The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-30
An Open Letter to Mayor
and City Council

Gentlemeu:-The was presented
for your consideration several weeks
since a remonstrance against the pro-
posed transfer, on your part, OF a
portion of our canal water supply to
the new gravity pressure system now
upde, construction. We have heard
of no action ON it; and as one or
more of YOUR number did not hest
tate to say 10 us before presenting
our petition that it made no differ
ence how many signers it had you
would go right on in your proposed
course. we have reason TO infer that
you will act adversely when you act
at all. For that reason, and Others
legitimately resulting from your
course in the matter, / deem 1t best
to review the subject from your first
move down to the present: in order,
if you please. that the people may
know
Something over a year ago you
caused or permitted to be published
in the Tribune just a hint OF what,
it now seems, you had even then
fully determined to do; and were
Immediately answered by myself In
an article most decidedly objecting
to any transfer of the least part OF
our canal supply for such purpose.
Then you caused it TO be denied that
you ever seriously considered, or in
tended anything of the sort; and
even during the present season, when
you have been diverting portion OF
this ditch supply through a lateral
into our pumping plant, you have
right down until within very few
weeks, still encouraged the idea that
this was only temporary expedient
until our mountain line was COM
pleted, when to use the language OF
one of YOUR own members we would
have more water than we could
ever use." Meantime by the. merest
accident we learned few weeks ago
that you were preparing briefs and
getting ready to go into court on an
application to have such transfer
made permanent. And to that end
in addition to the services OF your
city attorney and the advice OF the
mayor who is also lawyer. you had,
II reports, seemingly entirely trust
worthy, are true, engaged the assist
ance Of the two leading irrigation
attorneys Of the place, possibly with
a view to hamper US II we should
decide to 60 into court for the pro-
lection of our rights. You had pro-
ceeded SO stealthily in the matter,
too, that wnen we circulated this re-
monstrance we found but two Of the
more than two hundred and fifty lot
owners and water users who signed
it who had suspicion OF what you
were proposing to do, and but one
that you were already getting ready
to go into court with your case.
And now as to this particular
feature of the business let me suggest
to you that if you are emulating the
lofty example of the Denver gas and
tramway companies in municipal
ethics, you may perhaps consider that
sort Of conduct as just about the
proper caper." But on the other
hand / being little old fashioned
and out Of date in my notions of
honor and public integrity, perhaps.
nevertheless, do not hesitate to
characterize your course in this
particular as being inexcusable, un-
warranted, underhanded and unfair.
And now a word [ or two as to the
equities III the proposition itself.
That remonstrance contained some
two hundred and fiftysix names; all
property owners and by deed having
vested rights to this water. We
represented to you that you were at
most merely the successors in trust
for the Union. Colony of Colorado in
the distribution and regulation of
that water supply, and by the
method. too, that had been in prac-
tice for more than third of a CEN
fury. 1 stated to you that I was
myself member of the colony board
which quit claimed to the city for a
nominal sum of money, three-eights
of the ditch and its supply, when we
had virtually disposed of all the
water we had to spare: the city as
part of the consideration assuming
our obligations to the real owners of
the water to whom we had already
decided it with every lot and parcel
of land inside the city limits. We
represented to you that this supply
of water at the lowest stage in any
L il