Arizona republican., 1899-02-17
ILL ADVISED OPPOSITION TO
 WATER STORAGE.

III C61SdIlnS yesterday the D1Il
 providing for the exemption of lprojected water storage reser-
 voirs from taxation fer a stated
 period, dealt blow at the material
 advancement of all Arizona. Phoenix
 and Maricopa county especially, have
 peculiar cause to regret this short-
 sighted action of our law makers. It
 is particularly regrettable that any
 member from this county should be led
 to aid in placing in front of this com
 munity so serious an obstacle to it's
 financial prosperity.
 The absolute need of water storage
 fer the further development and p-os-
 perity Of this valley is a thing So pat
 ent that it is useless to discuss it. That
 an adequate system of storage would
 easily quadruple the farming popula- tion of the valley, nobody would deny.
 That we are surrounded by a vast az
 ricultural area far superior in merit
 to southern California, everybody ia
 miliar with the situation admits. That " ster storage would, within a few
 years, make Phoenix a seccnd Les An
 geles in wealth and population, is q
 fact of easy demonst: aiion. That there
 are other sections of the territory
 which are waiting but for storage of
 irrigation waters in order to bound
 irt1 instant activity and wealth, no intelligent citizen of Arizona will dis pute.
 That there should be deliberate ef- fort, then, by the legislature, to defeat the aspirations of our people for the upbuilding here of a great common wealth, is 9 matter of intense surprise.
 Only those who have devoted years to the effort of developing this valley have known of the difficulties in the nay of bringing eastern capital to this i region; but great majority of our people know something of the earnest l effort which has been made to secure , funds for the construction of storage reservoirs for this valley And it is no secret that these efforts have met | with more or less Encouragement Of course, all of US here know that a constructed reservoir would be profitable for the investors therein; . hut it is another thing to convince non residents of that fact It is well known that the fayorite answer Of capitalists is that California reservoirs have not raid and there is no certainty that Arizona is better situated. Moreover, taxes in your western communities are very high, and we are afraid that after you pay your taxes you will have no money for interest" So far, at least, t has not availed to say in response, that in all the world the Salt River alley is the best field for @ reservoir; l hat the profits therefgom are certain: hat taxation is based on low valua- ' ions, and that the taxes on a rezer- i -oir would probably be nominal any ! way" Cur people have to deal with i he situation IS they find it in the minds of eastern investors-not as we . wish it, and the great bug-bear in a he east is excessive taxation e
 The argument which seemed most to v influence the legislature yesterday, T amely. that heretofore acts have been T asaed ezemptiDg rail- pads from taxa h ion, and that much popular discon- Y nnt has been produced thereby, is peoious and begs the Qsestion- The V Ho propositions have no parallel The ' overnnlent publications on irrigation Il objects, publications familiar to all 2 cading communities where irrigation e , practiced, uniformly show that q here reservoirs have been constructed aI ne growth of the affected regions in T population and taxable wealth has cen stupendous. That a marvellous lcrease in the taxable property of this T alley and of this city would follow le construction of a storage reservoir ,r our farmers, is a fact that not even I le orr2nents of the bill in question D ared dispute. | in their haste to prcve their friend s lip and protecting care fer the peo- II le" the legislators have done what a ley could to increase and make per t anent the burdens of the people who \, ected them. The very people" about r hom our statesmen were so concerned :, the farmers and business men most D fected by the measure defeated- \ ave been and are at this moment lend ', q