Arizona republican., 1910-01-05

| ficient information to uphold the con- tention in behalf of the high line has not been presented.
 One question is exceedingly puzzling to the members of the board of trade committee, and to all citizens of Phoenix who have tried to reach a ! fair conclusion in the premises, and | it is this: If on the one hand the reservoir project is a feasible scheme from a financial standpoint, and if it would bring 100000 acres of land un- der cultivation in Pinal county; and if, on the other hand, the railway company can take the high line" at an added cost of s2OO, ,OO0-or even s1 1.000.000 or more-why would the Southern Pacific people hesitate for a moment to incur the increased ex-
 
 body of land would create at once at least s10,OOO,0OO of wealth, and bring into existence a wealthy and prosper ous community which would furnish a great and profitable revenue to the railroad for all time. Supposing that the increased cost would be S1, ,0OO, 900, the interest on that sum would not exceed s4O.OOO yearly. and the rail- roads earnings from the irrigated dis trict would vastly exceed that, every year.
 The answer of the railway people to this question is understood to be, that the premises on which the question is based are sound-that if the reservoir project were feasible. and if the high line" were feasible, they would not hesitate for a moment to incur the added expense of constructing the high line" They admit that their in terest in the agricultural development of the territory along their line should lead them to encourage all projects of development, and they claim that self interest does lead them to do every thing practicable to develop the eoun- try
 They claim. we understand. that the proposed reservoir project would cost s5,0GU,O 900. and that in view of it's ob- jectionable features, capital for it's construction cannot be found The reservoir people are insistent, how ever, that the capital will be easily obtainable
 people hold to the theory that a really attractive and feasible scheme of irri- gation for Pinal county would com prise the utilization of what is known as the Casa Grande reservoir; that by building a diversion dam near the "Buttes" on the river above Florence; by raising the walls of the present reservoir some fifteen feet, and con- veying water thereto from the diver sion dam, at least 3O.000 acres could be abundantly irrigated the year round. and that the canal supplying this sys- tenn would. in addition to filling the reservoir from flood waters, supply water for winter crops'-i e, wheat and barley. to such an extent that total of 50,OO0 acres would be irri- gated-and all at total construction cost of not to exceed half a million dollars-and that for this project capi- tai would be readily obtainable.
 The controversy over this right of way involves so much of moment to the whole territory that it's settlement on the basis of a square deal to all concerned is imperatively necessary. As We have said before, Phoenix is vitally interested. If we were to lose the through line" for which we have waited so long. which apparently is at last on the eve of completion. and which when completed will be worth millions to the city every winter in tourist travel-if we were to lose this line it would be an exceedingly bitter disappointment to this community But neither do we wish to lose even the prospect of having Pinal county irrigated. That country, when irri- gated, would be of immeasurabIe value