Arizona republican., 1899-08-15
mr.. TROTT'S PAPER.
Full Text of Commissioner Letter
TO Board of Trade.

| A great deal Of interest has been
aroused by the letter of Water Com
missioner TrOtt, read at the 1'-',ifica-
ton meeting Of the board of trade last
| Thursday night On account of the
length Of the paper and the number of
speeches made at the meeting Com
missioner TrcIt's views were outlined
in reports of the meeting in the most
meager manner, SO that soma dispute
per contained.
The letter Was as follows:
Phoenix, Ariz., Aug. II.
CDR. William DuffieId: Dear Sir
Please tender my thanks to the direc's-
ors for so kindly inviting me to adj
dress the mass meeting this evening
on the question of water storage.
Though l hereby respectfully decline
the invitation, I desire to comm! my
self in favor of storage and advance a
few ideas and suggestions concern
ing it,
CALI know that the board OF trade is
composed largely of men whose
mon:ed interests lie principally in
the city Of Phoenix, but if the steps
now .aken by it are continued with
energy and sincerity better feeling
will be created for it in the minds OF
the citizens in general and the users of
water in particular, who will no doubt
ardently support the undertaking. l
am satisfied that ninety per cent CT
our people desire the construction Of
reservoirs. 1 know that all our en-
gineers favor it and they balieve We
have feasible and practicable sites.
In advocating the construction of
the reservoirs we should fully realize
the fact that they may become COM
mon enemies or general benefactors.
There are now, in round numbers,
100000 miners inches of w1ter nc
quired, and at times-under our pres
ent system-required by the lands ly-
ing under the existing canals, Or will
be before a reservoir can possibly be
constructed
Should the reservoir companies at
tempt to act independently or in any
manner inteI'G6re with the flow of this
water, without a due recognition of all
rights, the canal companies
and consumers would be
a1rayed against them; endles litiga-
tiCn would follow, great expense would
be engendered, and ultimately the
price the consumer now pays for water
would be greatly increased, without
any corresponding Increase to his ben
eft
"On The other hind, if we can induce
capital to invest in these enterprises
with the understanding that they
should act as regulators as we'll as i'm
Founders, and if, after the reservoirs
are constructed they do so ao', the
duty of the water now used would be
increased more than thirty per cent;
our carl3ls would become reliable con-
veyOTs and though the price of water
would be slightly increased, our farm
needed and in quantities sufficient to
do the most good. Every variety of
crop produced in this valley has an
hour when it demands an irrigation to
perfect its yield. We cannot under our
preseI.. conditions always comply with
this demand, but reservoirs working
in harmony with our canals and con-
sumers, can SO regulate the water that
these times can be met Then our
products would not only be of a bet
ter quality, but more abundant. and
for such service every one Interested
would (be benefited.
I'm my opinion a reservoir on the
Salt river and one en- the Verde would
more than double our water facilities,
and consequently the acreage we have
heretofore had at any one time, under
cultivation These reser-
voirs, if honestly and ably managed,
would enable our farmers to cultivate
heir Lands to the il: CHEST limit and
give a stability to their value. Our
canals would receive and deliver the
water with the regularity OF a cock
and be placed on a paying basis;
homes for thousands would
be made and millions added to our
wealth
1--WE should obtain all the reliable
1ata relating to the various sites so
hat we may know their possibilities, |
md if we find our opinions to We well |
'ounded we should then work hon
9stly, impartially and with unity. for !
The construction Of the best afforded |
~ The two streams
yours very truly,
FRANK P. TROTT."