Imperial Valley press., 1928-08-11

NJ Fh' f-l', aug. ll.-(Spcclal) "A
statewide organization has been
completed for the purpose of CON
ducting vigorous campaign for the
adoption of Assembly Constitutions
al Amendment No. 27, commonly
called "The Water Amendment, -
which will he the seventh PROPOSE
tion on the November ballot.
Working earnestly with the own
ers of three and half million acres
Of irrigated lands represented by
the Irrigation Districts Association
of California and the owners of
large areas irrigated by mutual
water companies and various other
agencies. under the name "Water
Users Constitutional Amendment
Committee, are municipal as well
as private water and electrical pow
er interests, owner of municipal and
irrigation securities, State officials
and many of the most prominent
jurists and attorneys in California.
. According to a statement issued
! by the committee, the adoption of
! this amendment is vital to the car
rying out of the policy approved by
each legislature for the past ten
years in making appropriations for
/ the development of a comprehensive
plan for the conservation and use
of the waters of the State, for the
amendment is designed "to prevent
the waste of water by making avail
able for use by others the water
that is not necessary for use by
those now claiming to have the eX-
elusive right to its full flow This
refers to the decisions of the Cali
fornia courts that the owners of
land bordering Il stream, known as
'riparian Owners,' can enjoin the
diversion of water to lands that do
not touch the stream and to the
claim that the storage of water,
whether needed ON riparian lands
or not, is unlawful as Il violation of
riparian rights
Contcnding that enormous and
needless waste of priceless water
will follow the enforcement of such
doctrine and that further devel-
opmcnt of the state by means of ir-
rigation or the generation of elec-
tric power will be greatly retarded,
and every city in the state hc in
danger of future water shortage, be-
cause the doctrine makes practically
impossible the building of any more
reservoirs for the storage of water
for irrigation, power development
or the use of the cities, the state
wide committee urges support of the
amendment.
Legislature Favors Act
The last legislature, by a nearly
unanimous vota, caused the propos
ed amendment to be placed on the
ballot.
Prominent in the committee are
two former supreme Court Justices
the Attorney General and the State
Engineer of California, and tsht
president Of the state board of ag
riculturc. Virtually every interest
in the state is represented on the
committee. Bankers names ar,
mingled with those of farmers. Civ
ic leaders of Los Angeles and San
Diego are named beside those OF
San Francisco and Oakland.
William Durbrow of Willows, i,
chairman, and the active manage
mcnt of the campaign is in the
hands of w. u. Wagner of Mer
ccd, secretary of the irrigation dis
trictS association of California.
The executive committee include:
+. G. Athcarn of San Francisco, Col
Ed Fletcher of San Diego, =. II
Griffin of Modesto, Alden Ander
son. Sacramento banker, George p
Clements, head of the agricultural
department of the Los Angcle'
Chamber of Commerce, Ralph p
Merritt, head of the Raisin Growers
Association, Former Supreme Cour
Justice Warren Olney, Jr., A. b
Tarpcy, Fresno vincyardist, formc
Governor George c. Pardce, presi
dent of the East Bay municipal util