder dam, will not have to face this
problem.
cat the present time, the Swing bill
for the construction of Boulder dam
has the support of President Harding
Secretary Fall and Secretary Hoover
and several members Of the arid lands
lcommittee 1t was introduced i'll the Sen
| ate by Senator Johnson, who has beer
q staunch advocate of the Boulder dan
proposition from the start, and who
| BY the position he holds in the Senate
| is able to make progress toward favor
able legislation, much better than ;
| new man, who, according to the tradi
| ton and custom of Congress, has t.
start at the bottom and work his wa,
up, before he reaches a place where hi
ideas or influence count for anything.
Enough Engineers Now, He Says
| "Mr. Johnson not only has <h
respect and admiration of the Unite'
States Senate, but because of his tre
mendous driving power and inexhausfi
BILE energy, is in position to champion
the rights of. the people of Imperia
Valley and the state of California, sucl
as no other man ever sent to Congress
| from this state. He understands thu
necessity of Boulder dam to the people
of Imperial Valley, realizes the prob
lens they have had to contend with. il
the past when the Colorado rive
has threatened, them, with destruction
and is aware of the claims of the ex
service men on the government to tb'
end that they shall be provided will
homes by the construction of this dam
"Claims have been made that Mr.
Moore, being an eminent engineer, vii
be better able to help the people of I'm
perial valley in connection with thu
Boulder dam project than Hiram John
son. With the desk Of Secretary Hoover
stacked high with engineering data
with the minds Of dozens of the kcencs'
engineers in the country centered on
this one project for years, the crying
need at the present time is not fol
more engineers, but for legislative
champion, who can cut through the end
less mass Of red tape, overcome govern
ment inactivity, corporation opposition