Arizona republican., 1903-04-19
PHoENIX, ARIZONA, APRIL 19 1903
The Day of Deliverance Is at Hand.

 tor of the United States geological sur vey, and by virtue of the Hansbrough- Newlands law the arbiter of the des- tinies of the arid west, yesterday made a declaration of supreme importance to Arizona The people of the Salt River valley never before received a message of such significance. Following de- cade of tremendous effort by the advo- cates of national irrigation, the govern ment at last is prepared to begin the mighty work Of reclamation which is to transform western America. From a multitude of projects advocated by the energetic people of a score of states and territories, the government selects for it's first declaration the enterprise upon which tn future of central Ari- zona depends. Despised Arizona, lam pooned and derided in the Ealls of con- gress, a territory without a voice in na- tional legislation. has the extraordin- ary fortune to receive the first bene- fits from the governments construction of storage works. What the ultimate benefits will be is known to every resi- dent of the territory. and were any other community in the United States to receive tidings of such tremendous import the rejoicing would be inde- scribable.
 The Salt River valley is to be the most prosperous and wealthy agricuI- tural region in the world-provided the people here want that good fortune. From MT. Walcott's carefully phrased remarks these features stand out boldly:
 The lines upon which the Water Users association has been formed are correct.
 The government will build the great est storage reservoir in America, and excepting the wonderful work on the Nile the greatest reservoir in the world for the benefit of the Salt River valley
 Out of the federal treasury the money will be advanced to cover all the expenses connected with the undertak- ing.
 No interest will je charged on the money advanced, and it is to be re- turned to the government in ten annual installments. the first payment to be made a year after the dam is complet- ed-that is to say, four or five years from this date
 But the government must have se- curity. It must be assured that the se- curity Is the best before it will begin the work. In other words, it requires the remarkably lucky landowners to give as security the lands which are to be beneffted-lands which can be sold for double and quadruple the present prices the day after the construction begins in the canyon of the Salt river.
 The government will not deal with the individual landowners. The plan of a cooperative corpora ton to rep resent the landowners is approved.
 The government finds that the land owners are fully protected under the articles drawn by Judge Kibbey and MT. Maxwell and adopted by the citi- zens, since no rule, regulation or by law can be made or enforced by the officers of the association if disap- proved by the secretary of the interior
 Thus the government controls, in effect, the distribution of the water.
 The system of which so many water consumers have complained for years favoritism in the distribution of water thus gives way for a system to be operated under the watchiul eye of the government, with all the vested rights now in existence fully protected.
 If the. shareholders of the Water Users association wish to amend the articles the secretary of the interior will consider any suggestions along that line. but such amendments must be decided upon by the association it. self and presented by the association to the secretary.
 No suggestions or remonstrances from individuals will have considera- ton by the department
 The secretary. having carefully con- sidered the articles of incorporation