Imperial Valley press., 1927-02-28
POUND ISSUES
STATEMENT ON
BILLS FAILURE
Will Continue Fight For
Measure at Next Ses-
sion of Congress.

Because lmperial valley has fol
the first time appeared in Washing
ton as unit in favor of the Boul.
der dam project, the Swing johnson
bill has this session gained over
whelming support and prestige, de
elared Earl c. Pound, president of
the Imperial Irrigation district, To-
day. Nothing but the use of de.
liberate filibuster by a small minor
ity led by Arizona senators could
stop the measure from being enact
ed into law, he added.
"There is but one answer to the
question as to what next Pound
said. ''We will keep up the fight
next winter, and with the tremen-
dous advantage we have in the mat
ter Of education of the nation on
this project, we are going to put
this bin through in spite of petty
opposition and power company lob
bies
Imperial Valley did the great
est thing it ever did in showing the
nation that here, at least, there is
no dissension, but that we are unit
ed in this effort to gain permanent
relief from the Colorado river. Our
delegates in Washington have for
the first time been able to declare
that $4,000 residents of Imperial
Valley are united for this measure,
and with that backing they have
been able to convince majorities of
congressman in both house and SEN
ate that the Swing g-Johnson bill
should be passed.
"Powcr company lobbies insti-.
gated by Sen. l.. G. Phipps of Colo
rado, chief owner of the Southern
Sierras Power Co., proved to be one
of the strongest factors of opposi
tion this winter. They are fight
ing to remove any possibility of the
government controlling the water
power developed at Boulder dam.
They will continue to fight that
and the entire project as long as
they can, but their tactics have at
least become apparent, and with a
long session in progress next win
ter, there will be greater opportun-
ity to force them to defeat.
Leaders Favor Project
"The power company filibuster,
successful only because of the brief
time remaining for this session, has
never developed any following, and
we are assured by those at Wash.
ington that the reasonableness of
our project is in itself overcoming
the power company obstructionists.
Such men as Clifford Pinchot, ma
tional and internationally known
conservation expert, Judge f. H.
Gary, of the United States Steel
corporation, and many Others of
sound Judgment have declared for
the project.
"Imperial Valley feels the blow
to its hopes this session of congress
more keenly than any other terri
tory affected. People here have
been struggling longer than anyone
else to gain the objective. But for
that reason Imperial Valley will be
Just as persistent next fall and with
the renewed help of the entire Cal
ifornia congressional representation
including two senators and ii cong
rcssmen, will take up the fight
again and this time with more like
lihood of success
Pound lauded the magnificent
championship Of the measure in the
senate by Hiram Johnson. No
other man in Washington could
have done more than Senator John
son did for Imperial Valley last
week. His fight surprised everoyen
even among our friends. Time and
long standing objection to the clo-
ture procedure, made impossible
the passage of the bill, although
time and again during the week the
votes shown were overwhelmingly in
favor of the measure itself.
Congressman Swing, over in the
house, has led an educational can
vass of the entire membership of
that body to the point where it will
be virtually certain a favorable ma
.jority will pass the bill once given
a chance. We must hold Speaker
Nicholas Longworth, Chairman
Smell of the rules committee and
Congressman Tyson of the steering
committee, responsible for the de-
laws in the house which so handicap
ped Senator johnson over i'll the
senate that he lost out because of
the filibuster. The three represen-
tatives alone, faile dto bring the bill
to the house floor, and apparently
for no other reason than that they
wanted it to fail