Imperial Valley press., 1924-04-15
Barton Report
Is Give n to
Public "As Is
(Continued from pace ~

| necessary, however, to assign the
correct Importance to what is said
by those who crisicise. 1t is neces-
sar- to know whether the critic
reany has an understanding of the
situation, and sympathy for those
who have the problem to work out.
Those who have given the best
years of their lives to actual parti-
cipation in Imperial Valley hard
ships, who have pledged everything
they possess to the success of the
enterprise and who have made real
saerifics-these certainly are not
to be brushed airily aside by some
one whose sojourn in the valley has
not been long enough to learn the
history of projecss-how they came
into being and for. what purpose.
Recent structures upon the manage
ment of the Irrigation District con
/ tain such extravaganees of state
ment and sc many absurdisies show
ing lack of understanding that there
must be temptation to minimize
everything that has been said.
However, there is much Of the
puL;shed criticism for which there
is Sch :. showing of authority that
officials cannot be excused Tor ig-
noring it. Much of it reflects Il
point of view to which it is prob
able that concessions should be
made, and some of it voices judg
ments which appear to be we'll sup
ported by facts.
| The substance Of the criticism
which has been directed toward the
management of the Irrigation Dis
trict is discussed in order under the
following heads.
Disregard for the Taxpayers
t Interests
There is no foundation for
the statement that there j has
been usjer disregard for The
taxpayers interesta Unques-
tionably much has been done
st was not wise;. much. that
o..e cannot agree with; very
much that would be done diff
fereltly were it to be done over
again; but there is nothing to
indicate that officials of the
District have not acted in good
faith for the best interests of
the people as it has been given
them to know these interests
and as they have had wisdom to
discover the right course.
Hs the Law. Been Disregarded?
The first law, according to an
ft-quoted proyerb, is the law of
self-preservation. 1t is this law
that officials of the district have
always been under pressure of. The
need has always been to get things
done-in accordance with law if
possible-but to get them done.
Violence may. sometimes have been
done to the strict letter of the law.
1t could hardly have been other
wise, because officials of Imperial
Irrigation District have operated un-
der a law which had not been fully
interpreted. 1t is erroneous to
claim tina. the law governing coun-
ties supplies precedents or furnish
es the fundamentals which are to
govern in IL erpreting the law reg
ulating irrigation districts. lrriga
tion Districts operate under special
law; they have special privileg as
which The law creating them reeog-
nizes that it is both desirable and
necessary that they should ! have.
Emergencies have pressed too hard
to wait for supreme court decisions.
All that could be required of Off
cials of the District, under the cir
| eumstances, was 10 do the best they
know. 1t is futile and absurd at
| this date to bubble over fine points
/ of the law when the situations in
! volving them have passed, prob
ably never to return. Moreover, the
| best practive is in advance of the
law and we should better employ
our time and talents now by capital.
izing experience and endeavoring
/; to bring the law and practice into
| harmony.
Waste and Extravaganza -.
| Tho charges which have
been made on this score must
be admitted to be at Least par
tally sustained. This statement
applies to the substance and not
! to the spirit of those charges.
| The errors into which the ad-
! ministration haI fallen are due
/ rather to thu circumstances
surrounding the development Of
| the project and not to NAL
feasance on the part of Irri-
CATION District officials.
| There has been "A legacy of confu
] sion which Directors have had to
! make the most of. However, it is
the finding here that situation ex
lists which is capable of improve
ment and which it is the duty OF
the administrative offices of the
| District to correct.
Accounting Department
! The accounting department of tho
| District is in competent hands. The
| system is designed to supply the in
| formation which is required and
| that represents the purpose of az
| accounting system. Whether require
yments are necessary is another mat
ter. 1t is not apparent that NOR,
help is employed than is necessary
if the work is to be done, and il
is not a fact that extravagant sal
aries are paid for the class of he'll
; which it is necessary to employ
There is appended hereto roster
( of employees together with the sal
aries paid and the character Of EN-
/ ployment. Also, general informa