The Grit-advocate., 1904-04-29
FRIDAY. APRIL 2e. 1904
What Will You DO About 1t?

His visit was made for the purpose Of
submitting proposition to the people
OF Sedgwick county, whereby the con-
struction Of the reservoir would begin
at once, and plenty Of water for i"riga-
ton would be guaranteed for next
year. Mr.. Camtield disclosed his prop
ostion 10 Messrs. Mark Burke and G.
F. Parker, the gentlemen who have
been instrumental in getting him to
undertake the enterprise, and they in
turn will consult the people interested
aS to the feasibility of accepting the
proposition.
The proposition presented by Mr..
Camfeld is briefly this: He will be-
gln the construction of the reservoir
at once, push it as rapidly us possible
to completion. and guarantee plenty Of
water next season. provided .he resi-
dent land owners will form a district
and agree to purchase reservoir water
rights to the extent Of the capacity OF
the reservoir at the rate Of 100000 per
right.
The reservoir when completed will
have Il capacity of something over
] 900 water rights, and in order to pur-
chase these rights it will be necessary
to bond the land in the district at
about $1,000 per acre. Twenty-year
bonds drawing six per cent interest
could be issued and these bonds would
be accepted by Mr.. Camtield's com
pany in payment for the reservoir
rights sold.
When MIR. Camtleld began the sur
vey of the reservoir site he believed
that it would be possible to devise a
plan whereby his company could lease
water to the district for term of
years. Since that time legal questions
have arisen which seem to place seri-
Gus obstacles in the way Of such pro-
cedure, and for this reason it has been
deemed advisable by the company to
make the proposition above stated.
The Grit Advocate believes that the
proposition made by MIR. Camtield is a
fair and reasonable one. and it should
meet the favorable consideration Of
the people Interested Were it possi-
Bile for the reservoir company to lease
water to district formed by the land
owners for term OF years, it would
simply postpone for that length OF
time the question of the district own
Ing the reservoir. This question must
come up sooner or later: the district
would eventually purchase the reser-
voir and its purchase can be effected
at u much less price now than three or
four years hence. Principally for this
reason, and also for the reason that the
control of the reservoir will pass at
once into the hands of the water users,
We believe that the proposition shoald
be accepted by the people who own
land unedr the reservoir.
There are various other reasons why
this should be done. One very good
one is that as soon as the reservoir
company's proposition is accepted by
the formation Of Il district, the con-
struction Of the reservoir will be COM
mcnced and every man in Sedgwick
county may secure employment for
himself and team at good wages. An
other good reason for the acceptance
Of the proposition made by the reser-
voir company is that 4 guarantee Of
plenty of water for next year will be
secured thereby.
The REASONS why the reservoir com
pany's proposition should meet the
favorable consideration Of the people,
we believe. far overbalance whatever
dislike they may have to placing Il
bonded Indebtedness upon their land
What does bonded debt OF ten, or
even twelve, dollars per acre amount
to when the value of the land is there
by increased three and four fold.
Land worth $500 per acre under pres
ent conditions would be increased in
value to $1,000 and $4,000 per acre by
the building Of the Jumbo reservoir
And it would happen almost immedi-
ately. The thrifty. farmer does not
hesitate to build IA 100000 house upon
his sixty-acre farm, for he knows that
should he desire to sell the farm it will
bring him more in addition than the
cost OF the improvement. Therefore
we can see no good reason why the
same farmer would not be willing tu
spend the same amount OF money per
acre for water when he knows that the
expenditure will be returned to him
several fold.
The statement that land under the
Jumbo reservoir would be greatly in.
creased in value by the building Of the
reservoir can be proven by the history
Ut other reservoir districts. In the