Arizona republican., 1910-06-30
ID SELL OR
 N0T ID SELL A Question That Is PerpIex-
 ing Water Users ONE RANCHER'S OPINION The Possibility of A Dupli- cate System of Canals South of the Base Line and the Only Way They Can Be Avoided.
ONE RANCHER's OPINION

The reclamation service has had surveyors in the field during the past week laying out service ditches for people living south of the base line, who desire to be served with reservoir water. The southern extension of the Goodwin ditch has already been par alleled in order to serve the Yaeger ditch with water but a concentrated effort is being made by the owners of the ditches extending from the Yaeger ranch on south to the Hansen ranch to induce the government to take over that ditch and thereby save the stock holders the money that they originally expended in digging it.
 The Kyrene ditch has also been sur veyed during the past week and the indications are that the ditch will be paralleled in the immediate future un less some arrangement is made where by the government can purchase the present Kyrene ditch at a price based on or about the present cost of con struction
 In constructing nev. ditch it would only be necessary to build the border on the south side of the present ditch Tn as much at the south border of the present ditch could be utilized as the north border of the new ditch That would of course reduce the construc- tiOn cost one-half The new ditch would of course eventually render the old ditch perfectly worthless and would result in a very great loss to the present stockholders.
 Acrnrdinrr tn cials there is only about one share of stock that prevents this entire ditch being sold to the government, but the government will not buy any of it un- less it can buy it all, so that the re sponsibility of causing this loss to the stockholders rests upon the shoulders of one or two persons who refuse to go into the reservoir themselves and are trying to keep their neighbOrs from getting in.
 A prominent rancher and a large shareholder in that ditch in speaking of the situation said yesterday: Tt ] is certainly up to the Tempe people to | take their choice between selling out | their ditches to the government and | getting what they are worth in mon ey, or having the ditches paralleled i and get nothing. The question as to | whether or not the Tempe canal man | loses his Tempe share by going into | the reservoir, is one frequently dis | cussed on the street The government | officials have repeatedly asserted that 1 they do not want the Tempe canal 1 certificates of stock, so that the Tenn pc people who go into the reservoir keen in ha canal is afterward sold to the govern ment, they will get their pro rata of money
 The question is also frequently ask ed as to whether it is necessary to join the Water Users association in order to get water from the govern ment The answer is that if you want to get reservoir water. you will have to sign up in the association. but if you only wish to get natural flow" water, such as the Tempe canal is get ting now. then it is not necessary to sign up" The government will carry the natural flow of the river to which your land is entitled through it's canal making a small charge for the ser vice.
 From the operations of the reclam- ation service now going on, it is per fectly evident that the farmers under the Tempe canal who want water are going to be supplied with it and as most of them want it and intend to get it. the rest of them will be forced to go in IS there vii be so fevi of them that hey could not afford to keep up the litches. As a business proposition it looks .o me as though there is only one hing to do and that is to sell the Tempe canal and the pumping plant o the government. get as much mOn- y as we can out of it and let the government supply us with water.