The Delta independent., 1904-01-15

" S'
tates to sign on any of these
grounds. Yet these are the only
logical grounds upon which man
may base his refusal to sign for
every acre he owns.
What, then, are the real grounds
They are-an idea that the sign
ing of this contract binds the
signer to take from the govern
ment and pay for, when the Gun
nison tunnel is completed, GER
tain definite amount of water,
whether he needs that water or
not; an idea that the character of
his land and the adequacy of his
then existing water supply will
have no consideration; an idea that
the contract is in the nature of a
note and that it becomes lien or
lncumberance upon his land.
These are the substance of the
considerations which many honest
men conscientiously believe to
stand in the way of their signing
these contracts.
Have they any foundation in
fact.
No! Unqualified No!
The signing of this contract
does not bind the signer to take
or pay for and definite quantity of
water when the tunnel is completed.
The signing of this contract
does commit the government and
the signer to the position that the
signer shall not be compelled to
take, shall not be allowed to take
more water than he needs. The
character of his land and his then
existing water supply being the
principal factors in determining
what these needs are.
The signing of this contract is
no more like signing note is no
more the placing of a lien or in
cumbrance on the land than would
be the signing of a petition to the
town council to place an electric
light on your corner or the sign
ing of a request to the county
commissioners to build a bridge.
In either of the latter cases you,
as taxpayer, would pledge your
self to pay your proportlonate ex-
pense of the improvement; would
be offering to put a lien upon your
property to that extent and in
signing this "Water Users" con-
tract you commit yourself no fur
ther than to say that if the govern
ment shall build the tunnel, then.
when the water is ready to be de-
livered, You expect to take SO much
of-it as the needs of your land de-
nands. That is what the signing
of this contract means and that is
all it means.
But if that is all there is to
these contracts, why should the
government demand them!
There are two good and suffici-
ent reasons for this demand.
F1EsT-The government has no
desire to force any benefit upon
the people of the Uncompahgre
valley. If we do not, very en-
phatically, want the Gunnison
tunnel, then do the government
officials, very emphatically, not
want to build it. "Proffered adj
vice stinks" and protfered favors
are not much more savory. ITO
them that ask, it shall be given"
and these contracts are only a
clear, definite, emphatic asking for
what we want-an asking, not by
a few Representatives" who may
mis- represent, not by mass meet
ing resolution which may express
the single desire of a persuasive
orator, but an asking evidenced by
the voluntary signatures of the
hard headed owners of the land,
an asking which cannot be ques-
toned or gainsaid-something
which the secretary of the interior
demands and has right to dc
mand Of the people of this valley.
That is the first reason for these
contracts.
The second reason is that the
secretary demands that showing
be made by the people Of this val
ley, evidenced by the signatures
of the land owners, as to the