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<br />58 58 <br /> <br />in this problem. Let us have your advice and views." <br /> <br />, " <br />REPRESSHTATIVESWIHG: "Gentlemen of the Commission, the'starter on an engine <br /> <br />that gets your car going is a vory small part of tho mechanism of the car. In <br /> <br />like manner, the little Imperial Valley in relation to the Colorado River Valley <br /> <br />it <br /> <br />is a very small part of the great project you have in mind, but it has giverithe <br /> <br />, ' <br /> <br />impetus to this great undertaking. It is because 10le have to build up a dyke <br /> <br /> <br />between our Valley and the waters of the Colorado River, which runs down from' <br /> <br /> <br />the'up-stream Stat~s in flood season; and keep on building up that dyke at the <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />rate of about a foot a year without knowing where the limit will be, that we <br /> <br />became and now are vitally interested in this great proposal. <br /> <br />" ' <br />"We started by sending delegations back here like children crying in a <br /> <br />wilderness, we did not know exactly what the remedy should be but knew we'were in, <br /> <br />danger of being badly hurt. Finally we got the Kindaid Bill passed which ap_ <br /> <br />propriated :',;20,00(), conditional on the interested parties putting up a like <br /> <br />amount. Imperial Valley has put up ::,>100,000 to match the::/20,000, and in addition <br /> <br />(>5,000 from the State of ~\rizona;and (;5,000 from our neighbor C,oachella Valley. <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />\~hile it started as our project and as our problem, I have always felt that what <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />we are proposing was to be only the first step or unit in a great big undertaking. <br />"When I was at Secrotary lane I s conference in Denve;(' in 1914, I spoke and had <br /> <br />, , <br />in mind a Colorado River Commission to take that river and develop it as a private <br /> <br />person whould his private property, systematically, and scientifically as one <br /> <br />hamonious uhole, s'o'that uhen it was completed it would bo the ,proud boast of our <br /> <br />people that not an oUnce of energy nor a drop of water went to waste. I made an <br /> <br />, , <br />. , . . <br />, '. . <br />unfortunate mistake of suggesting a Foderal Colorado Commission, and found the <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />conference to be slightly unpopular at that time towards such a commission. I <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />believe, since that time, the Government has conducted itself in such a manner <br /> <br />that it has reinstated itself in the good graces of everybody, and I hope of, the <br /> <br />citizens of Colorado. <br />