Imperial Valley press., 1938-03-04

local farmers.
Contracts have been awarded for
generating units to be installed on
the All American canal and in the
standby plant at BraWley. Con-
tractors have obligated themselves
to finish within the next five
months the job of building trans
mission lines from power plants to
all the cities in the valley and TO
the country areas Crews are be-
ing organized to string wires ON the
poles of a 650-mile system which
will serve country homes.
These are tangible steps taken
within the past 80 days in a pro-
gram developed steadily. through 20
years in the face of many obstacles
When Chief John M. Carmody
of the rural electrification admin
istration helped to set the first
pole for the country electric lines
Feb. 8, he struck the keynote of
this programs history.
Here to Celebrate
I'VE are here to celebrate the
achievement of electric service, Car
mody said THE most important
feature of your undertaking is its
purpose You are going to under
take to provide electric service not
for the private profit of any group
of individuals, but for the benefit
of the entire community, the state
and the nation.
Because you made fight of 20
years, Surmounting obstacles placed
in your path by unfriendly and
powerful interests, you are going
to get electricity you should have
had years ago, but probably never
would have received if you had not
been SO persistent, cooperative and
resourceful."
Dates, figures and contracts are
the skeleton structure, the frame OF
a living, dramatic struggle against
great odds.
On January 8, 1888, the United
States supreme court upheld the
right of the federal public works
administration to make loans and
grants to communities for publicly
owned power projects. Private util-
tiles have long been campaigning
in a losing war to control the ma
tural resources of public water pow
er.
Toward this victory Imperial VAL
ley people had been marching since
that pioneer day generation ago
when their then weak forces first
organized to build Boulder dam and
the All American canal.
You can't do it, these pioneers
were told.
But determination gave impetus
to the farmers cause. Over the
combined opposition of private pow
er corporations nationally organlz-
ed in a l3 billion dollar army,
Boulder dam was built. Opponents
called it fantastic dream, i'm
practical.
Operating 2 Years
Boulder dam has been in opera
ton two years. In a Few months
water will run through a section
of the All American canal.
They said it couldn't be done
1t was done.
Within seven months after I'M
perial Valley voters rolled up a
landslide majority for the public
power program, the highest court
in the land had put its seal of
approval on the procedure.
And action to begin delivery of
current to country homes, to city
residences and business establish
ments has been swift.
The rural project, financed by a
loan of 100000 from the REA, is
being built by the irrigation dis
trict under force account. Success
full bidders among 35 competing
firms are now shipping to the val
ley the 1000 cedar poles, 10000
cross arms, 10000 inSulators, wire,
meters and miscellaneous materials
to be used in the $50 miles of the
system.
Backed by PWA funds the All
American canal hydro-electric sys-
tenn is taking form rapidly.
In the great shops of the New
port News Shipbuilding company
on the Atlantic coast, skilled arti-
sans are constructing the 13,30C
horsepower turbine and in a Penn
sylvania plant parts are being man