The copper era., 1909-11-25
Senate Committee Visit Important to
Arizona.

The trip of investigation and in
spection which the U. S. Senate Com
mittee on irrigation is now making
in the west is fraught with consider
able Importance to the territory of
Arizona. 1t offers an excellent op-
portunity of acquaiuting a distin-
guished body of statesmen with the
needs as we'll as the resources of the
territory. A demonstration of the
benefits of national reclamation
which may be seen in the Yuma and
Salt river valleys should be made.
No more impressive object lesson in
irrigation can be found on this CONT
nent than in the intensively Guilt
waited area near Phoenix.
AS the visit of the senate commit
tee may have an important bearing
on the attitude congress will assume
to the Ten Million Dollar bond issue
for extending national reclamation
proposed by Secretary Ballinger, and
endorsed by President Taft, it be-
hooves the citizens of the territory
to take advantage of every oppor-
tunity to make known the varied un-
developed resources and the excep-
tional opportunities which Arizona
offers for development.
Arizona has been a large bene-
ficiary under the reclamation law.
Up to the present time the total in
vestment in federal irrigation works
amounts to approximately Sl0,825, 900,
apportioned as follows: Salt River
project, 1891 900; Yuma project,
s., 343, 900. The tentative allotments
for these projects for 19O9-1O are 81,
080,000, divided as follows: Salt River
project, $2,945,O Yuma project,
S1,135, 1000. The total investment up
to the close of the year 1910 will be
approximately 81, 905, 900.
Among the more important engin-
eering features involved in the gov
eminent work in the territory are
the following:
The Laguna dam, across the Colo
RADIO river near Yuma, 4,78O feet in
length, weighing 100000 tons and
resting on the quicksands of the
river bed. 1t is the only structure of
its kind in this country. In connec-
tion with the dam seventy miles of
huge levees have been constructed to
protect the lowlands from overflow.
The great Roosevelt dam, one of
the highest masonry structures in the
world. 1t creates the largest arti-
fetal lake in the world, the capacity
being sufficient TO cover the state of
Delaware a foot deep. 1t will for
ever hold in check the enormous
| floods of the turbulent stream, furn-
ishing a constant and abundant sup
ply for the irrigation of 100000 acres
of the richest land in this country.
In line with the tremendously
popular movement of conservation
and utilization of our natural re-
sources for the people, is the develop
ment by the government of power
from the dam and from numerous
drops in the canals. 1t furnishes an
example of the possible benefits of
community ownership of public utili-
ties which is certain to prove of
great value in other sections.
The Reclamation Fund, which is
derived from the sale of public lands
in the sixteen arid states and terri
tories, now amounts to approx
mately 100000, 900. The investment
of the government in its thirty pro-
jects up to June 30, 1909, is about S4S,-
100000, leaving a balance of sl2,000,-
900 to cover expenditures to Decem-
Der 81, 1910. Of this amount the &C
crued liabilities for 1909 are about
81, 900, 900, which leaves a net balance
of slO,OOO,OOO to cover the allotments
for future work to the close of the
fiscal wear June 20 1910