The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-09-09
WATER DISPUTE
IN Los ANGELES
CROWS BITTER
Artificial Famine of the
Grafters Is Exposed
tspeeIaI 70 La pany WorIserl

Especial to The Daily Worker)
LOS ANGELES, Cal, Sept. S.-Near-
ly fifteen years ago there was water
famine in this city The Times (Otis
and Chandler), the Examiner (Hearst)
and the Express C. t. Earl) Joined
in the cry that water must be brought
from distance. 1t was done. Water
rights were acquired in the Owens
River Valley, and water was brought
$50 miles over mountains and desert.
The argument was that as more and
more water is used by the citizens Of
Los Angeles, less and less remains for
the farmers of the Owens River Val
ley. Without water for irrigation
their farms will again become desert.
Some time ago section of the
aqueduct was dynamited. The city
engineer Of Los Angeles, Bill Mulhol-
land, who has been in charge Of the
aqueduct from the beginning has been
threatened with death.
clty's Man Kidnapped.
Recently, L. c. Hall, OF Los Angeles,
who has been aiding agents Of the
city to buy water rights, was kidnap-
ped and beaten. Further violence is
prophesied by the Owens Valley Her.
aid.
A commission Of Los Angeles city
officials has just reached the valley
where it will try to settle the dispute
by paying indemnity.
Graft had full sway when the aque-
duct was built. 1t has been charged
that desert lands needed for the right
of way were bought by a real estate
syndicate and resold to the city at
enormous profits.
Politicians Want Aqueduct.
Among the members of this syndi.
cate were the politicians and news
paper publishers who most loudly de.
manded the aqueduct.
This syndicate bought the San Fer
nando Valley, triangle Of desert
nearly fifteen miles long on each side
1t lies just north of Hollywood, separ-
ated by range of hills. This land
was laid out in farms and townsites
and resold at an enormous profit
Later the Valley was annexed TO the
city, and aqueduct water irrigates
these farms. Some water was at
hand, but only the aqueduct could sup
ply enough to serve the entire valley
Investigate Aqueduct.
Twelve years ago the Los Angeles
Record (Scripps syndicate) was radi-
cal 1t supported the socialist ticket
in city elections. And it forced an in
vestigation of the aqueduct. Like
most Investigations, it brought no re-
suit The three newspapers involved
in the syndicate, and two others con-
trolled by these, hushed up things,
attacked the investigators, lied, as
brass check editors can lie.
Whether the water famine had been
real or artificial could not be proven.
But some facts came out. In places
the cement conduits carrying the wat.
er had already burst under the pres
sure In others the concrete was so
soft that a stick could be poked thru
| it, And still worse. The water came
across the desert in an open ditch
with steep sloping sides OF smooth
cement. Coyotes and other animals
seeking water fell in and we're swept
away It became necessary to skim
the dead animals off the reservoirs
every once in a while, as the reser-
voirs became clogged. Protests by
physicians finally compelled the city
officials to fence in these open bitches.
The water is unusually alkaline. It
is not fit to drink. nor for cooking, nor
even to wash with. All it is really fit
for is TO irrigate the syndicate's lands