Imperial Valley press., 1935-02-12
THE OLD SMOKE SCREEN


Once again the same old smoke screen
is being raised by the minority members
of the Imperial Irrigation District board,
in an endeavor to obscure the facts.
The so-called star" ballots cast at last
Wednesdays election are the basis for
the latest uproar
The facts in the case, which should not
be forgotten by honest and intelligent
residents of the valley are as follows.
The 1888 legislature passed a law re-
stricting voting in district elections to
bona fide property owners and taxpay-
ers of the Imperial Irrigation District
1t Is just law, for it is no more than
right that those who pay the bills should
have the sole right to vote expenditures
and that those who pay no taxes to the
district should be excluded from a voice
in the conduct of its affairs.
Whether the law is just law or not is
beside the issue. 1t is the law and as such
should be respected and honest citizens
who oppose it should confine their at
tempts to nullify it to court actions.
Instead of this being done, small
group, last spring hit upon the plan of
circumventing the law by bit of chican-
cry comparable only with the disappear
ance of recall petition. from the head
quarters of the irrigation district, an in
cident, by the way, in which the maj ority
members had no part.
Without the permission of hundreds of
citizens, their names were boldly and
brazenly used by this small group, who
listed them as Owners" of small city lots
in Imperial and Holtville, several hun
dred names being listed on each lot. 1t
was these Owners" who composed the
star ballots.
= 4 |,
property, they are not taxpayers and as
such have no right to vote in district
elections and moreover their names were
used without their permission-certainly
a high-handed action.
To refuse to allow these star voters
to cast their ballots, would have resulted
in legal action. To permit them to do so
would be contrary to the spirit and the
facts of the property qualification act.
Only middle course was open to the dis
trict-to permit the "star" voters to cast
their ballots and to hold them until such
time as the courts decide whether or not
their votes are legal This is what has
been done.
The minority board members and their
sympathizers call to high heaven to wit
ness the depravity of the ajority, calm
ly disregarding the fact that they them
selves are responsible Tor the elecIlon
miX-up by their attempt to circumvent
the law of the state.
1t is indeed pitiful, the plight of the
minority faction This is the same faction
which gerrymandered the division bound
airy lines to suit their own wishes at cleo
ton time; which bob-tailed the hours of
voting at another election in an unsuc-
cessful attempt to assure themselves
control of the board, and which refused
to attend board meetings to enable the
people of the Brawley division to obtain
the representation to which they were en-
titled on the board of directors.
Their little scheme at Imperial and
Holtville, planned to assure themselves
control of the district, acted as a BOOM
erang and when it came back to cuff
them alongside of the ear they howl to
high heaven and would have the public,
believe that somebody else threw it. The
scheme won't work. They made their
own bed and now they can lie in it.
-O-
Mr.. Roosevelt calls the labor chief
- IL ,,at