The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1891-11-21


nothing in that article limiting
the price that can be charged fol
water per acre. Why was there
not some limit placed? Will these
corporations do like the S. P. r. r
charge all the land will bear?
Section 3 says, priority OF ap
preparation shall give the better
right always" We who are living
here on the Gila river and settled
here twenty-three years ago, know
what that amounts to. The state
is also made the sole owner of all
the waters in the state, and if &C
she can grant them in perpetuity
with full authority to use them as
the grantee may think proper
Section 2 secures to those who may
have appropriated water before the
adoption of this constitution, the
right to the use of such water per-
petually, and there is no power re-
served to the state or the people to
regulate such use. The owners OF
all canals built previous to the
adoption of the constitution can
charge as much for the water as
they wish, or they can refuse it
altogether if they think proper,
and as all the water of the Salt
and Gila rivers, at the ordinary
stage, has long ago been appropri-
ated, it seems to me that it nat
uraily follows that the farmers on
these two streams are absolutely
in the power of the water COM
panies.
Sections 3 and 4 give "the right
to appropriate the unappropriated
or surplus water in either the Salt
or ella rivers, it practically gives
all the water of these two streams,
except the flood waters, to the pres
ent canal owners.
Section 8 requires the legislature e
to pass certain laws in relation to
keeping canals in repair, but does
not require any penalty for their
violation. What is a law worth
without some penalty being at
-taehed for its violation. -
In Article XIV, Section 5, in my
opinion The Office of clerk of the
C urt and county recorder should
be In two distinct and separate
offices. While | do not object to
Phoenix as the capital at present,
the constitution puts it out Of the
peoples hands practically to
change it. Arizona is a very
large territory, and some time in
the future it might Oe advisable to
change it, but this | suppose is
rank treason to aliude to anything
of the kind.
Everything in this Territory at
present is not as rose-colored as
the press and boomers have paint
ed it. At present we are going
through a serious ordeal of a very
serious drouth. Cattle are diving
in every direction, and the losses
tins winter will be heavy-that is,
in central and southern Arizona.
At the present writing there is not
a drop of water in the ella river
for seven miles above Florence and
forty below, nor has there been for
months. All the water in the
river above is flowing in the Flor
ence canal. Where is that priority
of right in the water clause? /
settled here twenty three years
ago and paid 1900 for a ole SIKH
interest in the canal snown as the
Brady ditch. The Florence Canal
Company has acquired all the
water on the south bank Of the
Gila river, except the canal that |
own a share in, and they might as
we'll have that too, for all the good
or benefit its owner receives from
it.
Our taxes are and have been SO
burdensom" (thrce dollars and
;.ehty ,t.0's -. the hundred
dollars) that j. J., only " 81 ':iI-,
ing a po5tion OF our property 81
we are a6l: - pa Ia. tax.S -.
the balance. ~ this county last
year the delinquent list was one
third of the who amount, and in
Maricopa county it was one-half.
Proper y Of all kinds in this county
has decreased in value, and yet