Arizona silver belt., 1904-03-03
THE SALT RIVER RESERVOIR
Judge K'bby Says the Work Will
 Proceed Without Delay

Judge Joseph H. Kibbey, who has been in Washington for several weeks as the representative of the Water Users association, and who returned home on Monday, informed the Phoe nix Republican that there will be no delay in the beginning of the work on the Tonto dam. The department, and especially members of the geological survey, have abated none of their en- thusiasm over the Tonto Basin pro. ject, which is regarded as the pet en- terpriSe under the Newlands- Hans orough act. It is, in fact, with a single exception, the only one of the contemplated enterprises sufficiently advanced for the actual beginning Of construction work. That exception is the Shoshone reservoir.
 A. P. Davis told Judge kib- bey few day IS ago that by the first of March the government would have undertaken work incurrng the ex- psnditure of $l,000, 900. Since that conversation between Judge Klbbey aud Mir. Davis contracts have been awarded for big amounts. It is the opinion of Judge Kibbey that among the parts of the work to be immedl- ately undertaken will be the excava- ton for the foundation of the breast of the dam.
 Speaking of the cement, Judge kio- bey said that there was no doubt that the furnishing of it would be awarded to one of the cement companies in the com mbiuation, but it will be awarded at figure as low as the government could manufacture it for. It will be something less than s2.75 barrel The government decided at the be- ginning that the cement combination should make nothing out of the ce- ment work. The first bids submitted in response to the governments ad- vertisement indicated saving of $l ,0O0, 900 as compared with the fig ures of the combination when the matter was first taken up by the sec retary Those bids were rejected and there was another advertisement. At the same time intending bidders were | informed that no bid in incesS of the price at which the experts of the gov ernment said the cement could be made for on the Iground could be con- sidered on the opening of bids. Shortly before leaving Washington, Judge Kibbey was informed that bid of less than $2 D would be made.
 In ths meantime the government will proceed with the putting up of the cement plant at cost of SlOO,00O. That will be done as precaution. The whole cement contract cannot be awarded at once, and it Is feared that after the work might be well under way, when it became necessary for the making of the next cement con. tract, the government might find it | the former favorable figures. That $l00, ,00O plant standing on the hill, at all times ready to be set in motion, will be a constant and silent induce ment to the cement manufacturers to be liberal.
 Throughout the present cOntro- versy there have been good many "blazers run' on both sides. The ce- ment manufacturers could not at first bring themselves to believe that the government was going into the ce- ment business. They were, however, finally convinced that it intended to do so and then there was sudden fall in the price of that needed com modity. The manufacturers will de- rive no profit whatever from any con. tract they make with the government, but they believe they will still have made money by keeping the govern ment of the United States out of the cement business.