The Greeley tribune., 1912-01-18
Spuds and the Carpenter Bill

nm the assumption that water
riaht is the same as any other prop
.,fy right in which the title Of own
.rship is lawfully vested: Never
once.
proceeding ON the hypothesis that
Jones has u right to Browns water,
for any period Of time whatsoever.
in defiance, to the express Wishes OF
The latter, why not Jones' take ana
nse Browns horses, ON the Same
basis Of reasoning, when BROWNS
fall plowing IL finished and the ami
mails turned out for the winter?
Did they tell us that It Is tho
Jictum OF nine,-tenths Of the lawyers
in colorado that the priOrities Of
the old direct irrigation bitches are
protsS.ted by constitutional GuarAn-
lee, tl.s, same A. any other property
right, and. therefore, may not be
hintiere<i or nsoleetetl by an act Of
A legislature seeking to establish an
arbitrary irrigation season? No.
Did they tell US that the land re
ceiving late fall irrigation In 1910
raised crops about 50 per cent bot-
ter than the land on which no water
was consumed until spring trriga-
fiOn COIltMenCQSl!
Are they aware that nearly 90 per
cent Of the farmers In southern
Weld county were compelled to trrt-
cate their farms Last spring before
tEey could plow . flHrOw, and that
the farmers living under the Burl-
ingtOn ditch, the priOrities OF which
are comparatively Late. were en-
able<i to raise exceptional crops BY
simply irrigating their lands late In
the fall, thereby Conserving the
water In the ground. as Water
Commissioned J. p. Higgins aPt1y
describes the operation?
II they tell US, that, In the mean
ing OF the bill, tho direct irrigatS0n-
lists shall be the ones to decide when
the water is needed for ''imne<fiate
use". we offer no protest, but ask
thenl-why the bill?
II, ON the other hand, they tell
lis that the right to determine the
question shall be vested in any
person or persons, other than
the ones holding these priorities,
(that is just what this measure was
designed to accOmplish) We tell
an ancient, adjudicated right in the
exercise Of which We refuse to be
mOlested.
But to quote the bill: ssThe own
ers or pOssessOrs OF reservoirs shall
not have the right to impOund any
water in such reservoirs during the
time that such water is required in
senior bitches for immediate use for
direct irrigation"
Note the expression ''imnetiiate
HI frtx 10 tn< ~ tVn<a
only excuse for It's existence and
that that, when crops have been re-
direct irrigationist to show that the
diate neceesity".
They tell Ms that we should ooa-
slider tho vast tracts Of land to be
reclaimed By the reservoir system.
ma tlnsv tel tAAs n tn psospectave
bond purchasers who took their
paper in tho belief that there was
an abundance Of water At q time,
long before tho Carpenter bill was
ever dreamed of? Never fear. They
did not.
No, MFR. Reservoir Man. We wish
You every success possible: We will
do all in our power to assist you.
will open our pOcketbOOks. IL nee
e~sary, to aid you; hut when you
seek to appropriate . right, legally
and distinctly ours for forty years
before you were on the irrigation
map. we must dismiss your prOposi-
tiOn with the simple declaration,
that 1--WE were here first.
Respectfully.
.. +. FlSINK.
Fort Lupton, Colo.