Arizona republican., 1909-10-28

contradiction of any statement that we can not pay, that to the market value of every acre in the valley in the Water Users association there has been added as much, if not more, than twice the cost per acre of the en- tire cost per acre of the Salt River projsct. including dams. canals and power plants. In the face of that fact how can we say that we can not pay? I think it must be assumed that we can pay If we can't, we need hope for no further expenditures by the government in a project that can't pay for itself in ten years without any interest charge. I do not care to even discuss the matter upon the hearing that we wish to avoid our obligations. Such a suggestion as that would in staritly show that we were entitled to no consideration at all
 Valleys Attitude.
 While we are yet in the attitude or asking the government for further fla vors, it seems to be the worst sort of policy to offer to repudiate our obli- gations for those already extended to us. As long as we show a willingness and profess the ability to discharge our obligations, so long we may expect the favorable consideration by the government of our further wants I again wish to insist that the agita- | tion of this question at this time is bad policy. and very apt to work IT, reparable damage to the whole val ley If we advertise that our lands are not productive enough to warrant the payment of the cost of the irriga- ton project in ten years. without any | interest charge. there can be no in ducement for settlers to come and take these lands. Personally. believe the lands can easily stand that bur den. And if our lands can not bear | this burden they certainly can not bear the greater one of additional ex- penditure which we deem so neces- sary for the installation of the cleo trical plants.
 Mir. Hill says that the further ex- penditure of s600. .00O00 will at once. at the most conservative estimate. give net revenue of s3O0.000-o0 per an- mum. We hope to get this money of the government: but certainly we need not expect the government to advance it in the face of our efforts to be re- | lieved from our present obligations to it. The government will hardly bor
 row money and pay interest on it and advance it to us when we are asking it to forbear that we already owe. It is. fear. very likely that con- gress will not authorize the issue of bonds for this purpose. We will then ! have to have recourse to other means, and in this we need the aid of the gov ernment A tentative proposition is ] already under consideration It Is | this: That if the money can not be obtained from the reclamation fund, then that we have the secretary de-
 clare officially that the proposed cleo trio power plants are a part of the project, and that the project will not be declared completed until their in stalment That in the meantime the water users assess themselves for suf- ficient money to install these works within two or three years.
 A Plan Suggested.
 That will work out somewhat in this way: If the project is declared com pleted without the electric power plants, and the secretary may probably do that within the next year, then the | ten year term begins. with payments approximately of s4.00 or s4.50 per acre per year. If, however. the sec retary will withhold his announce ment of the completion of the project until we can furnish the money to in- stall the power plants. upon condition that we assess ourselves for that pur- | rnsa rxrfu haua fhis aifuatiora. That for the first. second and even the third year we need assess ourselves for only $50. or at most s200. an acre. That will raise ample funds to install power plants sufficient to net us a revenue of s300.000 to s5O0,0OO per year. which will reduce our ten year assessment by s1.50 to s250 per acre per year. making them only g % to $2.50 per year. To do this. how ever. we must have the cooperation of the secretary of the interior and possibly of eongress-and that. think. we may not hope to have if we op- pose their known policies with refer ence to these payments.
 I can hardly refrain from saying as an illustration of the value of these power plants what was said to me this week in relation to the power contract with the Pacific Gas & Elec- tric Co, which has been the subject of some criticism. Under the old con- tract of the Power company with the Arizona Canal company the bill for | precisely the same service rendered last month by the Roosevelt plant. the Power company would have paid the Canal company s45O.0O-the bill to our project for that same service last month. $4.500.00.
 There are other matters involved in the questions propounded by the sen | ate committee. and I have heard it