Arizona republican., 1908-06-14

NEEDED this dam here, that he might be
sure always of a permanent means of
diversion of that water; and that this
diversion dam was an integral part Of
the whole government work and could
not be separated from it, He pointed
out the duty that the fortunate man
who by reason of his prior right owed
to his less fortunate neighbor who
had not such prior right, and feelfngly
and strongly urged all the farmers in
the valley to help make the great pro-
ject an assured success by making it
the common enterprise of all.
In conclusion he said: This dam
and the great impOunding dam above
assures us for all time of sufficient
water at all seasons to irrigate the
amount Of land now under cultivation
in this valley. With every land owner
in the valley a sharer in these benefits
the distribution of this water, so that
every man shall have his just share,
and all that is needed by him, be
comes simply a matter of routine I'M
der the present management of the
government. and we all know how just
and efficient the service they have
given us has been. With any number
of persons outside this association
this distribution becomes complex and
difficult of adjustment. With every
land owner in the valley in this assO-
citation the veXations, expensive and
difficult of adjustment, lawsuits over
water will be at an end, for when
every man is getting regularly all the
water he needs he has no need to sue
his neighbOr for that water. But let
any number of men stay out and refuse
their aid and assistance in making this
great scheme of irrigation one great
comprehensive whole, and new and
difficult questions as between those
outsiders and the government and be
tween these outsiders and those who
are in. are sure to arise as to who
may be entitled to water as against
the other, and as to the means of de-
livery, and the times and the amounts.
Because your neighbor needs your
help in this matter; because the COM
munity, will be the gamer and the
more prosperous; because this great
enterprise cannot be the great success
it should, without the aid and coopera-
ton of, all, l hope the time may soon
come when all will be enrolled in this
organization.
"A generous government is building
these great works for the land owners
of this valley. In time these land
owners will own and control them.
Built for all, they should be owned.
operated and controlled by all, and the
great joy and pride that such owner
ship and possession will surely give
should be shared not by a majority of
such land owneres only, but by each
| and everyone of them, they and their
descendants for ever"
John Orme, chairplan of the board
of supervisors was introduced and
said he wanted to speak a few words
in behalf of the north side irrigators,
| and moss-backs who had been fighting
| Salt river for forty years. He coined
an epigram that was not caught in its
fullness, but in substance he said: 1T
has been our practice for a generation
| to work a month while praying for
| rain and when it came find the dam
| gone; then work another month build
| ing a dam only to find the water
gone; then let the season slip by in
! this way and finally find the crop
| gone. Now all this has been changed
and when there is. any water in the