Imperial Valley press., 1933-01-10

Clectl0nS. l.ls
In the last two Of these articles
we have discussed briefly the re-
funding plan of tie district This
will be voted upon next Thursday.
On the same ballot VII be found
the proposition for the approval
If the All-American canal con-
tract.
In this article and the one to-
morrow we will discuss the ALL
American canal with particular
reference to the contract. Today
we will discuss the necessity for
the canal and tomorrow the con-
tract and the terms and means OF
repayment. together with the
changes in the contract that make
this election necessary.
In determining the desirability or
necessity OF the canal We must
first consider the present condi-
tions and see whether or not con-
struction Of the canal is necessary
to our future existence, growth and
prosperity and what will be the al
tentative if the canal is not con-
structed under the present acts of
congress and this contract.
The first consideration, of course,
is that relating to Mexico. Since the
early days it has been recognized
that operating our main canals
through Mexico is unsatisfactory.
This is no reflection upon Mexico.
We are simply foreigners in that
country, as they would be here.
This community cannot live
without an adequate and depend
able water supply. Take our water
away and all values in Imperial
Valley are gone. We are wholly
dependent upon that supply. No
country can long survive and pros
per where SO vital an element TO
its existence, values. and prosper
ity, passes entirely out from under
its control CT the control OF its
own government. These facts and
the conditions Of operating in an
ether country are so well known
that we need not dwell upon that
point. II there were no other OBJ
iect TO be accomplished than to
have cur water supply under our
own jurisdiction the All-American
canal would not only be justified
but would be regarded as a neces-
sity. That. however, IS not the only
point involved.
Injunction Explained
=, oil ell Of
Yuma Valley, which is highly de-
veloped. The floor Of the Yuma
Valley is almost on level with the
bed of the river and the river at
this point is confined back Of an
embankmest of silt rtinforved at
points with levees also constructed
of silt. Obviously permanent diver
sion dam cannot be placed IN the
river at that point under those
conditions Yuma recognized this
situation as far back as 1916 and
obtained an injunction IN the Ari-
zona courts against not only plac-
ing permanent works IN the river but
Of placing therein material more
or less Of a permanent nature.
Since that time we have operated
under a contract. renewed annually
whereby this district agrees to re-
inburse the people of the Yuma
Valley for damages caused by any
thing OF a permanent nature placed
in, the river that would cause
breaks CT overflow and we have
been obliged to divert water by
means of temporary works Install
ed and removed annually. In order
TO make good any judgment that
Yuma might obtain against US, a
very large surety company bond
has been posted and renewed an
nually. The annual cost Of this
bond up TO this year has beer
$4,000
II has been recognized, since al
least as early as 1915, that IT was
positively imperative that our di-
version works be moved from An
drade TO some convenient point ut
the river and the first possible
point for such diversion is La
guna dam. To that END a contract
was made with The United States
in 1918 whereby We agreed TO move
cur diversion works to Laguna Dan
ond pay the United States $1,000,
600 for the right 20 use Laguna
dam. Nearly sl,0oo.00O Of that mo-
nev he's been paid we agreed al
same nme "a build The canal from
Iaauna to Andrade as a part OF
the All-Anaerican canal
Must Move Diversion Works
II has always been recognized