Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1912-03-21

| of constructing other projects now
only contemplated. We are also ad-
vised that the interior department is
| adverse to the granting of extensions
except where these may appear 20
! he absolutely necessary. and then on
! ly for the shortest periods the neces-
stiles require.
/ AT the meeting OF delegates OF var
ious Water Users associations held
| in Chicago. December IA 1911. a re-
solution was adopted recommending
| that the reclamation act be amended
/ so as to permit the repayment OF
] construction charges in twenty annual
Iinstallments instead Of ten, as now
provided The same week the Irri-
cation Congress. then in session,
adopted resolution To the same eff
feet. Along this line the Board APP
proved tentative hill to be intro
duced in congress by our congression-
1 al delegation which was subsequently
Submitted TO the council and by II
approved. Copies of this proposed bill
/ were furnished To Honorable Carl
/ Hayden and also Honorable VI. \.
| Smith and Honorable II. f. AshursI
with the request that they work 70"
the passage. at this session Of con-
gress. o. an act containing the es-
! sential feature of the proposed biz.
viz: the granting of congressional
authority To the Secretary of the In
! terror To permit the repayment of the
cost Of our project which shall be APP
portioned To us. i'm twenty annual
payments, which shall be i'm gradual
| ed or equal inStallmcnts. as may he
determined by said Secretary OF the
Interior Each of these gentlemen
has expressed his approval of the
proposed legislation and has promised
/ To support this or some similar mea-
sure
We are aware that some criticism
has been made against the proposed
| bill because of its recitals. ii being
| charged that these amount To an ad-
mission of our obligation To repay
To the reclamation fund specific
amount, and that their effect is to
! fOreclose the association from here
after questioning in any way, the
amount properly chargeable II us uu-
der our contract with the government
| As We are advised, the recitals in the
| proposed bill are not capable OF such
! = construction but even if SO mas
much as the form of the bill was I'M
derstood To he merely tentative, these
| recitals may be easily changed ny
our congressional delegation in the
event that they should conclude that
such change should be made. Tho
| = cd my hi
or form OF bill, but is only committed
| L. the plan of amendment Of the re-
| ciamation act as expressed in the bill,
ana this, too. we are advised. is the
latitude Mr. Hayden will take in the
house and Messrs. smith and Ashurst
| will take in the senate.
To aid in securing this legislation
and for the purpose of obtaining GER
| tain concessions from the Secretary OF
the Interior, the board has recently
sent President Orme and Chairman
Jones to Washington. These gentle
men appeared before the committees
on Irrigation in both the house and
! the senate ana presented our claims
| in behalf of the proposed extension
As a result of their work before tn"
committees and in conference with
members OF the house and senate
there is good reason to believe that
the work OF preparing congress for
favorable consideration OF extension
when it shall be presented by our
congressional delegation. has been ma
terially aiC ed.
We are not in favor of the move
ment looking 10 Il congressional IN
ivestigatiOn into the conduct OF tho
affairs Of the Reclamation Service
! in relation To the Salt River Project,
AT this time. and for the following
reasons: In the first place we hold
that nothing should be permitted 10
hazard the passage. 1T the earliest
practicable moment, of legislation
granting us an extension OF time with
! in which 10 repay the cost of the
project II is certain that an inVes-
tigation would result in postponing
! any such legislation, or legislation
| Of any kind with regard to our pro
! iect. until after the congressional
committee might make its eXamina-
ton and report. Such a committee
would not probably make its exam
ination until after the conclusion of
the present session of congress, and
| mot make its report until the snort
session of congress next winter, in all
probability too late to secure legls-
lation during this congress. This
would result in pOstponing any legls-
lation until 1914. In the mean time
there is a possibility that the project
may be opened with the question OF
lcxtension still undetermined. In the
second place. it is by no means GER
Itain that a committee, after invesu-
CATION. might recommend an extern
jsion of time In the third place. as
You may know, the contract between
1.-The association and the government
provides that the association guar
iantees the payment for that part of
the cost of the irrigation works which
, shall be apportioned by the Secretary
| of the Interior to its shareholders.
Pending the determination of this
matter. il is extremely unlikely that
an investigating committee would
make any recommendation looking to
our being relieved from any part Of
rho cost of the proiect inaSmuCh as