Arizona republican., 1900-07-24

am in favor of The Republicaus pla1- I have lived here a great many years : and have heard a great deal ot talR about water and reservoirs, but this IS the first reasonable plan I've ever heard suggested for obtaining perma- nent water supply. This plan promises all we have been asking for and in wolves no risk. We can do no iesH than to issue the bonds. We should do it as an evidence of good faith. II we seem to be afraid, we cannot eXpsct capitalists to undertake the risk. I do not believe they will do it either vita out some expression of faith such as we are now asked to make. We can nevar build a reservoir ourselves and if We depend upon the government to do it, tn inhabitants now living here will be gone and the valley Will be desert again. The situation is much more desperate than people think. l have a small ranch northeast of the city. There had been no water on the alfalfa for two months until the late rain. It looks like the desert now. l have it rented, but my tenant has to buy hay and grain and I haven't the nerve to take rent from him. A MT. Wheelock, a travelling man, has an orange grove in the same neighborhood. The trees cost him $1, ,025 in California and are now threatened with destruction. All the water in that part of the valley is devoted to the saving of trees. We can have stock water, but not a drop for alfalfa. We must get water or get out and the only way to get water is to bond the county as has been sug gested."
 Said H. I. Latham: Tt seems Ito me and w. J. Murphy, not to mention doz- ems of others, who are thoroughly ac- quainted with the water conditions of the valley and are large property own CTS as well, view with alarm our pres- ent water supply, it behooves us all to get a move on us looking towards it's improvement. The Republicans pro- ject to attain this end is to me the best I have heard offered, for if we, the res idents of this valley and the people most interested in water storage, will not attest our faith in the proposition to the extent of $500 900 how can We ex- pect outside capital to invest two or three millions in a scheme that we know has been a failure everywhere l It's like man trying to sell insurance who doesn't believe init thimself-it can't | be done. The opposition to this propo- sition is like I have heard people say of Bob Ingersoll: He tears down, but of fers nothing as good in it's place. So l far as government aid is concerned in | building reservoirs, which seems doubt ful, wouldn't it be years before our turn came with the states of Colorado, California, Utah, Montana and Wy oming in the field for the same thing, and whose claims for government aid are just as good as ours? It seems to me if every man interested in this 1 proposition would appoint himself a committee of one to do little mission ary work for its advancement, water storage would be a reality in a very short time."
 What do you think of the bond ques- tion"' was asked John B. Montgomery. You are right on it." he replied Tt is the only way I see to get stor- | age, an dthat we must have or We are ruined. We cannot depend on rains in this country and we now have all the land under cultivation that we can water under our present system even in favorable season. I have been here since 1864 and know that for the last fifteen years the water has been constantly diminishing and during the last three years has been very scarce
 Year after year I have suen enough flood water go down Salt river in three days to irrigate this whole valley from Mesa City to Yuma. There is ample water if we can get it stored. AS for the bonds it would be paying .nvest- ment for this county if we never got q dollar back for them, and there is nc use being scared at a bond issue. As Tor government storage it will be fifty years before we could get the govern ment to construct reservoir in this valley even if it went immediately intc the reservoir business. In the mean time where will we all be? There arc places where land can be irrigated from Wills and I believe it will not he long till many acres are thus provided Tor. But that will only be a small pa ri or the tillable land and we want stora Q, Just the same. Then we can water all the land we have in cultivation and the 10000 acres more that has not been touched. The interest on a haIt million of bonds will not amount tc very much even if the valuation did not increase, compared to the benefits to be derived. But the valuation is bound to increase
 J. w. Benham: 'I am heartily ir favor of thorough discussion of this great question of water storage: com Ing to decision as soon as possible ana then every man in Maricopa coun. " giving what influence and work he can to bringing to a successful com. pletlon the proposition decided on h, the opinion of the majority as the best and surest way to a reservoir"