Arizona republican., 1898-10-08
SOUTH SIDE.

"
 ~ANNANNN~~N>
<~N>I<N~N~<<f
 Lehi, Ariz., Oct. 7.-(Special Cores pondsnce Of The Republican-)-At Lehi ditch meeting nobody knows any thing, yet everybody knows every thing, no one can remember anything, yet everybody's memory reaches down through the dim vista Of the past to prehistoric times; no one learns any thing nor ever forgets anything, no one does anything, yet one stops all things and pandemonium and chaos are mixed indiscriminately. The Lahi ditch meeting bids fair to become tte Mecca of the worlds metaphysicians. Now although the affair is designated as the Lehi ditch meeting, Lehi is not altogether responsible, for Lehi is simply the annual nesting place of the stockholders of the Utah canal which flows through Lehi What is know as the Utah Canal company has 128 shares of stock and the capacity of the canal which this stock built was 5000 miners inches. This water was used for years on twenty-four quarter sec tions of land near the river, or in local phraseology, on "the flat" A few years ago a company known as the Utah Enlargement and Extension com pany was formed and entered into Q contract with the Utah Canal con- pany under which contract the Utah canal was enlarged to a capacity of 5000 inches and whereby the extra 1000 inches thus obtained went to the Enlargement company, whose lanes are tip and south on the mesa. It was further agreed that the expense Of repairs should be appOrtiOned, five eighths to the Utah people and three eighths to the Extension people. This contract is where the Extension people have the Utah people on the nip. After the Extension people had completed their canal large number of these who had not already owned shares in the Utah canal bought shares in that company and carried the water these shares called for down south through the Extension canal. The people O. Lehi who own the twenty-four sections of land, which took all the water at first, are fighting those stockholders Of the company who take old shares Of water out on to new land. Right here the Lehi people have the new land holders of old water shares under the kibbey decision, which declares that water must forever remain with the land it was first used on. The Lehi people, or in other terms the owners of the twenty-four original quarter sec- tions of land, have not been disposed to enforce the Kibbey decision and have allowed the stockholders under the Extension to take their water past Leni The Lehi people, how ever, have been remonstrating for several years against the expense of keeping up the larger canal and larger dam which the en- larged and extended canal necessi- tates, and that during high water when repairs cost more than at any other time. They have the worst end of the contract; they realize it is unjust and the Extension people know it and ad- init it and express themselves as will ling to adjust matters amicably. With this good feeling it would seem that there would be no controversy and that the contending factions felt very kind ly toward each other. But it is not to be so in Utah ditch matters, for all though every stockholder is in favor of harmony, every one of them is dia- metrically opposed to anything of the kind Each faction is holding the Kibbey decision over the other, and yet each manages to get out from un- der it. The question which is really at the bottom of the trouble is nothing more nor less than the smouldering g volcano under the whole water system in the valley. That question is: Does the water in canal belong to the land it was first used on, or can the owner of the right take his water to any land Le chooses under the canal his right is in?" The Kibbey decision settled the matter so far as a clear decision is concerned, but it does not settle the trouble, for it is held by a large number of people and is evil denced by the actions of nearly every canal company in the valley to be un- just. So far as the Utah factions are concerned the justice of the decision is not troubling either party evidently. One day it is just and the next it may or may not be just, the water goes without any regard to it. And this is the way.
 As a usual thing the Lehi people stand under the Kibbey decision and when in need Of water enforce it if possible. The 5000 inches, which is divided among the 12S shares, is much more water than the Lehl people need. But when water IS low as t is now and the canal has not 5000 inches of water in it, the Lehl people maintain that as the twenty four quarter sections are entitled to all the 5000 inches they have the right to use every drop Of water in the canal up to 5000 inches, and the Lehi people take it.
 The stockholders of the Utah who live out under the Extension and who during high water believe in the Kib- bey decision, at these times believe in getting water only. Sometimes they go after 1t with shotguns, sGtletimes with injunctions, and Monday they went after it with votes. Under the decision the Lehi people would be as solid as the ancient hills were it not for the fact that they have made tham- selves liable. They themselves have found it convenient to disregard the decision and last spring sold some oi their water to another canal company