Arizona republican., 1903-06-05
Disappointment Awaits the
La4GardS.


valley, wrote in a personal letter:
u note the slow progress in signing
up. If the required area is ever
pledged. the time is bound TO come
when there will be a great rush, IS
some $4,000 acres will have to go with
out water. For this reason it seems i'm
portant to accurately preserve dates"
We have permission to make public
the portion of the letter here quoted,
for in 4 single sentence of thirty-one
words it presents a situation which
should fill every resident of the valley
with concern and which should fill with
alarm every rancher who thus far has
failed to pledge his acreage for the
reservoir. Two points OF great import
ance are laid bare. First, the doubt
in the officials mind as to whether
sufficient acreage ever would be
pledged at all; second, the certainty
that many ranches must go without
stored water in any event, no matter
how anxious the owners may be here
after to join the reservoir association.
Happily. the first danger to which
the official alludes is substantially
thing of the past. as it is now prac-
teal certainty that a sufficient acre
age has been pledged to assure the con-
struction of the reservoir, although if
no more acreage should be added it
would be necessary for the government
to include a large area of the public
domain.
But a fact of vast Importance is
touched upon when the official SAYS:
The time is. bound to come when
there viii be great rush. as some
$4,000 acres will have to go without
water" This means that the govern
ment proposes to accept as conclusive
the judgment reached by the citizens
committee on storage last year-that
the supply of water available for stor-
age does not justify the government in
selling reservoir rights for more than
200, 600 acres.
1t means that if no public land is
included and if the stored water is ap-
piled to lands under the present canals.
$4,000 acres must be left out at best.
for there are, in round figures, 25OO 600
acres of irrigable land owned under
the canals. OF course, if any public
land is included, far more than 10000
acres will have to depend indefinitely
upon the precarious supply of unstored
water, as now.
So far as the rest of the valley is
concerned, the situation is somewhat
improved by the decision of the Tempe
district to remain out of the associa-
ton, but under the best results obtain
able $4,000 acres win have to be re-
SN'N~A ~ NiAN eobF VI lililtAl.
1t required none of the gifts Of
prophecy, therefore. for the govern
ments representative to foresee that
within a few weeks there will be
wild rush of ranchers to have their
lands listed in the association. The
situation viii be very much like that
o. the world in the last day, as pict-
ured by some preachers, when the
salvation so long rejected will be
begged for in vain in tumult of wall
ing and crashing of teeth.
Public spirited, clear sighted and UNI
selfish men, such as George II. Max
well, 3. a. Fowler. and their imme-
date associates. for weeks have been
patiently explaining the reasons why
ranchers should join the Water Users |
association; explaining that the gov
eminent is not lying in wait for an OPP
portunity to rob the people, and OK
planning why it is improbable that
ranchers will swindle themselves ard |
rob their own wives and children. but
there will soon be a different condition
of affairs. The Republican is not tond |
of predictions, but we expect to see, !
before tho end Of another thirty days.
a united and clamoroug request from
helated ranchcrs for permission 10 en-
te- the fold.
And as certainly az death and taxes.
5ocoO acres must be left out,