The Imperial press., 1905-02-04
impression of Press Representatives Con
 corning That Thriving Community
Yma's Bright Outlook Compared To Our Own-Peny Ot Water In Imperial Valley Today-ReGable Water
 Supply Assured Yuma In Three Years

secure their subscriptions to stockin the Water Users Association, and agree ment to pay their proportionate part Of the cost. A consideration of these facts brings us back to the proposition, that the owners of 95 per cent of all the lands to be irrigated must sign up to this agreement This fact guarantees that no inconsiderabIe number of people can shape the future of our Valley. Tto high price for the property to be bought will cause such an apathy in signing the agreement as to defeat the move. On the other hand, events will have to prove, not only the superior attractions of government ownership, to the resi- dent land owners, but also its absolute necessity to the nonresident, specula- | tive owners, ill order that the required per cent can be brought to the point of signing up the agreement. From what we could learn we have not the slightest doubt but that the pro ?erty owlers of this Valley, both resident and nOn-resl- dent, will be ready to sign the required agreements to secure government lrrl- gation in plenty of time to allow the necessary canals to be dug before the Yuma dam is finished and the govern ment ready to furnish us with water l therefore agree with the Yuma senti- ment as above set forth, and for that reason I insist that from every point of view, except possibly the one of tempo: rary present boom, that the lmperlal oil ic haCt n
 We have much larger and far more compact body of first class land. Our lands are generally freer from salt and alkili than the Yuma lands, and our present arrangements for water supply are certainly superior to theirs. At present their reliance is pumps, and when the river rises so pumps are not needed, a great deal of their lands will be overhowed. This latter fact will compel the construction of 75 miles of levees to protect their land from over flows. These levees in turn render 1t necessary to pump the waste and drain age waters back over the leVees into the river. The total expense IS estimated $35 .00 per acre. I his sum seems eXhOr' bitant to an Imperialite, but is really an economy after all to those people, for under present arrangements 1t costs from $5 to $9 per acre per annum for ir- rigating waters.
 Under the government their annual payments will be $3.50 per acre, and cost Ot maintenance and operation, perhaps $2.00 per acre per annum, and then in ten years they will own the system and only have the $2.OO per acre to pay.
 Government irrigation will certainly be great boon for the Yuma people. It is made absolutely necessary by the inability of private enterprise to irrigate that valley. These private enterprises l fail to do the work on account of the in surperable obstacles with which they are compelled to contend.
 We believe that events will transpire that will bring our Valley in line for government irrigation, just as soon as it could be brought to pass, if we already i had contract with the Secretary of the Interior for the construction of the necessary works. F. c. HAyENs.