Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-03-03
Comparative Charges.


 
 The people of the Gila valley have had but little experience in systematic irrl- gation and dealing with corpor atioDs that supply water for that purpose exclusive ly, and therefore they are prone to harsh y criticize the scale of prices fixed by the Florence Canal Company and brand them as eXorbitant. A careful com parison with the exactions of some of the Salt River Canal companies will give more light upon the practice of such companies and will, perhaps, afford a grain of genuine comfort to those who are dependent upon the Florence canal for their water supply.
 The statement of the customs of the Arizona Canal Company at Phe nix makes the following interesting exhibit: In respect to the sale of water rights, when the Arizona canal was commenced four wears ago, water rights were selling in that valley for about $250 each for 16O acres of land. The price advanced rapid ly with the increasing demand and dur ing the construction of that water way the first rights were sold at $500 each for 80 acres This price was maintained for about a year, during which time no water was delivered as the canal was not fully completed and the dam had gone out.
 After completing the canal the water rights were advanced excessively to S6OO, $7 90, $500, $850, S900 and now they bring 5000 each, or S12. 90 per acre. The demand has been even bet ter at the highest rates than when the lowest price was asked. The Company considers them very low now and it ex- poets to advance them steadily from month to month until they reach 2,000 or $2, 300 each. Each water right GOV CTS 80 acres of land and are designated by numbers, and each acre is entitled only to specified quantity of water The water Is served by few large later als that supply sometimes as many as six sections of land, as this plan IS found to be more economical than multiplying the connections with the main canal and they are more easily maintained and the rights cf each land owner are better protected.
 The water toll, or annual rental of water by the Arizona Canal, was fixed for the first seven years at S125 per acre, plus the cost of maintaining laterals and measuring boxes and immediate service in delivering the water. After that time the cost will be doubled, or S2. 50 per acre per year will be charged. The reason for this variation Is that division of farms into small holdings Is expected during the next six or seven years; the present farms are large and it costs less to deliver water to them, less to construct and maintain laterals and measuring m boxes and less cost for the services for zanjeroin handling the water. The present users are raising principally grain and alfalfa and cannot afford to pay so high a rate as they will be able. to do after getting their lands into bearing fruit.
 From the foregoing exhibit it will be observed that the rates fixed by the Florence Canal Company are very low in comparison to the prevailing prices in Salt River Valley. This company asks but five dollars per acre for water rights purchased before April 1st, two dollars per acre of which is payable in cash and it includes the water used during the first year. The deferred payments come Ill easy installments of $I 50 per acre per year with interest at ten per cent per annum. The future water toll has not been fixed upon, but it will not likely exceed that of the Arizona Canal, name ly, Sl. p per acre per year.
 Tine experience of the Arizona Canal Company fully justihes the Florence Canal Company in advancing its rates upon the date designated and later on it is possible that further advances will be made in the price. It is held that the water right should be worth fully as much as the patented land to which it is attached, and where such land with water right is worth S25 per acre, the water right alone is valued at onehalf that sum, or SIP. 50 per acre. And this is good reasoning, for the land is almost wort hless without the water and the lat ter is very limited in comparison to the quantity of available land. Any practi- cal person will fully agree with this con- clusion and the land owners along the Florence canal will readily see by a care ful comparison of the rates above quoted that in the purchase of water rights they are being dealt with in most generous and Ii beral manner.