Arizona republican., 1907-06-26
Phoenix, June 24.

pldlH tiitS lbE me.
 Respectfully yours.
 JOHN SCHLALOS. Phoenix, June 24.
 Without having an opportunity to see MT. Chambers. the reporter can perhaps offer the explanation asked for above. MT. Schlalos and his east ern friend should remember that MT. Chambers experience and that of all the others, has been under the same system of water distribution that has been practiced here from the be-in- ming. Tn which the water user went to the canal company and bought water for as much of his acreage as he de- sired at the number of inches per acre allowed. If he chose to run the water of fifteen acres on three acres. and let the rest do without. so long as the water was not wasted or put to an improper use. it was nobody's concern, for 1t has been an acknowledged fact that during much of the time in past years there was such a water shortage that none of the lands secured all that the owners thought they really needed. In the light of Mir. Schlalos' experience MT Chambers may have used more water than he needed. but no more than he and others thought they need ed for that sort of q crop. Future ex- perience may teach them differently. or it may not, when soil and other conditions are considered. a matter the reporter knows nothing of.
 Superficially the argument that twelve acres had to remain idle to make three productive. looks weighty. but the value of the experience of Mir. Chambers lies in the fact that when the reservoir is completed and stored water is available. his entire fifteen acres can have all the water it re- quires for beneficial use. whereas, under the old conditions he had to buy water for fifteen acres to get enough Tor three. He could afford to do it too, for under these old conditions the land was cheap. but with plenty of wa ter for the land. as there will be. his land will be valuable and if he likes he can plant the entire fifteen acres to strawberries and get sufficient wa ter for them, earning under like condi- tions. S374.06 per acre.
 The government has only within a few weeks taken over the canals and Is trying diligently to distribute this same short water supply the canal companies have heretofore been ham pered by. so it will do the most good and in the most equitable manner DOS sible. IL will undoubtedly have hard sledding to satisfy everybody. until the reservoir is finished and an ample supply of water is stored. for 1t has nothing more to work with than the canal companies have had, except a better organization, a better recog- nlZed authority, and officials who have no concern in trying to sell wa ter that cannot be furnished in the hope of decreasing an operating deficit. The government is not in the water business for profit except as the peo- pie are benefited. IL don't have to make it pay. for the distribution is a part of the great project which is eventually charged back to the farmers against the day when the whole project will pay. All the officials want is to dispense even justice and get the best possible results. hoping in the mean time that the people will be patient.
 What the water supply for ,Mr Chambers place will be from now on if any different from heretofore. the writer cannot answer. Eventually, with the reservoir complete it will either be decided that he cau have as much for each of his fifteen acres as he now gets for five, or that he has been using more than he needs and will be cut down to just what he does need. That though. is a question of the future which will have to be work ed out and such communications as the above by Mir. Schlalos, as well as the forr.cr one, are strictly in order. for they are educational, will aid the government officials and will certain- ly help the water users to better un- derstand their own needs.