Arizona republican., 1900-07-22
Utter Loss of Confidence
 in the Present
TO BE DONE
Why Reasonable Business Men and Taxpayers Are Favoring the Adoption of the Earliest Means at Hand for Obtaining Perma- nent Water Supply for the Salt River Valley.

The more the people of the county think about it the more they are in favor of issuing bonds to encourage the construction of a storage reservoir. A few obstructive souls are raising objec- tions. They are opposed, they say, on principle to issuing bonds. They are afraid there is job somewhere and call the proposed bond issue a, subsidy or bonus, overlooking the fact that the plan involves the exchange of bonds for preferred stock which will have a great value if the enterprise should be sue. cessful. which no one doubts. If it is not a prospective success it will never be set on foot, for capitalists could not be found to put up the other tw5 or | two and a half millions required for construction.
 A majority of taxpayers take req sonable view of the case. They un- derstand, they say, that storage sys tenn is necessary. not only to the future growth of the valley. but almost to its existence. Another dry season would be ruinous. It is agreed that aside from the plan proposed there are only three by which a storage reservoir can ever be constructed for the valley. One | is by governmental aid, another by private capital and the other by bond ing the county for the whole amount necessary to construction. It is well l settled that the government will not go into the irrigating business in the face of eastern objection to western agricul- 1 tural development. Private capital will not seek investment in fields which have been uniformly fields of disaster. It is equally unlikely that a proposi- tion involving bond issue of $3, 900. 900 or even $2,5O000O would ever carry in this county. The figures are too for midable.
 Among the gentlemen interviewed on this subject yesterday was MT. Walter Talbot. 'I would not advocate" said/ he, "a bond issue without a sufficient guaranty of our rights. That is the bonds might be issued and turned over to the builders upon the completion of the reservoir and a report by a compe- | tent commission that it was what it should be. I think that arrangement would be satisfactory to the builders and then we would have all we want But something must be done. It does not make so much difference how we get it. but we must have storage sys- tem.'
 Judge c. W. Grouse said: CT am fully in favor of the plan outlined in The Republican. I would insist, of course. on contract of some kind guarantee ing to the county its rights in the res ervoir, but I imagine that such a con- tract would not obstruct the proposed arrangement. We have got to have a storage reservoir or go out of business. The farmers of the county have lost a million dollars this year and what is worse, have lost confidence in the fu- ture What has happened this year may happen next and next. We can never feel secure until we have an ab- solutely permanent water supply and no opportunity to obtain it should be lost"
 MT. H. F. Vantilburg: 'I heartily approve of the plan to bond the county for half million for the construction of reservoir. It will be worth more to us than a half dozen railroads forevery- thing depends on water If we get water storage and develop this valley | with an ample supply, the railroads will find a way to get in. What We want is water and want it badly If bonds will bring storage I would cer- tainly favor their issue"
 T. E.. Dalton: certainly I favor a bond issue and have thought for years it would be the only way to secure an ample storage reservoir"
 l.. A. Amirault: 'I have not consid- cred the bond question very carefully but would favor almost anything that l would insure us an unfailing water sup ply. The result of storage would not benefit farmers alone, but everybody that lives in the valley. just as all feel the refreshing influence of the 1 late rain. For the last two months every one has been discouraged Farm CTS. business men, contractors, property owners and all have been going around disheartened considering. themselves almost at the point of financial ruin. I have travelled up and down the valley for twenty miles and the appearance of | things has been most distressiny while l the expression of opinion has. if nossi- | ble. reen more so. Just now everything looks bright. The rain has put people on their feet again. But what We must have is permanent water supply"