Arizona republican., 1910-01-10
TRANSFER RECORDS
 MAKE FINE SHOWING
Indicative of Growing Development
 and Greater Prosperity.

| From the books of the Salt River Valley Water Users association has
 been secured a rather gratifying view
 of the continued prosperity of the val | ley as indicated by the transfer of lands signed to the association during | 1909 as against similar transfers in ! 1908. These figures do not include all | transfers made in the valley for there
 are numerous properties not signed to ] the association, but the major part of i them are signed and it is that class of properties mainly in which movements | have occurred. The secretary of the
 association keeps in touch with the
 county recorder for every change of
 ownership of a parcel of land in the association. has to be recorded also
 on the books of the association so it's
 membership and their holdings are all
 ways available.
 Secretary Van der Veer reports that
 during the year 1908 there were 731 transfers of land in the association. re- i corded. but this figure included a con
 siderable number of transfers from the
 Arizona Land company to Porter Steele. which did not represent actual Sditos pi dt irnSN Sti'o tp Sttti-io i'i homes, but were a part of the settling
 up of the project of the sale of the ] north side canals to the government These transfers occurred in November In 1909 there were 701 transfers of l land. thirty parcels less than the year before but probably in excess of the 1908 total were tine Steele transfers deducted
 A little closer view of the case, and
 more pleasing one still is the record
 of the month of December for both
 years. In December 1908, there were
 49 transfers while in December 1909
 there were 66. an increase of seventeen
 or over 34 per cent. The comparison
 for November in both years. as indi-
 cated above would hardly be fair to
 prosperity. the defendant in this case. on account of the Steele transfers but
 to satisfy curiosity it Is stated that the
 number in 1908 was 10S as against 5i during the past November. The pre- ceding month of October in both years.
 however. may be regarded as normal and good evidence in support of the argument for in October 1908 there
 were 5I transfers as against 61 in Oc- ioDeI lSVJ NoNeUlUeT lSOS uTOppeu back to the October figure for the year
 1908. 51, but it was little shorter month and the difference was not more fluctuating than might occur in any month for many reasons. and as indi- cated above December followed with the flattering report of 66 transfers.
 Altogether. it is probable that the acreage transferred in 1909 was small CT than that in 1908 though the num- Der of transfers were about the same. That is easily accounted for on the theory that during the former year. when the rising values prompted local speculation. many large holdings were bought and sold at an advance merely as investments while during the past year many of these larger hold ings were somewhat divided. In other words the transfers of 1909 meant much larger proportion of new settlers and small. home holdings. and less business of a speculative nature. And what the valley needs and is trying to get. or to put it stronger, is get ting all the time. is more farm homes and more people to live in them. The transfer, of a section means big profit to a few persons. The transfer of a dozen parcels on one section means a little profit to more people and a not able addition in population and devel- opment. that adds more than anything else to permanent prosperity.