Imperial Valley press., 1935-02-04
TO THE PEOPLE OF
IMPERIAL VALLEY:

In the seventeen and more years
that l have lived in Imperial VAL
ley l have refrained from resorting
to the newspapers to try any con-
troverSy client or I, myself, have
been Interested in.
During that time, though I have
not been a candidate for office, I
have been made the goat of cam
paign statements and subjected to
false accusations. 1 am now again
falsely accused by both Rose and
Pound and / have decided, once and
for all time, to settle my position
concerning those matters.
I have been accused of being an
enemy of the Boulder Dam project.
1 have been accused of being op-
posed to the All-American Canal
and the power possibilities thereon.
1t has been insinuated that I have
at some time been employed by the
Southern Sierras Power Company
or some power interest and that
may even yet be subject to their
v,
charged with costing the district
more in the operation of the legal
department than Childers did.
Let me state at the outset, I have
tolerated these attacks on my in
tegrity simply because of the source
of them.
AS far as the All-American Canal
is concerned, l did not, in earlier
years, believe the lands in the floor
of this Valley should pay the costs
of reclaiming the mesa lands. 9th
ers also had the same conscientious
opinion I had in this regard. ]
make no apology for my honest
opinion. followed my real con-
victions. I have since been con-
vinced that the Department of In
terror is not going to let the farm
erS in the present cultivated lands
be the goats. l am also convinced
beyond question that the power pos
SibilitieS on the American Cana.
will pay for the canal and lift a
burden of taxation from the lands
we are now farming.
/ did fight Mark Rose and Other
directors when I was honestly con-
vinced Rose and others were using
the districts funds for a private
feed-trough. had and have posi-.
tive proof that Rose padded his
expense accounts and mileage anc
used the districts funds unlawful.
ly. I still have that proof. My po.
Sition on that has not changed
| Now the law requires Mark Ros,
to itemize his expenses and swea
| to them.
| Concerning the Boulder Dan
! project and my attitude in pas
years and now. I have no apology
Rose and Pound both lie and know
they are lying when they say I op
posed the Boulder Dam. The beS
evidence of their lie and my actua
attitude is from the records of the
United States Senate Committee re.
port of what I said before them al
the Ell Centro High School in 1925
Taken from the Government copy
of, that report I quote as follows:
THE Chairman: Very we'll, you
may proceed, Mr.. Horton.
"Mr. Horton In coming here
today I take it that we all as
sumo that there is no contro-
versy between any persons in I'M
perial Valley or in Inperia,
County concerning the necessity
and demand for a dam in the
Colorado River, and preferably
the Boulder Canyon Dam. There
is no issue, gentlemen, here be-
tween us on that. We are
agreed.
"Mr. Horton: That, gentlemen.
in sum and substance is our po-
sition. and we do ask that you
give to us dam or dams, as
many of them as you can, OH the
Colorado River. that the water
may be conserved-but do pro-
tect us in that the landowners
here have got voice as to how
much money is to be taxed onto
U.s.
senator Johnson: Let's assume
that the All-American canal
should be constructed, that it is
wholly feasible. that it would not
be unduly burdensome, would you
prefer it to the present situa-
ton?
"Mr Horton: Well, provided the
burden is not unduly heavy, yes"
Now. concerning the legal de-
partment of the District and its
operation, Rose said Childers and
Roberts did all the work that is
now being done and did it without
help for ten years. He again de-
liberately lies about that and knows
he lies. With the exception of
Whitelaw, the same attorneys that