Imperial Valley press., 1929-01-26
District-P
Leaders Debate
Continued From Page y

proposes 10 Spchd.
Ernst Condemns Site
In referring to the alleged claims
/ by the representatives of the dis
trict that their installations viii Toe
Of the latest and most efficient type
of installations, he said that at Ro-
sitas an installation is proposed
similar to the old Holton Power
plants near Holtville which were
abandoned, and have been used in
general practice for more than 20
wears and that the site has been
turned down by every engineer who
has ever reported on il, with the
exception of representatives. Of the
Irrigation District.
Ernst made the assertion that the
proposed steam plant, suggested by
the district as a 5000 kilowatt plant,
will in reality bc but a 2,500 kiio-
watt plant, not designed for carry
ing a lasc load Of 1000 kilowattS,
hut with spare or emergency 2,590
kilovatt turbine. This. he charged,
means installation cost of 5000 per
l,ilcwatt. (which Is exactly double
the 500 set up in the district re
port He insisted, however, that
a 5000 kilowatt plant would be re
quired and that it would cost 500,
o00 meaning hat the >2,lC0,0d0 bond
issue would not secure sufficient
funds to luild the proposed system.
The speaker called attention to 4
claim that the wat,e flow in the
proposed small hydro-electric plants
on the canals would not meet the
rapidly changing daily load demands
and Fluctuations. which he asserted
can only be met through storage.
There is a great deal OF difference
between the operation of selling
power wholesale and retailing II to
the public. he stated, for the reason
that the company is in position to
asSimilate any power production
that might be made. without regard
to its variations.
He insisted that the promises to
give service to farmers over the val
ley is unsound fer the reason that
average earnings for such eXten-
sions. per farmer. would be but $34
per wear. whore interest charges,
alone, per user would be Sl03 per
wear. and that conditions are entire
" different in other agricultural dis
tYicts. where the farmers are heavy
users Of power for pumping. How
ever, lie pointed cut that the power
company is now steadily making eX-
tensions into tie agricultural terri
tory. whenever they are economical
~ Justified.
Ernst stated that the district lead
ers expect to secure. $ per cent o.
the present users and - per cent Of
the total electrical load. The latter
he said. would actually be 100 per
cent of the total load, outside OF
that now used by the Imperial Ice
< Development Company. However,
he claimed, the power company has
so per cent Of the remaining busi-
ness now signed on lorg time con
tracts.
r. p. Moore, general supcrin
tcndent Of the Imperial lee and De
vclopmcnt company, spea k i II
against the proposed bond issue,
argued that the irrigation district
and county already have too heavy
bond issue. He said the district has
not been able to secure a balanced
budget. that the proposed issue
would not be salable, that the dis
trict has other projects ahead that
are more vital to its we'll being, and
that it IS economically unsound ''to
90 into such q hazardous and com
petitivc business, - as the manufac
ture of power.
Moore spoke as the representa-
tive Of company that is a heavy
taxpayer, which, as such, has
gathered reliable data as to finan-
cial condition of this territory.' He
stated that his figures were secured
from officials Of the district, mum
icipalities and the county and 'may
be verified by anyone
The speaker stated that the dis
trict has brought out four separate
bond issues in the total sum OF $40
e00,0o0, but that, by the close Of
1927. only $45O,0O0 of the principal
Of this obligation has been paid off,
although the interest had amounted
to $7.l6j,250. Further, he stated
that. at the time the figures for his
address had been secured, there were
unpaid warrants outstanding of
&IS0 D0O