Imperial Valley press., 1935-02-02
EDITORIAL PAGE
and
FEATURES
MCCONNELL FOR PROGRESS


Boulder dam is now practically fin
ished job insofar as flood control is con-
cerned Construction of its companion
project, the All-American canal, author
lied in the same bill as the dam, has
only recently started.
This column has had frequent occas-
ion in the past two years to deplore, as
have many others, the hardness in start
ing the canal.
1t is a fact which cannot be disputed,
that no real progress toward actually
starting the canal was made, until the
present majority on the board of direc-
tors of the Imperial Irrigation District
Messrs. Hewes, Young and Kalin-ob-
tanned control.
Inability to reach agreement with
Coachella Valley was one of the big fact
ors in delaying the canal-perhaps the
biggest one An amicable agreement with
Coachella, which smoothed out all the
difficulties and paved the way for OBJ
tanning the S6,000,000 appropriation for
the canal was not consumated until the
majority Of the board members went to
Coachella, conferred with officials of the
water district there, and reached an
agreement satisfactory to both commun-
tiles.
Promptly on the completion of this,
the majority of the board speeded up the
wheels to get an appropriation from the
government, call bids for construction OF
the canal and get it under way.
Since then the same ma fority members
have vigorously prosecuted construction
of the canal, despite the handicap OF the
water shortage which imposed heavy
burden on them.
Hand in hand with construction OF the
canal they formed plans for developing
the power project ON the canal, engaging
an expert engineer TO study every phase
of the work and only last week his report
was submitted giving the district the re-
quired data on which it can proceed to
negotiate funds from the federal govern
ment for constructing the power system.
In the words of one who has been close
to the entire Colorado river development
since it was started-action on the canal
did not start to "click" until the present
majority members took control.
It will continue to click in the same
satisfactory manner if next Wednesday,
election brings them directors who can
work in harmony with them. 1t Is IN
great danger of becoming tied up ana
snarled by politics, if men who have
opposed their progressiveness are chosen
directors
In Division No. 2, Leslie Mcconnell
seeks the post of director. A man of IN
dependent thought and action, he can,
nevertheless, work in harmony and coop
Grafton with the majority members OF the
board who have demonstrated to lmper-
ial Valley that they can give the lrrlga-
ton district a businesslike administra-
ton.
1t is easy to throw smoke screens but
facts speak for themselves. Mcconnell
is a progressive, energetic and efficient
rancher, of sound judgment and with the
knowledge of valley affairs obtained
through over 20 years of residence. here.
This is his home. All his interests are
bound up in Imperial Valley. He is vital
ly interested in its welfare, its develop
ment and its progress, as any man would
be who has his all invested here.
The charge that Mcconnell was against
the canal is not the truth. He was against
certain phases of the canal project as
were many others, and they felt them
selves justified in holding to their views.
Some of the phases to which he objected
have been eliminated by the canal con-