The Parker post., 1912-10-19
Vol. III.
TO START BIG
PROJECT SOON
MEMBER OF GREELEY-ARIZ. CO.
VISITS PARKER AND is CONFi-
DENT THAT WORK ON DAM
WILL BEGIN AT EARLY DATE.

1t is the belief of A. A. Edwards,
secretary treasurer of the Greeley Ari
zona Irrigation company, that actual
construction work on the Parker pro
ject will be begun within the next
few months. Mr. Edwards arrived
in Parker Saturday night from Phoe-
nix, where he had interviews with
Sena tors Ashurst and Smith relative
to the bills now pending in congress
which provide for the opening of the
reservation lands under the Carey
land laws.
The principal objection which the
company has against
the Ashurst bill and the Hayden bill
is the section repeating it's rights
TO construct dam at Headgate Rock
which would also, if passed. cause
the company to lose its prior water
filings on the Colorado river
Il is understood that Messrs. Ash
urst and Smith are willing to waive
the revocation of the rights already
secured by the Greeley company pro-
videG the people here desire that
they should stand. Mr.. Edwards Wis
II was to ascertain the sentiment of
the citizens here regarding this mat
ter, and after interviewing quite a
number he was firmly of the opinion
that the Parker people were strong
ly opposed to the repeal of the con
cession already granted the company
for the construction of a dam. A
petition will probably go to the Ar
zona delegation at an early date from
Parker citizens urging that the Sec
tions in the Ashurst and Hayden bills
which aim to revoke this concession
be stricken from the measures.
So far as the people here are
concerned there appears no necessity
for the repeal of the company's con-
@esS1on, as, in the event that the
Greeley company is the successful
bidder, such a course would entail
unnecessary delay in getting the
work started, and would neeessitate
ano:her bill along the same lines to
be passed by congress. Owing to
= hkl dfafi IxT
tiOnists there is grave doubts as to
whether or not congress would pass
any measure that has to do with a
dam across the Colorado river. Not
thai dam would hurt the great Am
erican Nile, but the conservationists
don't like to see any more progress
during the next few generations. AT
Ter that they say our great great
grand children will have something
to work on to keep the wolf from
the door.
The concession amounts to prac-
tically nothing to the Greeley COM
pany in the event of it's not being
the lowest bidder, and in any con
tingency the state land board is not
compelled to enter into a contract
with any company unless it is con-
Vinced that the cost of the works
is reasonable and just
Both the senate and house bills
providing for the segregation of the
reservation lands so that they may
become available to reclamation un-
Ger the Carey Act have been re-
ported upon favorably by the depart
ment of the interior, with suggestions
Of certain amendments, reference to
which has heretofore been made in
these columns. These amendments
will undoubtedly be agreed to by the
Arizona delegation. and the bill will
be reported favorably by the commit
tees, which will insure it's final
passage by congress.
Early action in the matter is an
ticipated and it is believed that soon
after the first of next year every
thing will be ready for the opening
of the lands. The allotment of 10
acres of land to each of the Indians
entitled, approximating 5000 acres,
will be made within the next sixty
days, and it looks very favorable that
active work on the big irrigation
project will be we'll under way next
summer
Mr.. Edwards is president of the
Colorado State Board of Agriculture,
which has supervision over the agri-
cultural college at Fort Collins. For
twenty years he has been engaged in
work and he declares that
he never saw a more promising pro-
ject that at Parker. Mr.. Edwards de-
parted for his home in Fort Collins
night, stopping over at the