Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-07-30

The government also during the
month of May cleaned eighteen miles
of laterals under the Arizona and
twenty-seven miles during the month
of June The officials know just how
much water is running in each ditch
and better still tine bitches are in con-
dition to take what is due them. The
result is that during the last month
there were only three complaints I'M
der the Arizona. made TO the office.
Two of them We're very proper ones
and were attended to at once. The
other was also settled in a satisfactory
way all round.
The greatest trouble now Is under
the old bitches but 1t is being lessened
every day. Much has been done there
also for the general good. The big
canals have been cleaned and put in a
condition to carry water. The Salt
River Valley canal was yesterday carr
rying a larger head than IL has car
ried before for years. Some OF the
smaller bitches have been cleaned and
put in proper shape but not all OF
them. This is one great source OF
trouble, the failure OF the water US
ers to clean their own private bitches
and be in shape to handle the water
judiciously when IL is turned into
them. There are many Instances
where the officials have requested the
owners to clean their bitches and il
has not been done. II is not proposed
10 turn in any more water than a
ditch will carry. and thus flood the
roads. even il the water user has
bought and paid for IL. The capacity
OF the ditch is what ii handles at the
SMALLEST point and not the largest and
BY keeping the bitches in order the
water user will not only serve himself
but will help in the good administra
ton OF the service.
Another cause OF general dissatis-
faction is the inattention given the
water by the hired employees OF the
man who has paid for II and wants
his land irrigated. There are more
cases Of this kind than owners gen.
orally are aware of. They hire a cheap
man TO irrigate and often he is too
lazy to do the work. makes a bluff
at ii and reports to his employer that
he did not get his proper amount Of
water This has been demonstrated
in several cases and is undoubtedly
the fact in others. Il the land owner
will drop in on the hired man I'M
expectedly and see what he is doing.
he may often find out why he gets
such poor service in water run.
Without mentioning names GER
tain farmer under one of the lower
canals. entitled to six hour run OF
water the other day. reported to the
reclamation office that his Mexican
employee said he only had run OF
three hours. giving the hours. The
matter was referred To the Zanjero.
who was able to show to the own
er's satisfaction that the water had
been turned on for six hours The
truth was the Mexican had been idling
in the shade while the water went by.
He had filled up the nearby holes for
stock water but was too lazy to turn
the water over the land after this was
done. believing he could make a report
that would show II was the fault of
the ditch management He failed.
however. and this water user will have
more reliable man on hand next
time or be there himself.
In another instance a man has a
quarter section OF land that lays beau
lot ne WdttT Is
delivered at the northeast corner and
1t NAV be run either direction or both
directions, all over 1t. 1t CHANGED that
this owner had sent an Indian boy out
to do his irrigating. The Indian eth
err did not know how to irrigate or
did not want to. but presumably the
latter. II CHANGED that a reclamation
official came along the road while the
water was running In that lateral. The
Indian boy had run the wafer down
the end of the quarter and was back
firing it. watering the lower land first.
then intending to wet the next one
above II the water lasted long enough.
but hoping it wouldn't. When found
he was resting waiting for the lower
land to soak up before he tackled the
next one. instead Of beginning on the
upper side and letting the surplus run
over as much ground as possible. 1t
was indicated TO him that IL he did not
get up and take care of the water it