Imperial Valley press., 1932-02-01
DISTRICT HEADS
ADDRESS MEETING
SATURDAY NIGHT

Don't scuttle the ship by giving
the control of your irrigation dis
trict board to the Water Rights Pro-
tectiVe association" warned Mark
Rose in a short address before more
than 300 people in Wilson school
auditorium Saturday night
Simply voting for the All-Amer-
lean Canal contract on February IL,
is not enough" Rose declared. If
you don't see to it that the district
board, which is the only agency
you have to put that contract into
effect, is controlled by men who
are known by the records to be for
the contract, you might just as we'll
vote against the contract itself"
In straightforward manner, Rose
proceeded to outline just how an
opposition board of directors would
"scuttle the ship" Article 81 of the
canal contract requires that inclu-
sion of lands in Coachella Valley,
and on the east and west mesas be
accomplished before the contract
can become effective.
"The board of directors can ac-
cept or reject the petition of out
side lands to be included. 1t is the
only agency which fixes the terms
of inclusion. Directors G. w. Brock
man, w. F. Beal, and their candi-
date in the north-end recall fight,
c.. o. Hoober, are all publicly on
record as violently opposed to in
clusion of these lands How then
will you hope to have your canal
contract put into execution If these
men run your districts"
Charles L. Childers, attorney for
the district, gave a clear outline OF
the water rights situation under the
contract, and declared that the con-
tract guarantees all of the lands un-
der the All-American canal an
ample supply of water for all time
to come.
"Mr. Brockman, who now tells
you he opposes this contract be-
cause we have given away water
rights to Los Angeles, voted for the
resolution of the district board OF
directors by which it agreed to the
1850. 900 acre feet annually to agri-
I ClllIUIdl
Litigation Avoided
That agreement is the foundation
for the final agreement by which
we have saved years of the most
costly litigation and by which we
have acquired for Imperial Valley
the best guarantee it could hope to
get for ample water for its needs,
ChilderS declared.
/ IF Mr.. Brockman objects to the
ALLEGATION of water to Los Angeles
and the Metropolitan area now, how
will he explain his voting for that
ALLEGATION two years ago? He helped
/ us to make that agreement by his
vote for it."
Childers pointed out that the
/ question of adequate water supply
/ for all sections in the Colorado
river basin is a question that will
not possibly arise during the life
time of any of those attending Sat
urday nights meeting. 1T is a
problem. which if ever actually arls-
ing, will be in the far-diStant fu-
ture, when Los Angeles is three or
four times its present size, and
agriculture had doubled and triples
its acreage.
M. j. DoWd, chief engineer of the
district discussed the financial con-
ditions of the district. He cited the
records of the past year to show
that operation and maintenance
expenditures have been reduced
$4,000 in the past year. Bond in
terest and principal are taking ap-
proximately ST per cent of the as
sessment collections of the district
now, DoWd declared.
From statistical researches of the
state department of agriculture
/ Dowd showed that the average
cost of irrigation under the mutual
water companies was double that
of the present district. The average
per acre cost under the mutuals
was $50 a year for irrigation. The
average today is $3.50 per acre.
Serious phases of the Mexican
water rates situation were dealt
with by the chief engineer, who
declared that a million dollars has
been lost on that score since 1928.
Following the talks by the three
district representatives, candidates
for the office of director of division
No. l spoke briefly. Randolph
Robertson. j. l.. Dubois and Rob
ert Lane, all of whom seek office
in the recall election in Brock