Arizona republican., 1900-08-07
OTHER WAY
To Secure a Permanent Water
 Supply
That Is Why Superintendent W. B.
 Creager Is in Favor of the Plan
 Proposed by the Republican . Other Arguments.

"I am an advocate of governmental storage of water but I can readily un- derstand that there is no chance of se- curing government aid in time to ben eft the present genera tion, and in con- sequence I am enthusiastically for The Republicans plan,'' said MT. w. B. Creager, superintendent of the Phoenix schools. "To save my life I could not imagine how any reasonable excuse could be offered against bonding the county. We have waited long and pa tientIy for private enterprise to come unaided and give us a plentiful supply of water and it seems certain that such a result cannot be hoped for It does not surprise me to see that prac- tically all the ranchers are So strongly in favor of the proposition. Another such drouth as we have just eXperl- enced would ruin many a man in this valley and I cannot see how any fur ther chance can be taken on such contingency and am fully satisfied that if every rancher in this valley Would look into the plan, each and every one would put his shoulder to the wheel ana push along the project. So far as can learn the opposition to the idea IS leu bv a clique of men whose sole object IS to gratify personal spite. l am sure that if put to a popular vote the prop osition would carry by an overWheln- ing majority. There should be no tune lost in getting action on the plan. me business men, through the board Of trade. or otherwise. should take up the matter and hurry it through.
 A few days ago The Repuphcah printed an interview with Henry H. SIosser on the subject of bonding the county for the encouragement ot res ervoir construction. MT. Slosser was not in entire accord with the proJect' but the arguments he urged against It were conditional. He did not belleNe water storage could be secured Tn any other way and he had no objection 10 bonding. He feared, though, that storage reservoir would be impractl- cable on account of the tendency to fill up" Speaking on this subject more recently MT. SlosSer said can see no risk to the county in this pIan of The Republicans. The men who are expected to put up the capital TOT this enterprise will have this matter Of filling up settled beyond q doubt be- fore they go into it. If they are satis- fled and go ahead they will know what they are doing. If they are not satis- fled. they will do nothing so the county would be no worse off than before
 Continued MT. Slosser: Most of the arguments I've seen or heard agalnst The Republicans plan are really argu- ments in it's favor. For instance, the claim is made that the farmers are against it and they ought best to know what is best for them. That is not SO. Any man of sense, farmer or not. knows as well IS any other man that we need water. A few days ago I read an article written by farmer in which he admitted that the town people were in favor of the bonds, and he intimated that the town and county interests were opposed. If the town is in favor of the bonds let us have them for the greater expense will fall on the town. Here is another thing water storage can not benefit the town without bene- fitting the farmer. The farmer would naturally be benefited first. The ad- vantage to the town would be indirect" |"
 Superintendent S. M. McCowan of the Indian school is a most hearty en- thusiast in the water storage plan and is heartily in favor of voting for bonds for the purpose. Colonel McCOwan is in San Francisco at present but will be home Friday. This weeks issue of the Native American, the Indian School paper, says:
 'The proposition to vote $500,0 ,000 in aid of the Tonto basin reservoir propo- sition is receiving considerable atten- ton on the part of the people of Mari copa county. The presumption is that a bond issue of this character will hasten the construction of the reser- Voir. Certainly the people cannot af- ford to leave a stone unturned in order to secure an abundant water supply It looks very much as though they will have to depend on themselves and pri- Vate capital to secure the desired end and the Tonto Basin project is the cheapest and most practicable of any mentioned. It would pay Maricopa county to make an outright donation of $50O,OOO if by doing so every acre under the existing canals would be furnished with plenty of water.