Arizona republican., 1900-09-26
THE WAY 10 GET 1T
President Murphy Before the
 Storage Committee.
He simpliies the Subject Showing How Water May Be Obtained and How It Can Not Be Had in Any Other Way.

?. &, P. yesterday appeared by invita- ton before the water storage cOmmit- tee in a special meeting in the board of trade rooms. In a business-like talk of an hour and a half, a part of which was occupied in answering the in quiries of members. he divested the subject of water storage of some Of the complexities and entirely stripped some of the projects of their allurements. He began by describing the interest he felt in the Salt River valley and the missionary work he had done ia the east or had tried to do in the way of interesting capital in reservoir con- srruction in the valley. At the outset MT. Murphy said that some plan must be definitely agreed upon before there could be a successful b. ginning. Mir. Murphy said he favored no particular project: he was willing to cooperate in the carrying out of any plan that might be agreed upon and for which all would work. Nor had he any fur ther interest in the valley than a devel- opm5nt of it's resources which would increase the business of his road.
 MT. Murphy was not of the opinion that public ownership CT a reservoir was practicable. The enterprise was ltO t-AltIiSiFt anu llhF-N tO Be dIlecLtNl by politics. He did not think it would he wise for the people of the county to cover themselves with indebtedness in such an amount as would be required to construct reservoir. N5r did he believe that county bonds pr irrigation bonds based on such an enterprise could be foated. There could. there fore. be only one way to secure the construction of a reservoir and that would be by the aid of private capital. Tn order to enlist private capital the county might offer encOura cement in the way of a substantial investment in the enterprise, say by issuing $500 OCO of bonds That wOulr show local faith and it was MT. Murphy's opinion that 1t would attract the required aid.
 John F. Norton said that ne did not believe that the people would vote the bonds unless they were afforded q guaranty of their rights. MT. Murphy replied that that would be no obstacle. n the first place the county need pay nothing until after the dam had been constructed. or its contrlbution might be applied toward finishing the work, CT it might be arranged that payment of interest on the boh-s might he de- fe1rej two or three years. As to the protection of individual rights. Mir Murphy said they could be amply se- cured by q co1rract for a long term of yearz between the water users and the canal companies and between the ca nals and th' builders 1f che reservoir. These contracts should IAlate to the distribution of water. the price of it and the acreage to W hich it should be applied.
 MT. Murphy was seconded by Col. William Christy. who sad that the full est protection. could be guaranteed in this way. Beside. he did not think that corporation was anycnIng to be afraid of. It was not likrty 10 be any more oyerreachilg than an individual. since it was made up Of individuals MT. Chri=ty said he did not share the popular objection to corpora tions, but On the contrary he rather liked them But, anyhow, in this case the rights of the people could be 70 hedged about b. contracts as to be absolutely secure.
 Mir. Murphy having been furnished by Chairman E. A. Fowler of the committee with an outline of the work of the sub-com- mittees, said that he had for some time been in correspondence. or in con-
 
 but knew nothing of the present agi- tation of the water storage question here until he reached Chicago. where he met W. J. NuzpLy, who told him that plans were on foot for securing water storage and that private capita; was not wanted. Accordingly. he de- cided to do nothing more until he came to Phoenix in order that he might not be working cross OurDOres
 As to the Hudson reservoir project, ZIr. Murphy believed that the company would transfer it's rights to 9 corpora tion on the payment of sum equal to it's expenditure and interest. That would be a good beginning. Then sub stantial encouragement by the county would TO doubt rssul. fin an early be- ginning Of tfe work. Capital Mr. Murphy said was ntvs" more plenti- ful than it Is now. Investments in ir- rigation enterprises had not been very encouraging, but 9 water storage en- tsrprise here under the conditions he had outlined. Mir. Murphy thought would allure investors. However. 1t was not likely that anything could be begun until after the election.
 Several gentlemen who have all along favored the public ownership idea asked MT. Murphy questions. They were all readily answered. One of them asked hIm if it could be arranged that the county would be given control of the reservoir if it should contribute S50000O to the enterprise. "Why do you ask me that?" said NIr. Murphy. "But I'll answer by asking you a question. If yeu were t. Invest $2,OOOOC0 in an enterprise and another man should in vest $500 C0O would you GIve him con trol of n?" The gentleman rather thought he would not.
 In the course of his talk Mr Murphy drew distinction between the willingness of cap ital U go into reasonable enter prises and its eagerness to jump into something about whic 1t knows noth- 1 ing. He Illustrated th.s point by a story within his own experience. Some l years ago when he was trying to inter- | est capital in the north and south road, | o -.e1r r0l ~lip1 1 friend 10 went fO