The Washington herald., 1908-05-18
Not Paying in Scrip.


Editor The Washington Herald:
In your issue of Sunday. May Il, under
the heading. Scrip Issue Stopped a
series Of statements are made which
might be misleading, because Of the omis-
sion Of certain fundamental facts.
You state. for example, that the recla-
nation service has issued government
certificates. or scrip &C. These certih-
Gates are not issued by the reclamation
service. but are issued. or, rather. are TO
be issued, by certain water users associa-
tons incorporated under State law. The
certificates or shares are issued by an as
soeiation in accordance with local laws
and the customs Of the State in which
it is located
The portion If your statement put in
quotation marks and attributed to me is
liable to misconception. For example. #
is stated that these certificates will be
received by the reclamation service in
lieu Of cash This is not strictly true.
The certificates issued by the water
users association to its members or set
tiers indicate an interest In an extension
Of the ditch system, which is not to be
paid for in cash.
Without going into details. the matter
may be briefly stated as follows:
The Secretary Of the Interior. under
the terms OF the reclamation act Of June
Il, 1902, acting to a certain extent as a
trustee. builds large works. the operation
and management OF which are ultimate
Is 70 be turned over TO the water users
association, composed exclusively Of the
irrigators, VINO are to be the actual own
ers Of the lands and water rights
The water users association, following
local laws and customs. and in accord
ance with the terms Of the COngression-
al act. may build at its own expense.
certain extensions and iaterals These
must be constructed in accordance with
the plans approved by the Secretary of
the Interior. so that they may nj into
the general system and carry water 10
outlying public and private lands
The water users association issues 10
its members certificates or shares Of
stock showing the interest Of each holder
in the work done. The issuance Of these
certificates is controlled not only by local
usages. but is in accordance with the
general reclamation plans. Before being
issued by the association. each certificate
is approved by the resident engineer, 10
show that this is a fact
The issuance of these certificates does
not Increase or diminish the cash outlay
or return to the United States Treasury
for the works built by the United States.
The statement that
This system is similar 10 that Of GER
tain mining numbering. and other large
organizations which maintain company
stores, and give workmen orders on the
stores, instead Of paying them CASH
is in error. as the WOrkmen IN this case
are the land owners and the members Of
the cooperative organization. and work
ing, not for a company. but for them
selves. in the completion of outlying por-
tions Of Az irrigation system designed 20
reclaim their own lands. and which sys-
TEN they viii ultimately control.
The reclamation service Is concerned in
the matter chiefly TO see that the work
IS properly done as a part of the whole
system. and that nothing shall interfere
with the ultimate return 10 the govern
ment Of the cash outlay When the
water users association has assumed con-
troll of the entire system. then the inter
est OF the reclamation service in these
matters and its approval of details will
naturally terminate.
l viii be very glad OF an opportunity
to explain these matters publicly or pri-
Vately as the proposed cooperative GER
uhcates, though customary and perfectly
understood in an irrigation community.
nave given rise to somewhat hysteriCal
comment on the pert of men who do not
understand Western laws and customs.
F. II. NEWELL, Director.