The Arizona sentinel., 1903-07-08


 Mir. Barnard, the attorney of the com Pany, might explain the main features of the water right contract. The latter gentleman spoke as follows:
 "The contract which the company asks you to sign was prepared by nine persons interested in our concern, of whom three were experts in the matter of irrigation, three were lawyers and three were business men. Our object was to form a contract that was just to the users of water and to ourselves.
 ''If there is any clause i'll the con- tract upon which any of you gentle men want any explanation, we wish you to ask for it. We can give you a reason for every one of the conditions. You will notice that we do not ask for one cent from anyone until water is delivered; consequently if we do not deliver water you have nothing to pay.
 This must appeal to you as being exceptionally just and fair to you. Let LIS suppose that ten farmers wish to build a road in this valley to cost a thousand dollars but did not have the money to do so. They would go to the Bank of Yuma or to MT. Thorn tons bank and ask for the money. The banker would say that they were good for the money but would present at the same time for the signature of each of the ten a note which would bear interest from the day it was signed. Interest would be charged be- fore the road was built. In our case we get nothing until we have spent from one million and a half to two millions of dollars, most of which will be spent in the county of Yuma. Who will get this money? The people here who work on the canal will re- ceive the cash each pay day as the work proceeds. If we do not make a success of the canal we will lose our money and the people of the county will have got it and so be the gathers in any case by our coming here. We have put our money into this project already to the extent of nearly forty thousand dollars, which shows you our good faith and our confidence. We have on our board of directors three engineers, two of whom are the best known engineers i'll matters of irrigation in the United States, MT. Schuyler and MT. Howells. On the strength of their reports we are will ing to put in the money, but we must have security that when we have de- livered the water we will get our pay. If we cannot get satisfactory contracts it is better for us to quit and lose what we have got in now. It would be bet ter for us and better for you than to fail, but we will not fail. We have brought you letters from five of the leading banks of San Francisco to the effect that we have carried to success full conclusion many large enterprises and are straightforward and successful business men. Now, gentlemen, if there are any questions to be asked re- garding this contract we are here to banker, has said to me that some of the farmers think that the contract does not say that the interest does not begin to run from the signing of the contract. Our intention is that the user of water shall not be charged with one cent, for interest or anything else, until he gets the water. When he gets the water, and not before, in- tereSt will begin to run. That Is plain enough. If not, then we will make it so.
 1 understand some of the farmers say that if the canal should be built to Yuma and not carried on below Yu- ma, those below Yuma might be called upon to pay. That is impossible. The user of water will pay when, and only when, he gets water. The basis of every contract is good faith. If we do not deliver the water as we agree to deliver 1t you need not pay and if we should try to force you to pay your judges would throw us out of court quicker than we got in. To sum up we will not go any further unless contracts are signed by the farmers.
 At this point the chairman requested Mir. G. L. Bennett, Secretary of the to read a letter from MT. J. D. Schuyler, consulting engineer of the which was as follows;
 The Overland Limited,
 Eastbound June I9, 1903. C.. l.. Bennett. Esq,
 See'y Colorado Delta Canal Co.,,
 Hayward Building, San Francisco.
 Dear Sir: very much regret that my busi- ness engagements in Montana and Idaho, which I am now on my way to meet, will prevent my being present with you and other officials of the Colorado Delta Canal Co, at Yuma on Saturday of next week, when you have arranged to meet the farmers whose lands are irrigable under the canal We are preparing to build, and have gen. eral conference with them on the mutual rela- tionS which we desire to establish between them and the Colorado Delta Canal Co.
 It has occurred to me. however, that in lieu of my personal presence at this meeting it may be of advantage to you to have d letter expressing my views and opinions of the project at hand.
 You arc at liberty to assure the farmers that am firm believer in the feasibility of the en- terpriSe we have undertaken and for that req