Imperial Valley press., 1935-02-04
STATEMENT OF EVAN T. HEWES
TO THE VOTERS OF THE I'M
PERIAL IRRIGATION DIS
TRICT.


PERIAL IRRIGATION DIS
TRICT.
I had no intention of taking
part IN the controversy raging in
the directors race in Division No.
2, knowing that the voters are in
telligent men and women and are
capable of choosing their repre-
sentatiyes without being told who
to vote for by the other directors
of the district.
However, Director Rose has
drawn the other directors into the
fight by his malicious and false
statements, so believe the voters
are entitled to statement of the
accomplishments of the board, to
analyze for themselves and not
have to depend on Mr.. Rose, or
the reporter imported into the
valley from Los Angeles by the Los
Angeles Examiner to tell you how
to vote. .'
When 1 was elected to the board
your district was hopelessly tied up
in litigation over the All-American
Canal contract. Realizing that we
would be tied up in the courts for
years and the government would
not start construction of the canal
until there was settlement be-
tween the Coacnella Valley and
our district, I immeoiately started
negotiations with the Coachella
Valley County Water Users Asso-
citation for a settlement.
This should have been accom-
plished in 60 days, as from the
first, there was practically no diff
ference between us, and it would
have been accomplished, except for
the bitter hatred and prejudice on
the part of Mr.. Rose against the
Coachella board. We finally got
the litigation settled, retaining the
prior water rights for Imperial
Valley and entered into an agree
ment with Coachella to lease their
part of the power and distribute
power to them on the basis as dis
tribution in our valley, plus loss
for transmission lines and over
head, thus, for the first time,
actually tying down in a definite
form the program of power de-
velopment for the district. The
further consideration of the settle
ment of that litigation was tina,
Imperial only pay its proportionate
cost of the canal and Coachella
Valley assumes its proportionate
cost.
We sent Mr.. Swing to Wash
ington in May, 1888. to try and
secure money to start canal con-
struction, and, although there
were almost daily important de-
cisions to make, Mr.. Rose and
Mr.. Aten absented themselves,
Intentionally, from board meet
ings and would not perform their
duties as directors, because there
was recall petition to be acted
upon by the board, if there was a
quorum present. This recall petit
tion affecting their personal
politics resulted i'm their actions,
thus placing their personal
politics ahead of important dis
trict business.
Mr.. Young and myself person.
ally guaranteed Mr.. Swings
salary to keep him in Washington
until we could get Mr.. Aten and
Mr.. Rose to perform the duties
that they were elected for.
When Mr.. Swing, after months
of strenuous effort, was about TO
get the appropriation, Mr.. Rose
tried to bring him home, on the ex-
cuse that Swing, being a Republi-
can, could not get the money. He
got the money, as we all know, be-
cause We held him there.
We also started the standby
power plant at Brawley, knowing it
would take considerable time to
clear away the litigation, and it
was our intention to take the neces-
sary steps to have all litigation that
might be detrimental to the power
program settled SO that the way
would be clear for the power de-
velopment to proceed before the
completion of the canal, thereby
saving any possible chance of loss
of revenue from canal power, when
1t would be available.
When the bids we're opened on
the canal. Mr.. Rose was the one
who tried to get all bids rejected.