Arizona republican., 1912-04-25
.WEED|N SAYS HE WILL TURN oN THE LIGHT Florence Editor Charges Irregularities Regarding
 the Casa Grande
 Project. BUSY SESSION
 HELD YESTERDAY Much of the Time Was De- voted to Determining
 Water Rights of
 the Indians.
BUSY SESSION
 HELD YESTERDAY

The congressional investigating committee continued its task yester- day with the hearing of a great deal of preliminary testimony which re- lates chiefly to the establishing of prior water rights of the Indians on land under the proposed San Carlos reservolr.
 At the morning session. Chairman Hcnslcy outlined the province of the investigators, and askcl that ,ne rec ord be kept as free as possible from irreleVent testimony, saying that it would be voluminous enough without unnecessary details. Judge Burch SUD- plemented MT. Hensleys remarks on the privileges of the committee
 The first witness was Col. Thos F Weedin, or Florence, whose testimony was brought out under the interro- gation of Judge Campbell. After speaking Of the relations of the gov ernment to the San Carlos project, he said the opposition of Epes Ran dolph and Albert Steinfelt to the pro-
 ject was really on the ground that | vate interests in that vicinity. He announced that he would call two
 witnesses to prove that there had
 been irregularities in the financial
 conduct of the san Carlos project.
 Herbert Martin, clerk to the Indian
 agent at SacatOn the nex5 witness
 gave testimony on the subject of the Indians rights, with which he seemed very familiar. having spent many years in the Indian office and at one time a witness before a senate com mittee on Indian affairs The chief point of his testimony was the estab lishment of prior water rights of tho Indians. He submitted a great deal of documentary evidence purpOrting to prove that the cold clear water from the government wells on the Indian land was detrimental to the fields on the mesas. claiming that it caused the soil to bake in the sun and become unfit for crops. River
 water, he said, not only was better
 for irrigation, but supplied a large amount of alluvial silt which, in some 1 cases. covered the soil to a consider able depth and was loose and fertile 1 enough to be easily cultivated. By four o'clock the sun was render | ing the air of the parlor so warm that the attorneys asked for a recess which was gladly taken.
 | On resuming, Judge Jameson went | on the stand. He recited briefly the | history of the litigation between the l $. P. and the Santa Fe concerning the 1 right of way in the Box Canyon of | the Gila with particular reference to
 it's effect on reclamation matters, and 1 identified a decision on applications 1 for reservoir sites in that region. The
 document was made an exhibit. l Judge Jameson was well supplied | with figures and tried to show that
 water could be secured for all the
 Indians with enough left over to sup 1 ply the white settlers under the San | Carlos project. He described the fi- 1 nancial difficulties of the old Florence 1 Canal company and it's successor, the | Casa Grande Canal company, each 1 having been bonded far above its actual value The story of continued l reorganization and re-bonding moved
 Judge Burch to ask Was the stream | large enough to float those bonds ?'
 and Jameson replied. At times | judge!"
 1 At five the hearing adjourned and l it was announced that the next meet ing would take place at nine thirty l this morning in the Water Users
 building where it is more convenient and comfortable.