The daily sentinel., 1908-09-18
MORE MONEY
MUST COME IN
Interesting Situation Confronts Great Gunnson Tunnel
Project---Land Owners Asked to Amend Con-
tract---Lawyers at Work

The question as to whether the gov
ernment vii! complete the Gunnison
tunnel at the appointed time in 1908
is one that is agitating the land own
ers of the Uncompahgre valley large
~ at present. This is brought about
by the request of the reclamation ser
vice to have the articles of incorpora-
Users Association amended SO as to
provide that the land owners under the
rS'el total fhs cost pa o the their prPed
of $25 an acre. was first expected
and contracted between the reclama-
valley.
At the time of :ae organization of
the tncompahgre Valley Water Users
Association in 1904 the officers of the
United States reclamation service en-
tered into contract with the associa-
ers in the Uncompahgre valley. cm-
bracinE 100000 acres which would
come under the Gunnison tunnel pro-
ject. The government officers refused
to recommend the construction of the
project until 100000 acres had been
subscribed.
An estimate of the probable cost of
the project had been prepared by en-
gineers from the reclamation service,
and their estimate was given as not
TO exceed $25 acre. When this was
ascertained. prominent land owners
tons aggregatinS the 100000 acres the
government required, and the secretary
of the interior then ordered construc-
Soon after the tunnel was started ii
was ascertained that the cost of the
project would be in excess of the esti-
mated amount and that in all probable
have to bear this additional expense.
as the reclamation act provides that all
land under irrigation projects under
taken by the government shall pay the
whole cost of the project i'm ten equal
The articles of agreement between
the government and the Water Users
Association. il is said Were in con
tict with the reclamation act and it
has been much discussed question
among the land owners as to whether
they would he called upon to pay the
extra cost of the construction work or
whether the government would have
contracted that the work should cost
only $25 an acre.
submitted to the board of directors of
the Water Users Association pro-
posed amendment to the articles Of in
effect stated that the land under the
project should pay its proportion of
amount might be. aud II was estimated
that the addit tional cost would not eN-
After the Water Users Association
had discussed the matter fully. a pub
lie meeting was held last Friday. and
all the land owners who had subscribed
their land to the project were invited
to participate in the meeting and offer
any suggestions that they might have
concerning the best method of meeting
the, requirements of the government
was held at Montrose. and many of
them were land owners. We're practi-
cally unanimous in favor of meeting
any requirement that the government
set forth. believing that the cost of Il
permanent water right for all the land
in the Uncompahgre valley would he
small IL it did not exceed 500 an acre
and of course they felt that IT would
However. some of the lawyers who
We're present in the meeting Were of
the opinion that articles of incorpora-
tion could not he legally amended at
this time without consent OF every
land owner who had subscribed his
land originally to the project in max
ing up the 100000 acres of land re-
tornev +. ID. Catlin stated that he had
talked with Horace Bicn. the legal rep
resentative of the United States recla-
nation service and he had stated that
he was not certain that the amend
ment could be made in legal man
phase of the question.
\ eommittee Of three lawyers; con :
Montrose and Millard Fairlamb of Del
Ia. was appointed at this meeting TO
look into the question of the legality
of such amendment and report at "A
subsequent meeting to be called by the
president of the Water Users Assocta-
port.
In case it is found that the amend
ment cannot be legally made, some 9TH
er plan Will doubtless be brought out
between the government officers and md
Will have for its final result the same
object. whether il be a complete reor-
ganiZattOn OF the water Users Assoc
citation or some other plan yet to be
determined
Each land owner IT is said recogniz-
es fully that he will have to bear his
proportion of the total cost of the pro-
ject according to the reclamation act
and no agreement could be entered in
to which would reduce the cost 1t is
said that there is little doubt that
some satisfactory agreement will be
made soon. The reclamation service Of
ficials state that there is such a de-
mand for the money in this fund from
various projects over the west which
unhesitatingly agree to pay the full
amount of the cost of the project that
unless the water users of the Uncom-
pahgre valley agree to the amendment
requested. the secretary of the interior
might conclude to close the tunnel
down and not appropriate any further
funds for it's completion until the land
owners here would be willing to stand
the additional cost.
At present there is 1862 feet of the
tunnel to be completed. and the officers
in charge state that without any CON
tingencies arising. water will be ready
for delivery to the land in the valley
under the present irrigating system by
next June.
we've sotteR INTO the naDIt Of do
az high plumbing At low grade pr