Arizona republican., 1906-08-02

The farmers under this ditch can now, If never before. figure out exactly where they stand in respect of water for the next year. Some have kept out of the project of this association in the hope that by losing one crop season they could get water next year by means of the governments diversion dam. That hope, if it was ever req sonable one. is now dissipated. The land under the Arizona system will be watered next season through the canal as administered by the association, or it will not be watered at all. And it is fine thing to know this early, so the facts can be weighed by the land own CTS. The sugar beet as a Salt River valley crop has proved a success so far as it may yet be judged. Those who have paid their share and co-operated with the association have saved their l trees and their stock and made partial crops beside: would all have made good crops if the enterprise had been under taken earlier. These people are satis- l fed with what has been achieved. and ! they have the complete machinery now for doing the same thing next year. and doing it better. Only. the machinery has met with an accident now and needs repairing. The same thing may occur more than once before the diver sion dam is completed. but even if it does the trouble must be borne, for it | Is the only way out.
 | Tn order that there might be no false or disappointing hope held out to the ! farmers, a representative of The Re publican yesterday interviewed MT. Hill | concerning the probable date of the completion of the diversion dam. He said the dam could not under the most Nr- II -F-A. Hess than a year from now. and it might take considerably longer if floods and other irritating conditions caused de- lay. And when he spoke Of the dam he called attention to the fact that that meant canals also. for there is deal of work to be done in remodeling the canals to carry the water to be diverted by the new dam
 That question is settled. and the farmer can just as well accept 1t as a
 fnality that be will not get water , through the new system before the sea- } son of fall planting a year hence, and ionly then by good fortune. By that time it is expected the Roosevelt proj- ect will be sufficiently advanced to per limit the storing of some flood water
 That may be done in fact. even before the diversion dam can be completed land then will be the day of jubilee, the beginning of the prosperity celebration that ought to last forever in the valley
 But in the meantime there is one big
 long crop season that must be cared
 for under present conditions, and they are not half so bad as they were last
 suring. The value of a good crop un-
 der the Arizona is almost inestimable and by keeping up the repairs on the
 Arizona canal it can be made. If the
 major part of the land that can be SC
 watered will cooperate, the expense
 per acre will be less than under for
 n1er conditions. less even than under
 the reservoir. now that the canal is ir
 practical operation The raising ot
 s500O several times over between now
 and a year hence. while something of .
 task. ought nevertheless to be a mucf
 more profitable investment. if all CO.,
 operate. than allowing the lands to re-
 main idle.
 During the present crop season many
 held back for the reason that the cana
 could not be repaired in time to save ltheir individual crops, and such mer