Imperial Valley press., 1939-11-24

Hewes as saying he as one member
of the board would abide by Hart
zogs decision.
Threats Repeated
He said further that Young ad-
mitted the Calipatria division had
not been part or the irrigation dis
trict before; it had operated under
his dictation. He said Young threat
ened to denote him and cut his
wages if he did not comply with
the Guest reinstatement demand.
He went on to explain that Young
promised that Hartzog could run
the Calipatria division as any other
division and Guest would have TO
report to him, Hartzog, instead of
to Young.
No other director in any other
division enters into the personnel
or dictates in any way" Hartzog
testified.
The grand jury's continued ques-
tioning of witnesses about the han
ding of storehouse materials final
ly led to the statement that in Sep
tember. after the Pond matter
broke. the whole system of handling
these stores in the various districts
was changed and improved to make
a better and more accurate check
possible. Hartzog testified that other
divisions tother than Calipatria)
would need little schooling in fol-
lowing orders. II believe the others
are straight, he testified.
Many pages of the transcript
were devoted to searching probe
of the way water business is ham
died in the various divisions, ap-
parently with an idea of comparing
it with the Calipatria division and
Ponds alleged mishandling of funds
and records. The grand jury ques-
toned all division chief water clerks
and their assistants and had an
auditor 60 over their records.
Pond identified his writing on
mass of records and checks and his
remarks were written into the rec
ord.
Pond Criticizes Guest
He said at first he had no state
ment to make about the charges
against him but did have statements
to make about Charles Guest and
the way he handled things in the
Calipatria division.
Pond went into detail about a
ranch outside the irrigated area of
the district that Guest later admit
ted owning with partners, one OF
them district zanjero. Pond ac-
cused Guest of using district men,
and materials on the
ranch and letting the district pay
the bill.
Asked wnar became of various
amounts of money paid to him as
water clerk, Pond replied ct could
ut tell you that" Asked if he knew
what became of it, he replied NO"
District Attorney Elmer Heald re-
oeatedly asked him if he wanted
to explain any of it,. Pond said
once st don't know whether could
explain it or not"
Asked why he had in some in
stances increased the amount of
water bills sent Hindus by simply
them, Pond said:
II do things for them and that
IS the only way they can pay me-"
A grand juror asked if the money
belonged to the district. He said it
did. He said he took some of the
money to pay himself for services
he did the Hindus.
81 Guess / Did"
When questioned about missing
balance on check juror asked if
ne kept it. Pond said:
81 don't know. I didn't remember
[ guess I did"
He said he added the amount on
10 the Hindu bills. LAS far as the
district is concerned nothing was
ost on their part. If they had to
pay the cotton gin back I don't
snow whether the Hindus would
yet it or not"
In sitting out a statement made
oy Pond regarding his zanjeros COL
Getting money from ranchers, the
grand jury questioned all other
water clerks in the district at large
and they said it was "very, very
seldom" a zanjero collected money.
hey were not supposed to and did
70 only in case of emergency.
Kept Three Books
Jack Young, water clerk who was
at the Calipatria office
ate in the Pond regime, said Pond
had as high as three receipt books
1t one time and Guest testified that
le found some of the old receipt
oooks in the office.
Guest and other witnesses were
Questioned repeatedly about Guests
'anching business. He said he was
,oing TO change all that and not
laye district men or equipment
work on the ranch even if it was
oaid in the usual manner in such
,ases of private work. He declared
Pond got into trouble because he
,ambled and drank.
Costs About Same
HartZog said Guest insisted on
ioing work lin the same old way
n spite of headquarters efforts to
make improvements. He also said
,ther divisions had cut costs down
bout one third but the Calipatria
livision was running about as in
he past.
On Ponds last appearance before
he grand jury and before he was
he testified that he han
lied the checks the way he did be-
ause he had no change and had
o use the cash turned in by ranch
RS to make change for those who