Arizona republican., 1909-11-17

appOinteu cOultnlttee tO ueNlSe ana suggest a plan to secure, If that could be done. consensus of the opinions of the water users upon the subjects involved in the questions to which answers were asked by your commit tee
 That committee recommended that representative water users from each of the ten districts into which our ir- rigated lands are divided be chosen to meet and confer with the board of governors of the association at its meeting to be held November 1. 1909. In accordance with that recommenda- tion. five Representative water users from each of nine of those districts were selected and attended the meet ing on the 1st instant In one of the districts, by reason of circumstances of not importance in this connection, only one representative was chosen. The conference held on the 1st con- sisted of the ten members of the board of governors. with the president as a member ex-officio. making eleven. and forty-siX representative delegated from the several districts as above ex- plained
 After full discussion. and with but one exception, the answer to the first question. the accompanying answers were agreed upon unanimously. There was some opposition to the form of the answer to the first question as 1t appears appended hereto. The oppo- sition was based. however solely upon the opinion that there should be no aff fr hn frri tion act in anv particular. The oppo- sition proposed that the question (No. D be answered simply yes" By a de- cisive majority of five to one the answer as it appears was adopted. With this exception there was entire unanimity.
 We therefore present the answers appended hereto under appropriate caption.
 Your committee. in discharge of the function delegated to it by the confer ence under whose direction it was ap- pointed to prepare d resolution ex- pressing the appreciation that the peo- pie of the Salt river valley feel for the splendid work of the United States reclamation service in designing and executing the Salt river project, have adopted the following resolutions:
 Resolved. By the committee ap- pointed by a conference Of water users of the Salt river valley held at Phoenix on the first day of November 1909 to prepare. among other things. a reso- lution expressing the appreciation of the water users of the valley for the work done and in course of construc- ton under the auspices and direction of the reclamation service. under the provisions of the national irrigation act, that, while not unmindful that in minor details in the progress ol the work there may have appeared to have been some mistakes and not in any wise minimizing the annoyance that may have arisen therefrom. we are fully aware that such mistakes. if they were indeed mistakes. were inevitable in the course of work of such mag nitude and extent as the Salt river project. That if there were mistakes. or miscalculations. they have been so infrequent and in comparison with the magnitude of the work so unim- portaut and of so little comparative disaJy artaSe and wholly of 90 tenn
 
 emphasize the splendid ability. wisdom and foresight of those who designed and have superintendeu the ,.onstruc- tior of the works of the project.
 We. therefore. by this means. desire to record the appreo istiCn and grati- tude of our people. of and for tine splendid accomplishment so far as at tained in the course of the construc- tion of the Salt River project. and to formally express the confidence always entertained by them in the ability, in- tegrity and purposes Of the officers of the reclamation service as manifested in- their work.
 We do not overlook the splendid service to our valley of Secretaries of the Interior Hitchcock. Garfield and Ballinger. or of Messrs Walcott. New ell and Davis. but we deem t proper and q grateful function that we ex- press our unbounded confidence in MT. Louis C. Hill. the supervising engineer of our project In doing SD we do not withhold our admiration for and ap- preciation of the services of his splen- did corps of assistants. but we do wish to accord to Mir Hill this need of praise and token of our confidence
 We are gratified by the evidence of the interest that the United States senate Is manifesting bv the visit of it's committee to our valley to acquaint that body by personal observation of our needs and our hopes. and we sin cerely trust that what has been done by congress in the way of national irrigation will find in the accomplish ments evident in this valley complete justification for the national irriga- tion act and its operation. and war rant for future assistance to our peo- pie
 Answers to Questions.
 First-Is the existing reclamation law satisfactory. and if not. in what respect should it be amended?
 Answer-Yes. We are informed through our land office that less than loo homesteads GOT about 16.000 acres) are now being held under the Salt river project within the reservoir dis trict: and that practically all of this land is signed up with the water users association. Under existing laws. title to such homestead land will not be issued until payments for the reservoir rights are all made-the pay menfs being made through the govern ment land office. We believe that when final five-year proof is made and