Imperial Valley press., 1926-08-20

ing put over the dead. certainly
should make it apparent to the
voter who has only come to the
valley recently that Mark is simply
trying to hunco the ignorant.
The principal reason why the pro-
perty WAS purchased at that time
was that if the district had not
been organized and had not pur-
chased the property, the property
would have fallen into the hands
Of the Chandler Corporation, who
Mark claims he is fighting 50 zeal
ouslv. When the proposition WAS
submitted to The voters of the dis.
trict fer their approval at an clce.
fio0, II was carried twenty to one.
Every newspaper in the valley sup
ported it.
Lobbying
Now rs to lobbying: It ha> been
continuously and pcrsistentlv stat.
ed by the Mark Rose "shoutcrs
and bv opposition candidates, that
| advised the irrigation district di-
rectors to cxpeud money for lobby
ing, and that myself, WIS a lob
bvist for the district aud collected
money therefor.
! In abo, the ycae 1911, shortly
after the Imperial Irrigation pls.
, trict WAS organized, our rcPresen
tative in the Assembly. NJ. Wills,
! introduced legislation Designed;
First. To leave Ia doubt as 10 tic
| lrgqlity OF thr district, :, existence,
! aud secoad. to 80 change tha law
! as to permit the irrigation dis.
trirt to acquire the irrigation pro,
pcrtv now owned hv il. As The
law then stood the irrigation district
WAS forbidden to own or acquire
property Of the Kind aud character
now owned 10y the Imperial Irriga-
tiou District and essential 10 jt> eX.
i,tenrc.
Ii our legislation had been dc.
tea:ed there would be 10 Imperial
Irrigation District today. and W
wou4 row br buying water from
the Chandler Corporation across thr
line at such price Il, il might fiN.
With our legislation pending before
the Judiciary Committee Of the leg.
l>lature, the irrigation district re-
rcivcd telegram from the Hon.
John VI. Eshlcman then Lieutenant
Governor, advising the directors
that cx senator Britt waS IN Narra-
mcnto opposing our lcgj>lation aud
a>ku. them to scud NJ. ". Conk
ling TO Sacramento a. once to COM
bat the Chandler interests. The dj-
rcctor> asked me ii could 20, AMI
when stated l could, they asked
me what would charge them. /
told them would not charge them
anvthng. but that they could pay
my expense, if they wished. They
asked me 10 20 at once and | did.
was not attorney for the district
At that time. / went to Sacramento,
attended the meeting Of thc judi
cialv Committee Of the Assembly
and Senate and -urccedcd in g,t-
ting their uuanimous approval ard
the consequent passage of our Ic4
r,Iatiou. ,rr hi, sose5c' sIh.
ni'tc1 an expense bin jn the cnor.
mou, sum Of $500.
While h,i.:Nc that iop@vio !. n
the ,rnsr Of personal solicitation
Of member, Of congress ~ ;hc lc3is-
Iaturr. aud .Hog rolling general
II Is not a proper public axpcna', +
have never understood that it was
improper under the circumstance,
named for an attorney to appear
before a committee with an cypa-
uation Of the need for the change
in the law. If il is Illegal, am
not only willing 70 return the mon
cv, but if Mark Rose viii only tell
what hotel he stopped at in Wash
u@teu At Il cost Of $500 per day
wll gladly donate that amount
Of money to th" Salvation Army.
The only other occasion on whirh
remember doing anything to holp
out the district s legislation wa.
about 1913. We were threatened
with river overflow and needed
some money quicker than we could
arrange to get il, in the belief Of
! the directors, and at the timc was
attorney for the district Our con
/ grcssman, Mr. Kcttncr, wrote Us
i and told rs that he was unfamiliar
| with fine situation and asked that
| Hr send someone 10 Washington who