Arizona republican., 1910-06-03
Approval Given Proposed Contract With Government PERSONAL PRESERVATION
President Orme Leaves For Washington This Morn ing to Lay Contract Be- fore Secretary. Engineers Addressed Board

The board of governors of the Water Users Association met yesterday morning. listened to remarks by Ar thur P. Davis, chief engineer of the re- clamatiOn service. and L. C. Hill. sup ervising engineer. passed on the pro posed contract with the government. and delegated the president of the as- sociation, J. F. Orme. to take the do- cument to Washington and urge early action upon it by the secretary of the interior
 In the exigency of having a legal adviser. the association was exceeding ly fortunate in securing the services of C. :. Witbeck. attorney for the reclam- atiOn service. in the preparation of the contract with the government. Mir. Witbeck was. of course. familiar with the governments requirements in case of that kind and by his long con nectiOn with the local project he is well informed as to conditions here. SD he was a most competent man in this emergency. And the proof of the state ment is found in the product of his work. The board went over the draft of the contract. section by section. but made no change in it. Then it was decided that in view of NIT. WitbeCk'S close connection with both parties to the contract it might be we'll also to have him confer with some other at tOrney and Thomas Armstrong. Jr was secured for that purpose. He went over the contract with NIT. Witbeck hYfr in changing The board then ratified it as far as it can ratify it before it has passed the secretary of the in- teriOr
 MT. Orme VII leave this morning for Washington with the contract and with accompanying maps showing just what work is involved in the pro posed project the excavation of the crosscut and the erection of three power houses. one on the crosscut. one near the Arizona falls and one on the south canal with a transmission line connecting 1t with the main tranmis- sion line at Mesa, and the building of short ditch connecting the proposed new crOsscut with the head of the Grand canal The details of the plan and what is to be accomplished by it are already we'll known by those in terested. There is every reason to be lieve that the contract will be warmly received in Washington and be acted upon just as quickly as routine busi- ness will permit The necessity Of MT. Orme going to make a personal presentation is only that its considera- ton may be hastened and that the matter may not be sidetracked out O[ it's natural course by other pressing matters In the event of no changes being necessary the approval will be expected very soon. and in the event of changes. they will probably be made in Washington and sent back here for approval. after which the association will submit it to vote of the stock holders
 Mir. Davis and Mir Hill both ex- pressed themselves as we'll satisfied with the contract as it now stands. They returned from Roosevelt We'd nesday night and had no Knowledge that the board was waiting to hear from them until they were summoned before it yesterday morning. but they appeared promptly and both made in teresting and pertinent talks.
 MT. Davis. in speaking generally to the board said he was pleased with the progress of the work on the pro ieot since he vas here last and felt that the association ought to be con graduated in the way the work has been done and should feel itself for tunate in haviRg such an engineer as Mir Hill in charge.
 Speaking of the proposed contract with the government. he approved it and said the idea had had his endorse ment ever since it was first brought to his attention about a year ago. He said he thought there would be no trouble in executing the work in ac- cordance with the terms of the con tract and that it would not only make more perfect project but would be much better for the valley and the farmers in every way.