Imperial Valley press., 1924-08-05

.
f. Kellog, of FL Centre, from Mayor
John L. Bacon Of San Diego.
The letter from Mayor Bacon came
! without any solicitation and is n
frank statement of one of the lead
ing citizens of the southwest, whose
integrity and desire for the public
welfare has never been questioned.
Mayor Bacon has been intimate
~ connected with effort to obtain
passage of the Swing-Johnson bill,
il is true, but this has only served
to give him clearer insight into
the entire question of developing
the Colorado river. and has placed
him in the position of speaking
with authority and with n thorough
knowledge of his subject. The let
ter in its entirety follows:
San Diego, Calf,
July 81, 1924.
Mr.. 4. E. kellogg,
FL Centre. California.
Dear Mr.. Kellog:
| have been asked to express my
opinion regarding the All-American
canal feature of the Swing-Johns0n
bin and its possible effect upon the
passage of that bill
In Washington
This spring, | spent five weeks in
Washington trying to help forward
the passage of the Swing-JohnSon
bill and doing what l could TO help
before the hearings of the arid lands
committee.
During the past two years | have
made several trips to the Imperial
Valley to try to aequaint myself
with the conditions. existing there
and to find out if possible what
the people of the valley actually
wanted i'll the way of legislation in
connection with Boulder Canyon
dam.
San Diego is anxious to help I'M
perial Valley obtain such legislation
as Imperial Valley deems necessary
to forward its project. This is our
only interest and we are interested
in seeing that Imperial Valley OBJ
tains what flood protection and wa
ter assurance is needed for future
irrigation work. Ny visits to the
valley have firmly impressed me
that it is the desire of the people
there TO have the All-Ameriean can
al feature OF the bill pushed for
ward.
The fact that over fifty thousand
American farmers are depending
upon water that must first bel
brought around through a foreign
seems to be one of the
strongest arguments that was used
before the arid lands committee that
is considering the bill. lne further
fact that even a small rebellion in
Mexico might destroy the canal and
thereby wipe out of existence the
Imperial Valley, seemed to make a |
very great impression upon the |
members of congress who sat upon
he committee.
Much Misrepresentation
THE ONLY OBJECTION that /
heard voiced to the All-American
anal feature came from two sourc-
IS First, from the men or inter
.sts who are opposed to government
Il construction of Boulder dam
-NDED ANY CIRCUMSTANCES !
md secondly, THE MEN OR IN
rERESTS WHO OWNED OR CON
LANDS IN MEXICO, or
yhoo were interested in such deyel-
,pment.
Within the last month L have
ieard the statement made by Il mem
)er of the Presidents cabinet that |
he thing that was delaying legis
alton in connection with Boulder !
lam construction was the fact that |
Arizona had failed to ratify the pact |
lrawn up by the Colorado River /
This cabinet member |
made no statement whatever in con
lection with the All-American canal |
1ut gave it as his opinion that the
lelaying feature or the delaying
fact existing today is Arizona s ac
ion, or rather, lack of action.
Much misrepresentation has been
made in San Diego, and l presume is
)eing made in Imperial Valley as TO
What the actual provisions of the !
1ill are.
The assumption has been here that |
congress can arbitrarily compel the
imperial Valley to issue bonds for
lie construction of the All-Ameri-
AN canal and thereby impose tax
ipon the farmers of Imperial VAL
ey. This is not the ease. The facts
are that the Swing gJohnson billl
imply would permit construction of
he All-American canal and make
{ possible for the men in Imperial |.
Valley, if they so desire, to vote
,onds and carry out this project, to
ave the government put it through |
or them, or as an alternative, it
would make it possible for the gov
rnment, if they so desired, which
$ hardly possible, to construct the
anal and turn it over as a gift to
he farmers of Imperial Valley.
In no ease does it seem possible
hat the government would con
truct the canal and charge it up
0 the people of Imperial Valley
without their first having the peo
lie of the valley voluntarily, by
'oting bonds, assume the obligation.
think you will find that this talk
f the so-ealled harmfulness of the
canal feature of the
'wing-J ohnson bill,' is coming
lrgely from two sources. First,
hose who are anxious to defeat
he Boulder Canyon project, and Of
curse defeat the author of the
wing - Johnson bill. Second, those
eonle who are Drimarily anxious TO