The border vidette., 1909-01-09
ARIZONA GROWING SOME.
interesting Report of the Secretary
 of the Interior.


 report of the secretary of the interior has this to say on Arizona:
 Conditions in Arizona are steadily improving. The population is now estimated at 100000. an increase of l5.000 during the year.
 The financial condition was never better, the territorial treasury show ing an increase of $75, 1908 36 over last year. Taxable property has increased to $SO,O0O. 900, an increase of B. .oO0,. 900 over the preceding year, while the territorial rate of taxation is not in creased and the local rate ot taxation throughout the territory has decreased. There IS no difficulty in caring for the current expenses of the territory and the retiring of the bonded indebted ness, $10O,OOO of which was retired during the year.
 The Organization and use of the rangers has been most satisfactory in the enforcement of law and order.
  299 as the number of children of school age C to 2I years) in the ter ritory. The total number of children enrolled in the schools is shown to be 28 ,936 This would indicate apparent ly that nearly 5000 children fail to attend school but it is explained that Is ph of hn of Is. although they are enumerated in the school census until they are 2l. Practically all of the children who at tend no school are of Mexican parent age. To remedy the evil of non-at- tendance at school the legislature has enacted a law which makes atten dance compulsory under severe penalties for parents and guardians. There are 3Ol school districts, employing 645 teach CTS, 1O9 and 536 women. The aver age monthly salary paid men teachers was $99 5O; for women it was $75 5.06.
 Notwithstanding the reduction in the production of copper, the mining operations in the territory show an increase over last year. and the agri- cultural possibilities have been greatly increased by the development of irrig- ation projects. experiments in dry farming, and the introduction of new grasses on the open rangers.
 This project comprises in the main the construction of large storage re- seryoir at the mouth of Tonto Creek on Salt River and the diversion of this water at the head of the valley, about 40 miles to the westward, and it's dis tribution through canals and ditches to about ? 100000 acres of very fertile land in the vicinity of Phoenix.
 The area to be irrigated is far In excess of the water supply, and as the productivity of the land is very great it becomes of first import rtance that the water supply be utilized and increased as fully as conditions will permit.
 Large opportunities for the develop ment of power are incidental to this project and are being used for the principal purpose of pumping water from underground, large quantities of which may thus be obtained for sup plementing the supply furnished from the reservoir.
 A contract for the large masonry storage dam on upper Salt River was let to James O'Rourke & company. of Galveston, Texas. in April 1905. Since work began a series of unusual floods have occurred, washing out the pro- tective works of the contractor four successive times and filling in ex- cavated portions of the foundation.
 The dam has now reached heig ght of about 70 feet and some regulation of the fuctu1tion of the river flow can hereafter be undertaken.
 One of the great floods which dam a ged the contractor in Move vember, 1905, also washed out the Arizona daIp, which had served to divert water just below the mouth of Verde River into the Ariz)na canals for the use of this and other canals on the north side of the Salt River. The entire north system was purchased by the Reclam- ation service in 1906 and a concrete