The Arizona sentinel., 1904-06-08
The Vital Question.

l The great question before the people of the lower Colorado valley now is the securing of the construction of the Yuma project of national irrigation. That this is q vital question. and at least akin to one of life and death, is so apparent that ITO argument should be needed in its favor. It is conceded by all intelligent, fair-Ininded men that no power short of the government i5 equal to the task of diverting the waters of the great Colorado river to reclaim the arid lands along its course in ;t manner satisfactory and just to the people who elect to make homes in this region. It was shown by the Hon. William E. Smythe, in his speech in Yuma on the 18th ult., and also by Judge Kibbey in his speech on the 10th, both, by the way, ! the best authority on the subject) that neither private nor corporate capital has ever been able to adjust great irri- gating problems in other places with cat endless friction, litigation, eStot- tions, failures and loss to the people, and when it is considered! that he Col orado presents greater difficulties than are experienced elsewhere, it must be admitted by everyone that the Yuma project is one of vital interest. With it assured this country will bound for ward in wealth and that which makes country great, and prosperous, happy homes, while failure means more tedi- ous years of hardship, of struggle, Of discouragement, and possibility of it's returning to the desert state in which we found it only few years ago.
 This much all must admit. Look at the precarious condition of your water supply Consider that your canals are kept open by constant effort and at an expense that is adding yearly to their indebtedness and that the limit may be reached in $ few years when you will either go dry or be obliged to pay such a price for water that farming will not be praftabl At this point the gov ernment comes with project to build you system that will last forever and give you water, constant, neTer-fail- ing supply, at a cost for the first ten years which will repay the cost of building, without interest, and after that the mere nominal cost of conduct ing the business. Three millions Of dollars are offered to yoa as loan, without interest. in the shape of per feet irrigating system-a certainty against an uncertainty. or, iH finan- cial sense, life against death.
 Government irrigation means life, financially, and bright future. Fail ure to secure it means despondency, decay, poverty and a dead community. If you want live community, pros porous community, sign the contract for national irrigation with the Yuma County Water Users association That is all that is now needed to bring sue ces. Neglect to Sign\is all that is needed to cause a failure Refusal 10 sign can have bat oEe elfect-to en- danger success.
 Ii gives Ene pleasure tO announce thas most people sec this matterrin its true light and are signing the government contract, but there are a few that have excuses, the principal Of which is "I don't neea to sign. the government will build anrwat." That is not certain. There must be practical pnanimity in this matter. Each piece of land is ex pected to bear it's share Of the burden. Any considerable na mber refusing to sign could defeat the protect-a calam ity that rot even the worst objeetOr in this class desires. If these who do sign should guarantee the payments to the government and secure an order for the works to be built, those who had not signed woald not secure cXemp- ton, and ia the end would have to make g6od or go dry. ii a refusal to sign should defeat the project those who de- feated it would ruin for all time the bright prospects that we now have and would gain nothing beyond their own discontinue and that of their neigh boFs. Some have personal grievances against the officers. People should rise above personalities. The officers are devoted 50 the cause and are working without pay: what more can they dc?
 Come and help us make it success, and then kick us out if you want to; you can't afford to throw away this op- portanity of q life time-on personal or other grounds by refusing to sign.
 We will succeed. It is impossible to believe fcH moment that the people who have struggled so hard and suffer- e6 so much will reject this great oppor- tunfty, Come and stand with those wh0 are determined to win
 NJ. WINSOR.