Mohave County miner., 1891-10-31
The Water Rights Question.

teuauce OF Aue reautfs Ol cSftAin ami
statehood journals in this territory. In
the same oreath they denounce the cor
porations and capitalists as grasping, ay
sricloas, soulless beings, and with the
the inward respiration seeks to induce
these same capitalists and coporations to
invest their cash in our sunny land, and
to .ld in developing cur latent resources.
Ii il strange that these papers should
sesk To enlist capital in developing their
water resources. The fact Is these pa
psrs 10 not care 10 see this territory pass
iato the Union OF states under demo.
cratic administration, and not as they
pretend because the water clause In the
constitution favors monopolies. The
article on wster rights il as follows:
3sc 1. All natural streams aud lakes within
the boundaries OF this State. capable OF being
used for the purposes Of navigation or irrtga
tioil. are hereby declared the property OF the
State.
sac q. The common law doctrine of riparian
water rights shall never be applied Ia this
STATE. nor shall the right 70 use water hereto
fore lawfully appropriated TO beneficial uses
ever be denied.
SEC. g. The right OF the people TO appro-
priste aud use the unapprophated waters OF
this State. for beneficial purposes shall never
be denied priority Of appropriation shall give
the better right always
size 4. The right OF individuals or eorpOr.
atioas 10 construct reservoirs aud imp1uud
lad appropriate the surplus and food waters
n IL. mr. al 1OmPstte
or beneficial purposes shall never be denied.
fhe hrst locator Of reservoir right shall have
pr nrity. A failure 10 construct reservoirs aud
cana within reasonable time after locstiou,
asd failure 20 use reasonable diligence 20
ma italn the same so as 70 supply water, shall
b. ned 70 work forfeiture OF such right.
sgc. 5. Every appropriation OF water shall
use the same reasonably aad economically.
SIC. 3. The mode and manner Of acquiring
aud exercising all Of said rights shall be sub.
jest 70 Legislative epntrol,
sec, T. fhe Legislature shall have power to
authorize the organization OF districts sad the
creation OF debt for the construction or pur,
cnhsing Of dams, canals and dltches aud other
appliances required 20 supply water 10 land In
said districts but such debt principal and In
terest, shall subject ouly the laads benefited
or reclaimed TO taxation % pay the same.
SEC. s rhe Legislature shall pass laws re.
qlirtug the owner or owners Of every ditch or
calal from which water l. rented or sold 10
other parties. 20 use reasonable diligence In
keeping such ditch or canal ia such good con
ditioa and repair as TO supply the water re-
quired.
N1w, gentle reIler, put on your think
ins cap and run over and enumerate in
your mind the number OF nayagable
lakes and streams within the territory
and as for streams suitable for irrigation
they can he asily counted
The first clause in the above act OF ar
tieles is the one Objectionable feature to
oar admission as state to "a small coterie
OF newspaper men in this territory; or at
least they claim it to be. As we read
th .ir rip lrian water articles We can dis
tinctly see the waters OF our own beau
tiful Red Lake in the hands of a grasp
ms monopoly, and even the great and
mighty Colorado so diverted from its
course as to leave the world famous
Grand Canyon a mere sand wash. The
articles from the mighty pens Of these
very sm I'll minded gentlemen are very,
very absurd when We realize the fact that
nine.tenths of tho available water supply
of this territory has already been appro-
p-iated. In the Salt River Valley there
is not water enough TO fill the grand
canal, except during A rod. and the same
may he said Of many similar projects.
Now, it is a welI-known fact that TO OBJ
tain water for irrigation and other bene-
ficIal purposes IL must be by artesian
wells or the storage of food water, and
capital IL requisite 10 this end. The IN
sertion OF section in our constitution
WAS merely for the purpose Of making
some people believe there were running
brooks, majestic rivers and beautiful
CLASSY lakes within the future great State
OF Arizona. How foolish these editors
will feel when they learn that the numer-
Gus rivers and lakes marked on the
maps are rivers and lakes in name only
that in reality in their beds the white,
glittering sand lies under tropical sun,
instead of limpid waters. To develop
our resources We need capital and de-
maud for water in the irrigation districts
will set the price "a witt all other COM
modiiies. To the State or the people
the people being the State and the State
the people: belongs the Manageable rivers
and lakes and waters for all beneficial
purposes, that is, had we these waters
unappropriated, but such state Of things
not being the case there will be none