Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-07-16
PHOENIX ARIZr JULY To- l'V''
THE NALCoNTENTS.


against it various groups OF enemies
mono ot them very strong, and we uo
not think they will prove to be danger
o,,slv strong in the aggregate though
if is certain that at the coming Ma
tional Irrigation Congress. they VIII
sock to interfere with the work OF tNe
service to varying degrees, from the
mere hamoering OK it. to the very de-
struction OK the purpose OF the ma
tional irrigation law.
These groups are separate ana as
tinct. having no alleged grievances III
common. In every case some private
interest has been interfered WIN
There are. of course, those VINO nave
always opposed national irrigation on
nrinciple. but they will not be extern
sively represented in the congress
There are those whose private designs
against the public domain have peeh
obstructed by the national irrigation
law and the reclamation Officials
whose energy is giving the law unex-
pected force. Beside them, are the
stockmen who, though they are not
opposed to the law or the operation Oh
Che service. complain that the forest
~ service in the interests of national
exclamation is excluding them from
unnecessarily broad areas of the pub
BE domain.
These three classes of malcontehs
will be strongly represented in the
congress. and by the apathy OF the
,.aI friends Of national irrigation.
Were permitted to become strongly
entrenched in the executive commit
tee.
II is strange that these obstructive
forces should be augmented by repre-
sentatives Of water users, yet that VIII
be so, though not to serious extent
There is a disaffection among the wa
ter users of the Yuma valley, though
by no means all of them, and among
the canal and land companies OF the
Imperial country. II Is unnecessary
al this time and perhaps it never viii
sion of their grievances which are di-
rect against the reclamation service
rather than against national irrigation
II is sufficient to state that though no
rights of the compliments have been
destroyed or threatened by the opera
tions of the reclamation officials, the
private plans of the few have been
interfered with in the interest of the
many. The intended conservation of
the waters of the Colorado will prevent
the compliments from using what
they can Of the waters and wasting the
rest. They have issued circulars and
caused publication to be made in Cali
fornia papers setting forth absurd
statements of fact and ridiculous
charges against the reclamation Off
GERS.
They have called a convention of
delegates from the various reclamation
projects to meet in Sacramento week
before the congress to importune the
government to investigate and correct
the evils complained Of
one of the statements of the com
planning water users is: :,
we are credibly informed that the
settlers under the various other recla-
nation systems have been treated If
a manner very similar to the treat
ment to which our settlers have beer
subjected
We would inquire under what othel
reclamation systems are the settler:
complaining? Certainly not under th'
Salt River Valley project the larges
of them all
u is true that there was not always
harmony among the settlers OF thi
valley. but there is no lack Of it now
All are impressed with the wisdom a
well as the honesty of the reclamation
officials and all agree that by no 9th
81 plan would so great a number be $
well served.
We have heard no complaint iron
any other project but "
of the only other one VIII
have had occasion to make exprossio
there is entire and enthusiastic ap
proval of the work of the reclamatio
officials in all it's details. That is tn
Carlsbad, n. NJ. project where a littl
more than a week ago thousands me
Ia hold public rejoicing over what ha
been done for them Just as the settler
of the Salt River Valley will shortl
do.
There is something even now ths