Imperial Valley press., 1922-11-04

All public officers, boards, commits
sions and agencies of the state are
directed in Section XIV of the proposed
Water and Power Amendment to turn
over to the Water and Power board all
data and information and give the
Water and Power board every assist
ance to carry out the provisions of the
amendment, thus making the most i'm
portant agencies of the state subser-
Went to the Water and Power board.
| In Section XVI is the usual ''sop'
to the labor unions.
Definitions of terms used in the
| amendment are contained i'll Section
XVII.
The last article is the executing
article and allows the Legislature to
enact any laws desired by the board
to further and facilitate its operations.
1t is we'll recognized by farming com
munities and by those who have drafted
and executed laws governing install
alton of power projects on streams used
for irrigation that the power installa
tions should stand alone and not in
any way be supported by the irriga
tion projects. Flood control and irrga
of power projects as incidental thereto,
are an entirely different and separate
activity, and must be self supporting
The irrigation districts should not be
assessed for the development of power
projects on the same streams.
One of the major provisions of the
federal water and power commission
act restricts power companies from
ownership of water in the public do.
main. A power company may neither
withhold nor interfere with the natural
stream flow anywhere within the United
States, where that flow is required be-
low the power plants for irrigation.
The federal act also provides that all
construction and installations made by
power companies or streams shall he
constructed i'm such manner that the
highest conservation and flood control
may be attained. The power companies
are required to release the waters inn
pounded and used for the generation
of power, in such manner and in such
quantity as shall best serve the needs
of irrigation.
As final cap sheaf to these wise
provisions, the federal power commits
sion act provides that no irrigator on
the stream, and no irrigator in the dis
trict in which the waters of the stream
are used, shall be charged single
penny by the power company for any
of the works, (either directly or eollat-
crally) installed by the power company
for such impounding and flood control
by the power companies.
Thus the farmers, under the provi-
sions of the federal power commission
act. are actually benefited by the
streams which those farmers use for
irrigation.
Should the Water and Power Amend
ment prevail these farmers will be
assessed their proportionate share for
every dollars worth of construction
installed by the Water and Power board
for power or other purposes ON streams
in California, and ii is almost certain
that when this occurs the privately
owned public utilities will at once seek,
through the courts, similar relief. The
farmers of the state of California will
have risen to the height of folly should
they vote to interfere by state enact
ment with the wise provisions of the
federal power commission act.
Public ownership is defined by the
highest courts as Ownership, control
and operation of utility by the people
through their responsible representa-
tives duly elected or appointed.
The proposed amendment carefully