Imperial Valley press., 1933-01-16
CONTRACT ON
CANAL SIGNED
BY DISTRICT
President And Secretary Place
Their Signature On Document
This Morning.
TO ASK FOR APPROPRIATION
Counsel For Reclamation Serv-
ice Says 81, 900, 900 Will Be
Sought At Once.

Sought At Once.
Imperial Valleys long campaign
for the All--American canal ended
in victory shortly before noon today
when Imperial Irrigation district
board of directors passed a resou-
ton authorizing John l.. Dubois,
president of the board, and F. H.
McIver, secretary, to sign the ALL
American canal contract in behalf
of the district. Richard j. Coffey,
district counsel for the bureau of
reclamation, who brought the con-
tract with him from Los Angeles to-
day, stood by as President Dubois
and Secretary McIver affixed their
signatures.
After the district officials signed,
Coffey said that he would mail the
completed contract to Washington
today in order that Secretary Ray
Lyman Wilbur and DR.. Elwood
Mead of the department could i'm
mediately ask congress. for the ST.
100000 conditional appropriation
with which to begin the work.
THE government is very anxious
to begin this great project in order
TO put thousands of men in this
sector now unemployed to work and
I know that Secretary Wilbur and
DR.. Mead will rush the appropria-
ton request" Coffey said
1.-The districts signing today COM
pleted the contract i'll every detail.
The district will now ask a 'condi-
tional appropriation with which to
begin. A conditional appropriation
means that congress will appro-
pirate the money with which to
construct the canal provided the
courts validate the contract Then,
as soon as valuation comes, the
district may begin the work with
out further reference to congress,
he continued.
Asked how soon actual construc-
ton would begin, Coffey said that
he would not hazard guess be-
cause in some instances such vail
dations were slower than in others.
Meanwhile, however, the board
passed a resolution authorizing i'm
mediate perusal of valuation pro-
ceedings in Imperial county courts
in order that this phase of the
work will proceed as rapidly as
possible.
Government Pleased
1.-THE government is highly pleased
with the contract and believes 1t
excellent for all concerned in every
respect.
"The two important things, in ad-
dition to obtaining an abundant,
lasting supply of silt-free water
which, as you know, means tre-
mendous saving within itself, are
employing idle men and taking the
4 water out of Mexico and bringir.g g
it here over American territory,
Coffey declared.
Continuing he said, Naturally
the Overwhelming vote last week is
gratifying and the government is
pleased. The vote showed that 81
per cent of those who voted favored
the contract"
Questioned as to how many men
the project would employ and as to
what the daily payroll would pe,
Coffey said that he was not pre-
pared to give actual figures but that
construction would employ in the
neighborhood of some 1000 men and
that the daily payroll would, when
building gets into full swing, ap-
proximate $4,000.
THAT, within itself, naturally
means much not only to workers
but to business in the valley gener-
ally" he said.
The contract in its finality bears
the signatures of Secretary Ray
Lyman Wilbur. DR.. Elwood Mead,
chief of the bureau of reclamation;
Northcutt Ely witness to Secretary
Wilbur's signature); John L. Du-
Bois. president of Imperial Irriga-
tion district board of directors, and
F.. H. McIver, board secretary.
The remainder of the board sat
solemnly as Dubois and McIver
signed after which there was gen.
eral rejoicing.
Prior to actual signing of the doc
ument, the board passed two other
resolutions, one canvassing the ALL
American canal contract election
and the other the refundipg bonds
vote.
Charles L. Childers, district coun-
sci. said following the meeting he
would take immediate steps to Sc
cure valuation and Coffey said, II
am putting this contract in my bag,
but it won't be there long. I shall
mail it to Washington Immediately. "
President Dubois, M. j. DoWd,
chief engineer. F. H. McIver, sec
retary and Director Mark Rose,
left this afternoon for Los Ange-
les to meet with Edward Hyatt,
chief engineer of the state de-
partment of water resources and
officials of other water districts on
the lower Colorado. to discuss pos
sible formation of California Colo
RADIO river commission.