Holbrook argus., 1903-03-28
ON NATIONAL IRRIGATION
LETTING OF MEMBERS OF THE
 ASSOCIATION
lmpromptu Speeches Relative to the Wo Of the Associa tion-From 100 to 250 Mer Have Been Employed Since Last October

The members of the executive com
 mittee of the Southern California sec
 tion of the National Irrigation associ ation met at an informal luncheon
 Thursday.
 Impromptu speeches relative to tho work of the association followed tho luncheon. MT. Perkins said that few realized the extent of such 'an enter prise as the irrigation of the Colorado river valley. The territory involved extends from 100 miles north of Nee dles to the Mexican line. A force oi from 100 to 250 men has been employ ed since last October The duty of the force is to find available sites fol dams and weirs to divert water from the river and to locate reservoir sites. They are also guaging the flow of the river to determine it's volume, and making other necessary tests. Mir. Perkins stated that there are in the valley of the Colorado between one and two millions of acres susceptible to irrigation.
 COMPLICATIONS WITH MEXICO.
 A good half of this land lies on the Mexican side of the line. MT. Perkins suggested that possible complications with the government of Mexico might arise if an attempt were made to ap- propriate the waters of the stream for irrigation.
 "Mexico may claim," concluded MT. Perkins, "that we are infringing upon her rights to the navigable stream"
 George H. Maxwell, the executive chairman of the national association, called the attention of the members to the immense progress that has been made during the past three years in the irrigation movement.
 "Time was," said MT. Maxwell, "when the scheme was considered chimerical. Today government engi- neers tell us that there are million acres of land in American territory along the Colorado which under proper irrigation would sustain population larger than the whole state of Califor- mia has today. The chief difficulty which confronts the national irriga- tion movement at this present time when we approach vast expenditure of public money and an immense area of public land is about to be opened tip and rendered valuable, is the fact that the cupidity of people is excited who have speculation in view. These people are throwing every obstacle in the way of the real purpose of the national irrigation act, which is to provide homes for the common people on the reclaimed land.
 ''Ia the Salt river valley, Arizona, :" added MT. Maxwell, "Where I have spent much of my time during the past six months, we are meeting some serious problems. The preliminary plans are all made for reservoir in Tonto basin, which will cost S1, 375, ,0OO and the contract might be let at once, were it not for complications regard ing vested rights. Under the laws of the territory local conditions are so complicated as to make it impossible to proceed without first settling these rights. If done in the courts this would take from ten to twenty years. A committee is now endeavoring to bring the owners together in volume tary agreement which will obviat this difficulty. The owners of 40,0OO acres are now enrolled and it is be- lieved that the owners of about 200, 900 n oroc v,,0ro xy;11 bo hro,nht in