Imperial Valley press., 1932-08-05
Editorial Page
and
Features
BURNHAM FOR CONGRESS

GEORGE BURNHANI OF San Diego.
candidate for the Republican nomina-
tlon for congressman from the twentieth
California district, which embraces I'M
perial and San Diego counties. is recon-
mended to voters of Imperial Valley by
The Press for their support at the pri-
mary election on August 80
Burnham is one of the outstanding cit
lzens of San Diego and in the strict sense
of the word is not a politician, having
held no public elective office hitherto
His success as a businessman is de-
clded asset for a congressional candidate
at time when the need of business sa-
gacity has been shown to be so badly
needed in both houses of congress. Con-
ditions have been exposed during the past
year which should convince the voters
that a great deal more business and a
great deal less politics is most desirable
IN our national legislative body
Burnham is well acquainted with I'M
perial Valley and its needs through fire.
quent visits and continual contacts here
during the past 20 years, and has super
vised the operation of some 20 ranches
which the bank he was affiliated with
owned here.
AT election time it is one of the STAN
dard claims of the office seeker that he
is a friend of the farmer. Too often the
claim is made by men who have no con-
ception whatever of the farmer, his prob
lens and his needs.
The claim can be justly made by Burn
ham who, though best known as a bank
er, has been closely connected with farm
ing since his early days, and knows what
manual labor is through back-breaking
work with a shovel during his youth in
Minnesota.
Durham is a Guccessful businessman,
but he made his success himself and he
started from scratch. He knows what it
is to toll from early morning until late
at night to fill railroad car with wheat
by shovelfull after shovelfull through a
hot day, and to receive the gigantic sum
of $1.25 for his labor
Thrifty enough to save something out
of his small wages, he later became a
storekeeper in a small Minnesota rural
community where his trade was exclus-
lively with farmers. Still later he aided
in colonizing eastern Washington with
middle west farmers who wished to make
change and improve their conditions.
The farmers placed in the northwest by
Burnham received a square deal and not
one bit of litigation was necessary during
Of SuUSeQuSll " HlS TtldllOllS WIFI IlleIll
Coming to San Diego two decades ago,
he engaged in the real estate business,
and again prospered because of his bus
iness acumen and the sound principles
of honesty, thrift and hard work, which
he had learned as boy in Minnesota.
1t was but natural that his success
should attract the attention of other bus
inessmen and he was invited to join one
of the largest banks in San Diego, re-
manning as one of its officials and stead
lily advancing in responsibility until he
resigned his position this spring follow
ing his announcement as candidate for
public office.
Although busy man, Burnham found
time to take an active part in San Diego
civic affairs His work to increase the
naval Importance of San Diego has been
recognized as responsible in great meas
ure for the construction of the naval base
and other service units in the coast city.
He was one of the pillars behind the ex-
position of 1915 and for years was a
leader in the chamber Of commerce, trav-
cling abroad on several occasions to slim