Imperial Valley press., 1922-09-29
The Water and POWer Act
An analysis
BIZ CHARLES L. CHILDERs-
irrigation district.
IIoiton Power Company

Company, as found in the Imperia
County clerk s office are as follows:
That the purposes for which it
IS formed are to do and carry on
the following acts and business in
what is known us Imperial Valley
in the County of San Diego, State
OF California ,to-wit:
To acquire, hold, and control
wafer and water rights and con-
struet or acquire reservoirs, bitches
fumes, pipe lines and other con-
duits and works for the control and
conveyance of water and to hold,
use, sell or lease the same;
To acquire or construct electric
power plants anG all buildings,
machinery, appliances and works
necessary or useful for generating
electricity and TO hold, use, sell,
or lease the same fer that purpose;.
To construct or acquire and hold,
use, sell or lease lines of wire or
other means Of eanduits for con.
ducting and distributing electricity
and to sell, furnish aud deliver
electricity TO other corporations or
OF CONSUMERS for8power, lighting
and other purposes;
To acquire ANA hold, use, sell or
lease all lands, buildings and works,
Iights-of-way, and easements that
may be necessary or cxpedient for
amy of the aforesaid purposes;
To acquire, hold and sell stocks
and bonds of other corporations; .
TO buy, hold, improve, use and
sell real property for investment
and profits
To construct or acquire, own,
hold and operate packing houses,
ereameries, and any and all other
kinds of factories and manufacture
ing. and Industrial planAs and ma
chInery and engage in tire business
of manufacturing any and all kinds
of industrial and commercial pro-
ducts and carrying on any and all
kinds of industrial enterprises and
to sell any aud all such property
and business and the products there
Of;
To do all other acts and things
that may be necessary or eNpedlent
Tor carrying out ali or any of the
aforesaid purposes.
Powers Not Too Wide
No one has suggested that the power
of the irrigation district or of th
lIglton PoRer Gompany are too hfoaa
They arcnnot. They are only sue
powers as are necessary for earryifi
out their purposes. If the irrigatiol
district was given power to build 4
canals and bitches and own drcdge
and machinery, how effective woul'
that be if it could not build and owl
II railroad to convey its rock and othe
.- in, ?watMgr hdlu shrdlu OHM
for the construction of lcvie
and could not build and operate ma
chine shops to take care of its machin
cry? Los Angeles city saved vas
sum of moaey to The tax payers whci
il refused to buy cement from the sc
ment trusts and built its own ccmen
plant for the building Of the acqueduei
The power companies would like I
see these powers very much narowe'
so that the act would not be effective
but it is quite apparent if the peopl
are. to derive any benefits from thi
act the powers that are given to tn
board are not only entirely reasonabl
but quite necessary.
There is no reason to be frightene
over the power given this board. Tier
would be more cause TO be frightcnc
if the powers were more limited. tn
ownership Of public utilities is nc
a new thing, as we will discuss undo
a subsequent head. The Province 0
Ontario, Canada, has its hydro-electri
power commission and their fifteent
annual report is now on the press. Tn
powers given the commission in th
The Power Commission Act of On
tario" is fully as broad in every sens
as the powers contained in this adt an
yet there is no evidence that this con
mission, has run away with the Provinc
of Ontario. Los Angeles city has bee
operating its municipal light aud powe
plant for some little time now aud tn
department of public service has no
wrecked the city of Los Angeles. III
board cannot confiscate property Th
powers are only such as are require
ANY less would be dangerous.
Explains Other Sections
Sections lV, V and vi of the Waite
and Power Act, may and perhaps shoul
be treated together and provide q
folliws: ssx I ,s
Section 4. ~ -. 'is b
The California Water and Power
Finance committed, herein called
the committee, is hereby establish
cd, composed of the governor, con
troiler treasurer, chairman of the
board of control and chairman of
the board Of control and chairman
Of the California Water and Power
Board, all of whom shall serve
thereon without compensation. A
majority of the committee shall
constitute a quorum for the trans
action of business
Section s.
Bonds Of the state Of California.
not exceeding the sum Of five hun
dred million dollars (unless addi.
tional bonds are duly authorized
by law), may. be issued and sold
from time 60 time to carry out the
purposes of this article, and the full
faith and credit of the state of
California IS hereby pledged for
the payment Of thc princinni of eaid