Imperial Valley press., 1924-04-16

sphere of public ownership and to-
ward public direction of all those
! activities that touch the interest
/ and the welfare of the people. We
must admit not only that such Il
! tendency exists, but that it is right
{ and good that it should be so, and
that in the end experience proves
! that it is wisest and best.
REPORT IS RESUMED
FROM YESTERDAY
NoteAFrom the following
paragraph on, the report is
picked up at the point where it
was discontinued yesterday in
these columns, and will appear
as a daily feature until the 40
page report, in its entirety, is
printed.
/ Waste and Extravaganza in Opera
ton and Maintenance
! The two main operating divisions
/ of the District are under men of the
very highest repatation. Since con-
solidation rapid strides have been
made in reducing operating forces
/ to actual necessities. The annual
report of the chief engineer shows
very substantial economies over
those in effect under the mutual
water companies and in this direc-
| tion the end is not yet as not all
plans are in full operation. How
ever, the system has been somewhat
; complicated by a recent court de-
! cision.
II is felt to be a duty to state
here than many responsible ranchers
express the opinion that the Dis
trict is not getting full days work
/ out of unskilled labor. Men have
so testified who are not in any way
| involved in the criticism of the Dis
i trict management. Several who have
been interviewed include the dredge
crews and claim that there is poor
! efficiency in that class of opera
! tions. On the other hand, one who
! has had an acquaintance with mu
tual water company experience and
who employs unskilled labor in his
! own farming operations declares
/ that Irrigation District results are
average. 1t is a question of what
a rather low order of unskilled labor
may really be expected to produce.
Waste Of Materials and Equipment
One of the charges against the I'm
perial Irrigation District Is that
good equipment is thrown away
without reasonable efforts to re-
| pair or reconstruct, and that effort
is not made to salvage at the junk
value, such materials and equipment
as become obsolete in the ordinary
! course of operation.
At the various headquarters Of the
| District there is large amount of
equipment which is either junk or
presently ready to become such.
Much of this Is old and obso-
lete material and equipment tax
en- over from the mutual water
( companies at the time that con-
solidation was effected and of
which disposition has not yet
been made, although negotia-
tions are pending for the sale Of
considerable quantity of this
stuff. There is little doubt the
Irrigation District accepted
from the mutual water COM
panies much equipment which
practically valueless, and other
equipment which would soon be-
come obsolete. This stuff Is ly-
ing about the yards and is the
equipment to which reference
is made in published criticism.
The settlement with the mutual
water companies for equipment was
largely matter of expediency. Ir-
rigation District officials were not
deceived concerning the value of the
stuff but did not consider it wise
or polite under all the eircum-
stances to continue an endless
haggling over the price at which
this equipment should be accepted.
The mutual water companies had
the equipment on hand and there
was nothing for the District to do
but to accept it on such terms as
could be agreed upon. In the final
analysis no one was injured and
the adjustment probably equalized
the matter as well as could be done.
Anyway, this is the explanation of
the presence of considerable guam
tity of material in the yards of the
District and there appears no rea-
sonable procedure now except to
make the most of it.
At the River Division Of the Dis
trict there is a large amount of
equipment which has been abandon
ed or become obsolete during the
course of operation in that divi-
sion. Some Of this has been charg
ed into the cost of protective opera
tions and some of it still stands on
the books at its equipment value
less whatever amount has been
charged off for depreciation.
Carrying These Parts
The store at Andrade is still carry
ing the following parts and renewals
for equipment which has become OBJ
solete or has been abandoned:
Speeder parts q cycles ............170.00
Pump pats ..-..----.----...-..-......--...
Ford parts (prior to 1919 LOO. 90
Dump car parts .-...........--.-....... 32.O0
Chucks for lathe ......--.....-.......-..375.00
Fire hose (212) .................--..... 1000
Steam packing -..--...-......-.......-..100.00
Piling shoes 90
Oil burner parts .....---................ 1000
Angle bars
Dredge parts .-.-........-....---.........- l4.06
Electrical
In an age which is SO alert for
efficiency, obsolescence of equip
ment is one of the factors upon
which every enterprise is obliged to