Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-12-21
Chamber of Commerce Must Decide Between Two
 Projects
MEMORIAL WILL BE
 SENT TO CONGRESS
Majority of Opinion Seems to Favor Railroad h.
 stead of Dam

| After making an investigation of con ditions at San Carlos and going into the question thoroughly, the chamber of commerce committee appointed some 1 time ago to investigate tine San Carlos dam site proposition. is preparing to make formal report to the chamber, within the next few days.
 the question before this committee is one of much importance to this dis trict-the question as to which is of the most importance to Globe; the building of an irrigating dam below San Carlos or of the construction of an extension of the Southern Pacific from the present Phoenix & Eastern line to San Carlos and on through the main line, near Lordsburg.
 It is probable that the action of this committee, consisting of !. N. Purdum. l.. l.. Henry and ]. F. Hechtman. in declaring itself in favor of either the railroad or the irrigation dam will re- suit in a corresponding memorial from the chamber of commerce to congress, favoring the project recommended.
 While the committeeman have not eX- pressed an opinion as yet. it is appar. ently the feeling of a majority of the people of this city that the construc- ton of the railroad will prove to be of much more benefit to the people of Globe than would the irrigation pro. ject.
 It is held by those who favor the railroad that, in the first place, there is no assurance that an irrigation project located at the site of the old govern ment dam, will ever be carried out, by reason of the fact that the government abandoned this project several years ago, on the ground that it was imprac- tical.
 It is also claimed that, with the ex- pense of indemnifying the present rail. road line, the cost, something like $10,- 0OO,0OO would be prohibitive, even if dam could be built, as there is lit tie or no chance of an electric power project being a part of the irrigation scheme, there being too little water in the river during the dry season to de, velop the minimum power requirement..
 One of the arguments made against the location of dam at this point is that dam could be built at less ex- pense at the Buttes, below Kelvin, where it would be so near the land to be irrigated that diversion dam would be unnecessary. This location would not interfere with the low grade line through Box canyon.
 Some of the people who have inves- tigated the proposition state that the bulk of the protest against the railroad comes from the Tucson chamber of commerce, which, it is claimed, is in terested not only in securing the ir. rigation project, but in preventing the Southern Pacific main line coming through the Box canyon.
 It is also stated, on reliable author. ity, that no petition for permission to build an irrigation dam at this point has been filed with the government.
 On the whole, the feeling seems to be that the construction of the Southern Pacific main line through Box canyon. which will result in Globe being placed within thirty miles of the main line, will, with the resultant increase of ser vice and decrease in freight rates, be of more value to this section than would the consummation of an irrigation pro ject, even if the latter were carried out and the most sanguine hopes of the promoters realized.
 As soon as the committee makes it's report to fhe chamber of commerce, a meeting will be called at which repre- sentatives of both the railroad and the irrigation project will be asked to be present.