Newsletter from Dr. Ben Yellen

              NEWSLETTER FROM DR. BEN YELLEN 
Brawley, Calif. 
 
June 14, 1966 
 
U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson 
Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs 
Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 
 
Dear Sir: 
 
This report about the evile in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys of California is sent to you and your Committee so that steps be taken to remedy the situation. The bad conditions here are due to the NEGLIGENCE of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in not enforcing various provisions of the U.S. Reclamation Law. 
 
This letter will give the results of the recent primary election of June 7, 1966 which will show the struggle of the people of Imperial County against their exploiters who are here in violation of the U.S. Reclamation Law. 
 
One always hears about the 160 acres limitation meaning that the person doing the farming is limited to the amount of irrigation water necessary in farming 160 acres. But what one does not hear is that it was the intent of Congress and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 when the U.S. Reclamation Law was passed THAT THE PERSON DOING THE FARMING LIVE ON THE LAND OR CLOSE BY. This meant of course that there was not to be absentee ranoh owners or absentee farmers. 
 
In February 1932, about one week before President Franklin D. Roosevelt was to take office, Secretary of Interior Wilbur made a ruling after being prodded by Northcutt Ely, his administrative assistant, that the Imperial Irrigation District was not subject to the 160 acres limitation. Immediately afterwards, Northcutt Ely go on the payroll of the Imperial Irrigation District and has collected more than $300,000 in retainers. The stench of how Secretary Willbun signed and how Northoutt Ely has been on the payroll ever since is still creating its smog effect in the air of Imperial Valley. 
 
As you no doubt know, the U.S. Dept. of Justice has now been given the problem of enforcing the 160 acres limitation since Solicitor Frank Barry gave a legal opinion that Secretary Wilbur's ruling had no legal justification. But it is necessary to show you the rackets and exploitation schemes that have been set up in Imperial County by the big absentee ranohowners. 
 
It also must be brought to your attention that Coachella Valley which also receives its irrigation water from the very same ALL-AMERICAN CANAL which supplies the Imperial Irrigation District, has a ruling signed by Secretary I ckes that it is subject to the 160 acres limitation. But Floyd Dominy, the Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has permitted violations of the 160 acres limitation in Coachella Valley. To be specific, there is a big ranch there owned by HEGGEBLADE & MARGULEAS of San Francisco, Calif. which is in violation. 
 
Floyd Dominy has been coming here making speeches which encourage the big ranchers to disobey the law. He is being paid to enforce the U.S. Reclamation Law and he is not enforcing it in the Coachella Valley which I know from personal observation. 
 
The big ranchers have set up many exploitation schemes. Only the main ones will be mentioned. Small farmers here are prevented from continuing because the big ranchers collect most of the charity handouts that the Federal Government distributes in the form of cotton allotments and beet acreages. The large landowners with their economic power control the county government and the Assessor-Collector of the County as well as the Assessor-Collector of the Imperial Irrigation District. By these means they are able