Arizona republican., 1903-01-18
WATER STORAGE
 IS IN THE AIR Articles of Incorporation of the Water Users kS-
 SOCiatiOn.
Temporarily Hung Up by Dwight B. Heard, Dr. E. w. Wilbur and J. W. Woolf, Who Presented Vaguely Wordsd Minority Report.

The meeting of the general water storage committee for which the people of this valley have waited so patiently for months, and at which was to be
 presented a plan of salvation in the draft of the articles of incorporation of the Water Users association pre-
 pared by the executive committee of
 the water storage conference commit
 tee. was held yesterday at the board of
 trade room. It was largely attended by
 the members of the committee, again
 demonstrating the vital interest of the
 people in this movement, and it is be- lieved by most of the members that aS a result of that movement the valleys
 water storage enterprise has taken
 long step forward.
 It is regrettable, however, that there
 should have occurred at the meeting
 an incident that if not fully. com-
 pletely and faithfully explained will
 cause irritation in the minds of those
 not conversant with the real facts, and
 those who have worked hardest and
 most faithfully and honestly will be subjected to unjust and harsh criticism. however. if their shoulders are as broad as they seem to be they are fully able to bear the burden. That incident
 was the presentation of a minority re- port signed by three members of the executive committee of eleven, In which
 the rest of the committee and Mir. Max we'll and Judge Kibbey were by infer ence accused of an almost entire lack of knowledge of the Newlands irriga- ton law, and were charged with ignor- ing the instructions of the general con- ference committee or an utter disre- gard of this information and law, and it caused a sensation in the meeting and
 not a little indignation.
 The minority report presented no al ternatives to the articles and drawn and dealt with nothing which the whole committee could pass upon in telligently, wherefore the proceeding could have no effect except that of meeting the ends of a small element which heretofore has fallen heir to much caustic criticism from the public There was some confusion over the fact that the general committee meet ing and a meeting of the executive committee had both been called for } o'clock through a misunderstanding but the hour for the general meeting having been circulated on the south | side as II o'clock the executive cOni- mittee disposed of it's business and met promptly with the general committee at that hour with Chairman B. A. Fowler presiding.
 MT Fowler made the report of
 the executive committee to the confer ence committee in the following lan- i Euage: 'I am directed by your execu- tive committee to report to you the ac ! companying draft of the form of the articles of incorporation for the Salt | River Valley Water Users association with the recommendation that it be adopted" He then presented the print | ed copy of the articles of incorpOra ton prepared under the direction of Judge Kibbey with the help of Mir. Maxwell,
 and the articles were read through | carefully. this taking about an hour l Dr. F.. w. Wilbur of Mesa then an
 nounced that a minority of the execu- tive committee had a report to make and Dwight B. Heard arose and read a paper containing a general criticism of | the articles as reported, but without very specific objections or proposing | any specific amendments. The minor | ity report was signed by Dwight B. | Heard. F.. w. Wilbur and J. w. Woolf. 1 A motion was made to adopt the ma | jority report and an amendment was l offered proposing to substitute therefor | the minority report. As the miT>ority i report contained no outlined plan of | action and it's adoption would have ! meant practically the end of the move 1 ment it was of course not adopted. The | acceptance of the majority report be- | ing before the house 1t was discussed
 at some length, the discussion lasting ! until well into the afternoon, and the
 time for adjournment having come | further proceedings were postponed till | Tuesday morning at 9:3O o'clock. at
 which time consideration of the articles will be completed. and judging from | the expressions in the meeting yester-
 day they will undoubtedly be adopted.
 Just before the adjournment of the committee MT. Maxwell asked for thu privilege of the floor and in reply to | the uncomplimentary allegations and 1 insinuations in the minority report l spoke as follows, his words being taken
 down by a stenographer:
 MIR. MAXWELL'S REMARKS.
 Mir. Chairman: I have worked along
 with you all here very patiently, and
 until today have felt that there was no
 very serious danger in the way of the
 construction of this reservoir. l con
 fess that this so-called minority report
 came to me as something in the nature
 of shock. Now I think it is perfectly
 fair and just to all to say that the
 points at difference between the minor
 ity of the committee and the majority
 of the committee have been well un-
 derstood for quite number of days
 If the minority committee had sub-
 mitted something which the minority
 suggested should be adopted in place
 of what the majority suggested nc
 harm could have been done. This document does not do that, but does make certain general statements whict
 if disseminated through this communi- tY betMeen now and the time Mha.