Imperial Valley press., 1923-01-30
MCPHERSON not
WITH ROSE in
COMPACT FIGHT
President of Board in
Effort to Get Bill
Through Senate
Farm Bureau Position
Sees as Suicide to
Valley

J. S. Nickerson, president of the
Imperial Irrigation District, returns
from Washington with a velv dir
terent message from that brought
by Mark Rose. Mr.. Nickersos IS
for the Santa Fe pact first, last and
al the time and regards its ratifi-
1cation by the California Legislature
as of the greatest importance, not
merely for settlement of the col
orado river question in general, but
for that part of the river program
in which Imperial Valley has
special interest.
Mr.. Nickerson came from Los An
geles this morning. lie arrived in
Los Angeles yesterday from WASH
inItOn and came Oh to III Centre
10 be present at the meeting of the
directors today. Mr.. Nickerson says
that John Stewart Ross, the other
member Of the Washington oelega
tion is returning by way of Sacra-
mrntO, where he will arrive today
for u conference with Asscmblyman
Davis and other Southern California
members of the two houses of the
legislature.
! ..aj3 Says Pact Orly Way
I Mr.. Nickcrson wakes earnest
whenever mention is made of the
attitude OF the Farm Bureau and
certain other local factions toward
the Santa f'e pact. Without rat
ification of the Santa Fe pact rs a
necessary preliminary nothing can
be done. Ii ratification of the pact
is blocked we may as well hang up
our fiddle ana our bow for nothing
will be done in the way of settle
ment of the Colorado river question
within our day.
$50 far as / learned, everyone in
Washington with vision of this
whole matter and an understanding
of the procedure by which these
things work out is agreed that adj
justment of the fundamentals of the
Colorado question rs embodied in
the Santa Fe pact is the frs: thing
that must be done. No serious con
sideration will be given to the
Swing johnson bill or any other
measure until the states involved
have come to an agreement upon the
main issues. With the Santa Fe
agreement ratified, Congress will be
willing to take up something else,
but not until them
Suicide to Oppose
Mr.. Nickerson believes that it
would be suicide for Imperial Val
ley to permit itself to be placed on
record as opposed to the pact or in
fact to permit itself to be involved
in any of the other squabbles.
"Our problems center about flood
protection, said Mr.. Nickerson
:, land there we should stop. To &c
further than that will involve us in
a back fire of opposition from the
one faction or another. Los Angeles
, city is in Washington seeking tC
, further its particular interest and
= the power companies are there wifi
e an eye single to their own interests
| Each is watching the other and
watching everyone else who comes
: into the question from any angle
, whatever. Imperial Valley is in 6
strong position so long as 1t attend,
4 to its own business looking after the
thing III which it is interested anc
keeping out of everything else
Personally. / have no interest in 10,
Angeles, the power interest nor any
one else except Imperial Valley. Al
, of our future is wrapped up Ia set
: Element of this matter and the con
struction of storage works.
!, would be Undesirable folly for tn
0 valley TO attempt to block ratifica
E ton of the Santa Fe pact and there
o by incur the hostility of all of thos
Q whose support is vital to our suc
cess.'
j. Wants Delegation
v Mr.. Nickerson favors sending
/. delegation to Sacramento to worl
g for ratification of the pact. He be
O lieves that everything possibl
a should be done to offset the effort
Q Of the Farm Bureau in attempting
V TO put the valley on record as in
n position Of opposition to the pact o
1, as agreeable to any program whic
F. tends to complicate or confuse tn
n main issue.
}. Tha. main issue, Mr.. Nickcrso
e considers to be the attempt to arriv
Il 1t friendly settlement of the Col
r orado river question in a spirit o
broad,minded fairness, reeognizin
the rights of everyone, asking TO
. no more than is fair for ourselvc,
d and entering Nhole-heartedly upon
% program of cooperation fer tn
general good of all.