Arizona republican., 1902-02-02

enabling act been passed by the legis-
lature. a three-line bill approving 1t
could have been passed through con-
gress the first week in last December.
But the legislature passed queer sort
of bill providing for n water storage
commission at the instance of Mr..
Maxwell. the spirit OF the bill being
that the commissioners should acquire
reservoir sites and turn them back to
the government.
The storage commissioners have
labored diligently in gathering informa-
ton, and they will soon make a report
Of what they have learned. But 1t is
safe to say they will be unable to re-
port much more than could have been
learned at the offices of the several
canal companies and the local offices
of the Hudson Reservoir company. The
commission is serving 4 useful purpose.
however. for the data furnished by
them will have an official stamp of au-
thority. But the point is that one year
has been wasted by listening to the
wiles of the national irrigationists."
Mr.. Maxwell could afford to wait. He
has been making many thousands of
dollars year out of the agitation. Bus
the complications introduced have pre-
vented the reservoir company from OBJ
tanning funds and so long as the ma
tIonal irrigation idea for this valley is
followed by any substantial number OF
citizens no private corporation can sue
coed.
Mr.. Heard does not wish TO no classed
with the rainbow chasing people who
would depend on the national irriga-
ton" plan for the salvation of the VAL
ley, for he admits now, after year has
been wasted. that none of the plans
heretofore proposed In congress- Will
afford any relief to the ranchmen IN
der our canals. To secure anything
from the government, he admits, II Is
necessary now to approach congress
with a proposition which will be new TO
most OF the members. u would be rash
in the extreme to stake two years more
of the valleys welfare on the single
throw of a dice-and that dize loaded
with eastern prejudice against us.
Everybody would rejpioe were there
any reason to believe that Mr. Heard
is correct in depending upon govern
men aid as the way out. Contrary TO
the assumption of some, not even the
reservoir company could object to gov
eminent aid" because the injury of
vested interests and the eonfiscation OF
legally acquired rights would be
farthest from the thought of the aver
age congressman No bill could pass
which would not be fair to all interests.
But there is no reason to believe that
Mr.. Heard is right in his assumption
With a patriotic desire to obtain stor-
age. and reasoning justly that the gov
eminent would be assuming no risks
in adopting his plan, he builds too much
entirely upon the presidents message.
1t is congress that must be rsckoned
with, and Congressman Lacey said the
other day that the Maxwell scheme
would be defeated by $50 majority
Mr.. Heard figures, we suppose, that
the administration can he brought to
abandon its progra anime of reservoir
at San Carlos for a reservoir at the
Tonic site. 1t should not be overlooked
that 1t is hardly possible to get even
hearing for two reservoir propositions
in Arizona this congress. 1t should not
be forgotten that to antagonize the San
Carlos proposition would be to meet
in hostility the lobby from the ella
valley and the influence of the Indian
bureau and the department OF the in
terror. Mr.. Fowler, who Is now in
Washington, contends, we understand
that it might be practicable to persuade
the government to adopt the Tonic
reservoir as n source of supply for the
agricultural Indians of the territory,
the water to be carried past Mesa and
across the ella river. Were this idea
to be carried out it would require the
diversion of a great volume OF water
needed for the settlers of this valley
And the figures of the storage commits
sion will show that for the last three
years at least the floods have no been
in such volume as to have warranted
the idea of diverting the waters to
other lands than those under the canals
of the valley. Yet it could be depended
upon that any bill providing any form
of government aid for the Tonic reser-
voir would quickly encounter rider
providing that water should be fur
nished to the Indians.
The only safe course to pursue is to
pass the enabling act first, and then
congress can be tested on the lines OF
Mr.. Heard's plan.
Our democratic friends are fond of