Imperial Valley press., 1931-12-21

districts II CauIornl2 realized
$4,000 in profits from marketing
power. OF the six irrigation dis
tricts in California which have built
great dams for power generation
only two. Modesto and Turlock, de-
cided 10 handle electricity without
the use Of the middleman. the
same as was decided in the matter
Of water. Today those two dis
tricts retail electricity to $1,000
meters. bringing cheap electricity
to most of the ranches in the areas
concerned. This has done more
to brighten the environment and
make more comfortable the ranch
dweller than any other one thing.
Rate is lower
Not only DO the residents of
these communities enjoy the ad-
yantages Of a commodity which
hey themselves own, but the rate
S 20 per cent lower than that OF
leighboring communities.
The districts net a profit from
he retail Of the by-product, power.
which more than amply meets al
bond interest.
In addition, these districts have
lower tax rates and every year are
etiring bonds and locking forward
the happy prospect not many
years hence of being the proud pos
SCISSORS OF a permanent and re-
liable water and power supply
which will cost them merely the
amount involved for maintaining
Xpenses, as nearly nothing as
.ould be desired
Compared 10 the happy eXper-
ence II Modesto and Turlock, the
other four districts in California
Merced, Oakdale, South San Joa-
luin and Nevada, all agreed with
private companies either To
wholesale all Of the power or lease
falling water to private companies
N terms which nave been import
ant distributing factors in making
necessary heavily increased taxes
to the point where all four dis
ricus today declare their backs are
broken from the impossible burden
Of taxation and the future for
them IS very dark.
The value Of the bonds Of Mo-
desto and TurlUck districts held
firmly through the depression at
about par, while neighboring dis
tricts, which turned their power
resources over to private interests,
nave their bonds quoted al around
25 cents on the dollar.
In the United States today there
are so tax free cities which owe
their right 10 this enyiable dis
t.nction 10 ownership and opera
ton of municipal water, electric
and other utility plants.
Profits Mason explained. have
been more than adequate to meet
the total cost Of government and n
no instance are lie rates higher
than those in neighboring COM
munities. Seven thousand cities
IN the United States at present
own and operate their own private
ana electric utilities, representing
approximately 50 per cent of the
cities and towns in the country
IN 1920 this figure stood at only
a little more than 20 per cent.
Draws Comparison
Mason explained his ideas in the
matter by saying that the Colorado
river may be compared to a COW
which gives both milk and cream.
In the case OF the river the cream
represents power and milk water.
Why should the government, or
in other words the people, buy
COW and sell the cream TO a pri-
yaUe company >0r five cents and be
forced 10 buy il back for 81? Pri-
yate companies take the cream
from the COW bought by the people
for a cheap rate, leaving the
skinned milk CT water. to the
people and selling the cream or
power back. The government, or
Of course the people. build the ir-
rigation works and they should keen
the cream as well as the milk,
Mason explained.
The only Santa Claus residents
Of Imperial Irrigation district need
bother about, said Mason, lis the
All-AmeTican canal and the power
that viii be generated. That canal
will officiate as Santa Claus 10
the valley for many years 10 come
Mason has been around the world
three times il addition re-yisiting
South America and Europe three
times. H5 undcgE.1d Familiarity
with local conditions and his in
tercst in irrigation matters
brought him 10 the valley today
Mason spent three winters in
Washington in the interest Of
: - 1 l. - L.