Imperial Valley press., 1944-02-23
STORM DAMAGE

STORM DAMAGE
Officials of the water and power
department, operating the big cleo
trical generators at Boulder Dam.
several other generating plants, the
$50 miles of power transmission
lines TO the dam, the 300-mile Owens
Valley acqueduct, and water and
power distribution to 1,750,000 resi-
dents said it would take full crew
of $50 repairmen six days OF WORK
around the clock to repair the storm
damage.
The mass meeting OF 1900 strikers
at Embassy Auditorium was sub
dued on contract to previous ses-
sionS.
Thank God for Uncle Sam,
exclaimed one worker, Harry Under
wood, as Maj. Milbourn Webb of
the army engineer corps read a
proclamation from Col. Putnam
stating that the military was taking
over control.
I'VE are all glad we don't have
TO go back to work for Mayor Bow
/ ron, OIUtTWOOu duutu.
Col. Putnam Immediately moved
i into quarters in offices of the water
and power commissioners.
Mayor Fletcher Bowron announc-
/ ed that non-union strikers were
already flocking back to work but
+ that no union men showed up i'm
mediately because of refusal Of
union headquarters to stamp the'r
cards.
GREEN SPEAKER
President William Green of the
American Federation of Labor
branded the walkout that began
Feb. IA as a clear violation of the
Federation's no-strike pledge.
Mayor BoWron and local union
leaders promised full cooperatio.l
with President Roosevelt's order di-
recting army operation of the pub
lie utility.
1--WE will be only too glad to CO.
operate with this executive order,
said Ernest P. Taylor, busines;
manager of the International Broth.
erhood of Electrical workers fAFL)
when he was informed that thi
president had issued an executive
order directing Secretary of Wal
Henry L. Stimson TO take over tht
city water and power department
largest municipally-owned pubic
utility in the nation.
Taylor said he would confer i'm.
mediately with army representa-
tiveS and then present his informa
ton and recommendations to
mass meeting Of strikers called foj
later Wednesday.
Mayor Fletcher BoWron said HI
was gratified at the prompt re-
sponse to his request for troop
to take over the vast system, in
Guiding the huge power generation
facilities at Boulder Dam and tbs
distribution system serving l,750,'
600 residents Of metropolitan Lo:
Angeles.
AWAITS W1RD
General Manager H. A. Van Nor
man of the water and power depart
| nent said he was awaiting informa
ton from the army as TO how oper
ations would be affected.
Il am layman so far as militar,
things are concerned" he com
mented, "and I can't tell how TIL
thing will be handled"
1t was assumed that trained aroi.
technicians would move in immcd
lately TO restore service TO NOR
than $50 war plants cut off from
electrical power because Of viol
ent wind and rain storm and tbs
failure of strikers to make repairs
President ROosevelt's executive
order said that the strike had "un'
duly impeded" the war effort ant
gave Secretary Stimson AUTHORITY
to operate both water and poW2!
systems of the city, protect tn'
facilities and protect persons en-
ployed or seeking employment aht
their homes.
The order contained a provision
for termination of government Co1
troll within 80 days after StimsJl
determines that operating efficienc
has been restored.
The strike and storm forced tn
closing of 393 city schools and black
ed out l25,0O0 homes and bushes
establishments.