202 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



not been approved by the newspapers, it could not have 

 been consummated. It was, therefore, important to 

 have the support of the local press. How this was ob- 

 tained was not clear at the time, and only subsequent 

 events have thrown a strong light on the subject. 



It has developed that H. G. Otis, the owner of 

 the Los Angeles Times, who at that time also con- 

 trolled the Herald, and E. T. Earl, the owner of the 

 Los Angeles Express, who since has founded the 

 Tribune, became interested in the ownership of large 

 tracts of land in the San Fernando Valley, just prior 

 to or about the time when the aqueduct was proposed. 

 This fact was disclosed by the official records of Los 

 Angeles county. These newspaper owners also sub- 

 sequently acquired still other and larger tracts of land 

 in the San Fernando Valley, after the large bond issue 

 of $23,000,000 had been carried, and the aqueduct had 

 become a positive and assured fact. 



No one knows just what took place between these 

 newspaper owners on the one hand and Mr. Eaton and 

 the superintendent of the water department and the 

 legal adviser of the city on the other hand. The con- 

 clusion is irresistible now that the local newspapers 

 owned by these men, who were also interested in irri- 

 gating the San Fernando Valley, gave their influence 

 and industriously urged the aqueduct project, not be- 

 cause they believed that the water was needed for 

 municipal purposes, but because its advent in the San 

 Fernando Valley would raise their land value from an 

 average value of $50.00 per acre to $500 per acre. 



In this connection let us digress for a moment 

 and recall that the Los Angeles Examiner, which had 

 then recently been established, at first opposed the 

 aqueduct project and urged that the matter should be 

 thoroughly investigated before committing the city. 

 The Examiner at that time, however, was not in favor 

 and good standing, besides being newly established. 



Pressure was brought to bear, which soon changed 

 its attitude, causing it to come out in favor of the 

 aqueduct. Conflicting statements have been made as 

 to the reason for this reversal of policy by the Ex- 

 aminer. Its former manager who was in charge at 

 that time, testified before the Aqueduct Investigation 

 Board that pressure was brought to bear from real 

 estate interests, etc., and that Mr. W. R. Hearst him- 

 self gave orders to support the aqueduct bonds.* Other 

 rumors have been current that Mr. Hearst also be- 

 came interested financially in the San Fernando Valley 

 lands, but no facts have ever been forthcoming to show 

 that this rumor had any foundation. In fact, it is the 

 belief of the writer that the Examiner's change of 

 policy was brought about in the manner testified to by 

 its former manager at the aqueduct investigation. 



There were originally some strong influences 

 against the aqueduct project from many of the finan- 

 cially strong men in the community. Numerous ex- 

 pressions from these men were heard, to the effect that 

 the city should not undertake such a large project 

 without further investigation. There was also much 

 early opposition to the project from the power inter- 

 ests, who were somewhat concerned about the advent 

 of possible aqueduct power. 



These matters were all fixed up, however, as the 

 financial men concerned obtained an interest in the 

 San Fernando Valley lands, and these men were also 



Report of Aqueduct Investigation Board of the City of Los 

 Angeles, pages 95 and 96. 



closely identified with the power companies. There 

 was also a gentlemen's agreement made between the 

 power companies and the interests behind the aqueduct, 

 that the power would be sold to them at wholesale and 

 not distributed to consumers directly by the city. It 

 must have been in consideration of these things that 

 the financial interests of the city and the power com- 

 panies pooled their issues with the newspaper pro- 

 prietors and assisted to consummate the aqueduct 

 project. 



It is also true that since then charges have fre- 

 quently been made that all of the parties did not keep 

 faith with the power companies, and some of the poli- 

 ticians and newspaper interests, parties to the former 

 gentlemen's agreement, have supported the municipal 

 distribution of the power directly to the consumers 

 and are still doing so. In the meantime the power 

 companies had withdrawn all opposition to the aque- 

 duct project and aided its consummation. In fact, 

 they were active supporters of the whole scheme until 

 1912, when certain parties broke faith with them and 

 caused the first power bond election to take place. 



Recently an election has been held in the San 

 Fernando Valley to vote upon the annexation of ap- 

 proximately 120,000 acres to the city of Los Angeles.* 

 It is intended that these lands shall all be served with 

 aqueduct water for irrigation purposes. 



Every influence which can be brought to bear is 

 being used to cause the consummation of this annexa- 

 tion. Not only are all of the newspaper proprietors 

 and politicians advocating it, but the board of public 

 service commissioners have made water rates for irri- 

 gation as low as one cent per hour inch, measured 

 under a four-inch pressure, which is equal to 538 

 gallons per hour. 



The San Fernando Valley having voted in favor 

 of annexation, the city of Los Angeles will be called 

 upon to vote upon the same question at the primary in 

 May. If ratified by the city, the whole San Fernando 

 Valley will become a part of the municipal corporation. 

 It will exclude some of the lands which have abundant 

 water rights and certain towns who do not wish to be- 

 come part of Los Angeles by reason of their dread of 

 increased taxation. It all amounts to the annexation 

 of a large territory consisting of arid lands, for the 

 purpose of providing these lands with an irrigation 

 system, namely, the Los Angeles aqueduct, built and 

 paid for by the city of Los Angeles. 



As to opinions regarding the advisability of thus 

 annexing the San Fernando Valley to the city of Los 

 Angeles, there are two different points from which the 

 question may be viewed. 



The first is, that the city of Los Angeles has 

 nearly completed the aqueduct after a fashion, but has 

 no need of the water which it will bring down. The 

 annual expense to the city, on account of the project, 

 may be said to be approximately $2,000,000, with no 

 revenue in sight to pay these expenses. 



It is argued that the city is in the position of the 

 proverbial man holding the "calf's tail," and cannot 

 let go of the aqueduct. It is further argued that the 

 only place where the water can be used is the San 

 Fernando Valley, for which the whole project was 

 planned, designed and constructed. 



While all this was not known or admitted in the 



Engineering News, Vol. 73, No. 7, page 344. 



(Continued on page 216) 



