The daily sentinel., 1909-09-14
DR.. KNAPP ON
THE HIGH LINE

The following editorial from the
pen of DR.. Knapp, editorial writer for
the Rocky Mountain News, seems to
express the views of many upon High
Line construction
That which is said Of deferring the
b construction until the government
gets ready to build, is right in line
with the contentious of this paper
for some time, past The editorial
refers to a dispatch upon general CON
ditions and then takes up the High
Line project.
II Dr. Knapp was not 50 conyersant
with conditions here, we might ques-
tion his conclusions.
The same dispatch which contain
ed the general Information given in
the first sentence OF this article con
tanned also the specific statement that
the Grand Valley High Line project
may go over with the rest Next year
the service MAY be in position to
take up the matter But for at least
twelve months any attempt at gov
ernment construction is out of the
question
1T is much more important that
the High Line should be built without
delay than that any particular party
should build it, Other things being
equal, or nearly equal, the News
would rather see the High Line built
ny the service than by any private
firm or corporation We have cham
pioned government construction many
times, and have not changed our
mind in the least But. as matters
stand now, other things are about as
unequal as possible. The reclama-
tion service expressly rules the High
Line out of court for a year, and gives
pretty faint hope of undertaking 1t at
the end of that time Private capital
on the other hand, Is ready and anx-
ious TO start the High Line at once,
aud offers TO have the work nearly
completed by the time the govern
ment is ready to consider beginning
1t. One firm which is seeking the
job declares that the entire work can
be completed within eleven months
The News cannot accept that esti-
mate, but from all the expert advice
we can get on the subject Il seems
likely that the High Line can be fin
ished in eighteen months.
1t looks to us as If the reclamation
service ought to either fish or cut
bait. If that service cannot under
take the High Line. 1t should get out
of the way and let any responsible
private firm go at the job. Ii Is no
longer question of government con-
struction versus nothing. We all
know what a governmental next
year means, no matter how good the
intent with which II is uttered. If
The service cannot undertake the
High Line ditch until next year. Z"
and is not sure of doing so then. nor
of the amount of money it will have
ON hand when il does undertake the
work, then the best thing the service
can do is to withdraw from the proi-
Get altogether To hang on without
building simply delays the game.
is6sps- the farmer -out and lets the
land shark in.
with the land titles of the region
TO be irrigated in their present shape.
the News does not quite see how a
private firm that undertakes the
High Line can be sure of getting its
money back. But that after all, is
the firms business. Three separate
parties, all with records of successful
ditch building behind them. are eager
for chance at the High Line. If
the service were likewise ready to go
to work, the News would champion
its claims against any or all of these
private investors. But the service
has expressly declared itself unready,
and uncertain when II will get ready.
In that case the only decent thing to
do is to make the remuneration com
plete, get responsible firm at the
job, and trust to the laws of the state
and the public spirit of the settlers to
see that no harm is done to the pub
lie interest And it would take some
doing to equal the harm of longer
delay"