Imperial Valley press., 1936-09-22
DID SAN DIEGO PUT
OVER A FAST ONE?
CONTINUED From Page d


If, however, there is probability of
the project becoming reality, ii certain
" deserves more serious consideration
and more careful and expert study. 1t
is one thing to sanction a useless million
dollar proposal with no chance of going
into effect 1t is quite something else
TO sanction the same useless project if
it has a chance of being built.
That the county board of supervisors
is cO-sponsoring this project may not
mean that the project cannot be stopped.
The PWA proposal will cost some ST.
300 000 The sponsors part would be
surance of the delegation from San Diego
about S490,000. The county went into
the sponsorship only on the assur-
rance of the delegation from San Diego
county would not have to pay one cent
rather than the project proposed.
If that mysterious source" which is
to idly hand out such a sum as half a
million dollars proves to be the state
highway commission, then this county
should get busy.
The alert and sincere non-politics-
playing directors of the Farm Bureau
tried to protect the deal from utilizing
government funds which might other
wise be used for construction of much
more needed farm to market roads. But
they eliminated from their resolution. a
protection against the USE OF STATE
FUNDS WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE
COME TO IMPERIAL COUNTY.
If the state highway commission prov
es to be the benefactor and willing to
spend half-milion dollars on the grade
realignment, certainly. then, this county
should insist on the use of such a sum on
greatly improved roads in the valley,
rather than the pork barrel project pro-
posed
Despite the persuasive arguments pre-
sented by the high pressure statesmen
from tide water, they convinced few lis
teners that any material benefits can
accrue to Imperial Valley. Certainly,
the benefits would be very small COM
pared to the immense amount of money
the project will involve 1t is obviously
a deal to divert traffic from Los Angel
es to San Diego and thus benefit only
San Diego. 1t aims to accomplish this
by making political pork barrel Of the
WPA. Few can deny this, and many
would hate to see this county push its
hand into the national relief expenditure
simply because we think that somebody
will get it-why not us?' There might
be some strong arguments in favor of
the whole plan, but they haven't been
presented to Valleyites.
In fact, the valley has not had oppor-
tunity to properly study the proposal.
We should use the interim, while the
proposal is in Washington, to first de-
termine whether the project is worthy,
and second, to prepare to protect our IN
terests before the highway commission
or whatever mysterious Santa Claus in
tends to happily hand over half mil
lion to pay for the sponsors contribu-
ton.
1t is all right for the board of super
visors to play inter-county politics by
sanctioning the San Diego idea, as long
as they say under their breath "the deal
won't go through so it won't be robbing
us of anything, but will keep San Diego
friendly 1t will be all wrong if the
San Diegans put it over with money
which this county could otherwise use
to much better advantage.
Senator Fletcher said he could OBJ
tain sanction quickly. If So then his
application to the highway commission
might be ruled on favorably at almost
any moment.
The Farm Bureau, county supervisors,
and the chambers of commerce of BraU-
leu, Imperial, HOitUiiIe and Ell Centre
UouId do ueH to keep a close Udtch on