Arizona republican., 1902-08-10

Several hundred water users of the Salt River valley heard yesterday afternoon the doctrine of peace and harmony from the lips of the Hon. George H. Maxwell. president of the National Irrigation association, and they gave it closer attention and seemed more deeply impressed by It than by any sermon on the same sub feet ever delivered in this strife-ridden community. MT. Maxwell had been ln- vited to ccme here and offer his advice in the matter of obtaining the govern ment construction Of reservoir. II was announced as late as last Thurs day that he would be here on Saturday, yet the crowd was so great that the notion of holding the meeting in the district courtroom had to be abandoned and it was held on the lawn on tine east side Of the courthouse
 The speaker was introduced by Hon. E. A Fowler, who has been iaborlnS with Mir Maxwell for the last six months in Washington in the interest ot national irrigation. Mir Maxwell was described by him as the friend ot the Salt River valley.
 The speaker said that he was gratified by so large an audience collected tG- Gether on go short notice To him that was indicative of the interest in movement which had engrOssed his at tcntion almost constantly for the last three years. Il showed 2 coIdition CT. sentiment that the greatest DeIeht ID be received by each individual of the community would come from q condl- ton which brought the greatest good to all. The speaker said that the great est prosperity this valley had eyer known was now within reach, but the effort of reaching fcrth was required
 MT. Maxwell said that he had just heard a man say that he did not think it possible for the people of this valley to get together. The speaker said ther" was comparatively little to be gotten together. The burden of bringing them together would be light in comparison with the trouble of getting the people of the United States together in favor of national aid. and that has been done against what seemed to be uncOnquer- able. in the case of the valley the people understood what they wanted. They were divided only by questions of interest which when they were look ed at in the proper spirit were not d. yergent questions. In the case of the people of the country. they had to be educated and prejudices of long stand- ing had to be removed.
 Mir Maxwell spoke of the results o! agreement and harmony. No man. said ha. can paint a word picture oi this valley rejuvenated by the torren- tiaI floods stored up and led out upon it as they are needed. All kinds o1 property, everything upon the assess rnent roll will take on a double Naiu+ as soon as the construction of q reser- yoir by the government is ordered. Not the least Of the benefits to follow the government construction of the reser- yoir would be the wiping out of the troublesome question of prior rights This vexing problem would solve itself The prior rights might not cease to eX- ist, but they would exist only in theory There could be no practical division or this subject.
 Mr. Maxwell did not want his hear CTS to think that he had come in th' capacity of a teacher or an instructor He knew less of the local situation than any man in the valley. but hi; study of the sentiment of the east 1T respect of national irrigation had giveI him q more complete understanding O the things the people here would hav' 10 do in order to secure gOvernmen aid. Nothing he said could be accom- Dlished without the approval of th' east. The east had come to learl though that by the reclamation of tn arid west competition was not bein: built up, but that on the other han' great markets for the products of tn cast were being opened One prominen manufacturer had said that he Woul' rather have the market of 100000 nor farmers in the arid west than the mar tets of the whole of South America.
 Ii was essential, MT. Maxwell said that the people should own and contro inc water. There could be no pros r,erity under an irrigation syster owned by men who have no other in terest in the community than the col lection of dividends. There must be elimination of water right companies No economic reason could be offered | inc people of the east and to the au thcrities at Washington why the gov ernnent should work for the benefi Of q canal company.
 The government would probabl speud s20G O09. GOO in reservoirs to b paid for within the next ten years, bu this money would be expended in business like way. The governmen would take no chances. The way fo ifs nerations would have to be pave so that il would have nothing to do bu construct the reservoirs and receive it nav from those benefited. There mus