Imperial Valley press., 1940-07-29
A Brighter Outlook
For the Valley
Continued from page one)
WHY THESE THINGS
ARE so IMPROTANT

Every person in Imperial valley
should realize why these developments
are so important. There has been plenty
of pessimism, sour faces, and lack OF
confidence in Imperial Valley for the
past five years. There is plenty today.
These developments, however, should
change the outlook and replace worried
wrinkles with confident smiles.
THE CASE
What it all means can best be illus
trated by considering the farmers from
other parts of the country who almost
constantly are visiting the valley with
the thought of buying land Many have
real money in their pockets. Imperial
Valley needs these farmers, good farm
ers, scientific, successful farmers to stem
the tide of big acreage ownership which
is tending TO reduce our population and
place the buying power in the hands of
fewer and fewer people. We also need
these farmers to replace tenant-farmlng
with owner-farming which will boost
community pride and community devel-
opment, and tend TO make this part OF
California a more pleasant place in
which to live.
Almost invariably these potential far
mer-buyers. after investigations shake
their heads and pass on to some other
part Of California. The reasons why they
turn us down are substantially the same
reasons why our land is selling for only
a half, third, even a fourth of its real
and future value. These are:
Firstly: Imperial Irrigation District
is in the bankruptcy courts. Its financial
record is that it can't pay its district
debt Farmers fear a bankrupt commun-
ity. With the solution of our refunding
problem. we will again be establishing
our credit rating" among the farmers
of the nation.
Secondly: These shopping farmers
fear the multi-million dollar All Amerl-
can Canal won't work. With the canal
going into real operation in October-lt
will become not a sales liability but
sales asset.
Thirdly: Prospective buyers are not
so sure that the power program will
pay for the canal or will work salts
factorily. With the hydro-electric plants
working and supplying power to aug
ment the diesel plant, the proof Will be
apparent and the valley will be definite
ly on the way to realization of the dream
of dozen years
Fourthly: Land inen everywhere have
realized that probably our greatest prob
lem is drainage The rising water tables
under much of our land must be lowered.
Our lands must not go more to alkall.
with 1dVOraDle fe1unulng ueclSloH Nes-
pecially if the refunding plan isn't re-
tarded by further legal obstruction by
the small minority of non-depositing
bond holders who have given so much
trouble for years. it is possible that our
drainage program will get under way
with bang-the bang being some half
million dollars with which to start the
major drainage program.
Fifthly: Valley land IS selling and
renting mighty cheap because of these
dark clouds" which have been hanging
over the valley for a long time. Land
sells here or 500 per acre when
similar acreage with a similar record
elsewhere (such as in the Salinas area,
or the Sacramento and San Joaquin val
leys) sells for $500, S400 or even $500
Local smart farmers know this. That's
why they have been quietly and steadily
extending their holdings for years. Some
have increased in five years from 16O
to ] 900 acres and more. They were and
are wise They have seen far beyond the
problems to the ultimate outcome. But