The Florence tribune., 1900-07-21

' greatly obliged for your willingness to distribute the literature.
 l am fully in accord with the plan you suggest of concentrating all the influence of the national irrigation movement on the construction of a reservoir at San Carlos, and think every influence that can be combined in favor of that project should be united for it we'll in advance of the next session of Congress.
 Rev. I. T. Whittemore did good work in the last session, and your people must see to it that all the influence that he or those cooperating with him can enlist, both individuals and asso- citations, are thoroughly aroused to the importance and necessity of the pro- ject as relief to the Indians and a discharge of the solemn obligations of the government to them.
 We must, however, be careful that we are not side-tracked by some new scheme for providing for the Indians by moving them to some other reserva- ton. It would be an outrage to up- root them from lands which have been theirs for generations, but it is not un- likely that it may be proposed as a cheaper way out of the difficulty.
 Another thing, and this we must re- gard as of first importance: We must look ahead and foresee every possible point that might be urged as an argu- ment that the building of the reser- voir was, as one Senator expressed it in the last session, "more for the benefit of the whites than the h. dians," or that there is the slightest or remotest possibility of 'job" in it. Another story circulated during the last session was that some eastern syndicate had taken up all the lands under the reservoir and would realize an immense profit from the construc. tion of the reservoir by the govern ment.
 Does it not seem to you, in order to make it absolutely sure that we should not be again beaten by some such idea in the minds of Senators or Congress- men, that we ought to urge that there should be united with the appropria- tion for construction, 8 reservation of the government lands under the reser- voir, so that immediately on the formulation of 8 government system they could be sold with a water right at price which would go far towards covering the cost of the reservoir. This would not necessitate their sale for cash. They could be sold to actual settlers on long term of credit at a very low rate of interest.
 The government can we'll afford to extend credit on the payment of the price of the land and water right, and it strengthens our argument very much to eastern men if we can show a proposition which will eventually pay itself out for that portion of the cost of storage which is in excess of the re- quirements of the Indians. I would like to have your views on this point, because, if we are in harmony, I think we can accomplish the desired result and get the lands reserved temporarily pending the perfection of plans for the construction of the reservoir.
 They would not necessarily have to be reserved until the reservoir was completed. It would only be neces- sary to reserve them long enough to have plan formulated and adopted under which the area irrigable from the reservoir could be determined and the lines of the government canal run and the irrigable lands segregated from the non-irrigable, so that it could be known what lands the government could sell with water right.
 As is recommended in the Lippincott report, the formation of some irriga- ton organization within certain limi ts of area would seem to be necessary. My idea would be that such an organization would be nothing more, to all intents and purposes, than CO., operative water company, controlled by the land owners within designated limits, who would have the same general control of the distribution of the water that they would have if they bought it from the reservoir company and then distributed it through their own system of canals. When the land was all paid for the landowners should own the dietri outing system.
 I was much gratified to learn that you had been member of the Arizona Legislature, ss your irrigation memor- ial to Congress would indicate. If you are mem Der at it's next session, be- lieve that you have it in your power to accomplish work of far reaching im- portance for Arizona, and which will do more for the prosperity of the peo- ple who are already there and who