Imperial Valley press., 1925-03-14
District Leaders
Make Hard Fight
For Reservations
BY MYRoN v. DEPEW.
Omitted Press Staff Correspondsnt)

SACRAMENTO, Mar 14.--Thc
fight of farmers of the Imperial
Valley to obtain provisions in the
ratification of the Colorado .riycr
SIX siN .sttc compact, Which viii III,
sure them their present wattG rights,
today was at stuudstiil pending
action by the assembly committee
on federal relations which has been
celebrating over the Jones Murphy
I'inney resolution. -
Thi9 resolution specifies that the
ratification shall not become ctfec-
tive until after congress has gwen
assurance that wator storage iaeil'
ties will be provided on the river
and that it protects The present
rights Of the farmers TO the water.
The committee finished its hear
ings on TIA bill late last night
after proponents and opponents of
the measure had delivered their
cases. The hearing lasted more than
seven hours. Date for final action
on the bill was TO be set today.
Despite assurances from Attorney
General L. S. Webb 10 the contrary,
the irrigationis:s Expressed belief
that to ratifv the treaty would be
to sign away their vested rights IN
the water of the river. The chief
argument for demanding the reser-
vation was based upon that one
assumption.
Johnson Opposes
State Engineer W. +. Mcclure,
opposing the Finnev resolution. read
telegram from Secretary Herbert
Hoover which stated that if "thc
purpose of 'ho resolution is TO kill
the Colorado river compact then y
will be successful if adopted. >
Hoover also gave assurances that
tho compact would not endanger
the water rights.
Senator 4. Burlingamc Johnson
of Pasadena. author Of senate
rcsold ion callin. for ratification
of the compact without reservations
lead the opposition to the measure,
while Senator Ralph Swing aided
the authors of the Finncy rcsolu-
tion.
The attorney general toll com.
mittec members lie believed that
the inclusion Of provision o! any
sort not includcd in the resolutions
adoptcd bv Colorado and Wyoming
would result in ultimate dcfeat of
the entire treaty.
He also declared he believed con
4 4..ly . Of toward
construction of n dam until at least
tht six state compaH had ho"n
completed.
Childers Leads Fight
Charles l.. ChldTs. FL Centlc at
tomcy, appeared for the irrigation
lists in. favor Of the resolution. lie
was aided bv W. VI. Mathews, coun-
sci for the Los Angeles Bureau of
nublic Service; form = Senator
Frank Carr: Thomas G. Gacgcr, rep
rescn;ing the Coachclla county wa
ter district of Riverside county;
Earl G. Pound. president of the I'm
pcrial Irrigation District Ralph
Criswell Los Angeles CITY council
man, and Mark Rose, director of
the water district.
The following telegram Yves re-
ceived today from Mark Rose re-
garding the fight on the six state
pact:
Ratification Colorado river com
pact hcnring before federal rc'a-
tions committee California assembly
from / until midnight. Imperial
Irrigation District directors and of
ficials with Asscmblyman Tinney
proposed ratification six state paGt
effective and binding only when
United States authorizes construc-
ton at or near Boulder Canyon.
"Opposition fight led by Hurlin-
game Johnson, whose son-in-law
owns 100 acres in Mexico; j..
Stewart Ross, former attorney for
district and George Herrick Davis,
| defeated candidate for ciNtiGn to
Uassembly.
" Committee reserved further OK
ccutive discussion to Tuesday
next.