The Parker post., 1914-03-28
THE PARKER PROJECT.
(ArizOna GaZette)

That the rich and easily irrigable
lands along the Colorado from Parker
to Ehrenberg will, before long, be
opened to settlement and provision
made for their irrigation by a dam
at or near the former place seems
open to little doubt.
The advisability of the project can
not be a matter for a moments ques-
ton nor can the advantage of adding
125, 900 acres to arabic area Of the
state be denied The one thing to be
considered is how the addition can
best be made.
According to advices received from
Parker, at least three proposals have
been made. The first is that the
government of the United States han
die the project through reclamation
service in the same manner as the
Salt River project was completed; a
second is that the lands be opened to
entry and the settlers allowed to con-
uCI lie ddLI anu Co1lcilS
es; the third that the state take the
construction in hand under the terms
of the Carey act.
The latter method of construction
seems to be most in favor with the
parties directly interested and appli-
cation was made to Governor Hunt
To- II fr,, of
essary legislation to bring the lands
in question under the state Carey act
From correspondence received from
Congressman Hayden it would seem
that the authorities at Washington
are not in favor Of this idea and An
drieus A. Jones, first assistant sec
retary of the interior, has stated his
reasons for such opposition in let
ter to Congressman Hayden in which
he says that the bonds to be issued
under the act for construction pur-
poses would not fl i'd a ready market,
that the price of the work would be
necessarily excessive" and that the
Indian lands which have to bear their
share of the burden of cost would, of
necessity, bring in the Federal gov
ernment as party to all contract
letting, etc.
The people of Parker and the val
ley tributary thereto have laid the
matter before the governor for his
consideration and, in their communi-
cation to the executive of the state
they cite the extreme cost of the Ton
to project and the fact that even
now it is proposed to investigate the
same and reduce the cost to what it
should have been with proper manage
ment and proper economy. They
claim that the state Land Commission
has shown itself amply competent to
safeguard the interests of the people
and state that they are we'll satisfied
to leave the matter in the hands of
the state authorities.
AS the Gazette understands the sit
uation the work of building the dam
presents no great engineering difficult
ties and, if it did, the state can Sc
cure the services of engineers as con-I
petent as those the government can
secure and, in any case, the wishes Cf
the Parker people should, and doubt
less will, be the controlling feature
In the matter 1t is they who will
have the bills to pay and they surely
are the ones who shall do the work
If they feel confidence in the state
and wish the state to undertake the
work that would seem to be the last
word necessary.
That they do feel this confidence
is amply demonstrated by their ap-
plication to Governor Hunt and their
wishes should govern. In any case it !
would appear that, with the addition
OF this acreage and that to be con-
served under the San Carlos project,
the state will, within a few years,
have added almost a quarter of a mil
lion acres of highly valuable farm
lands to its taxpaying area
In this, as in all other matters, the
Gazette has but one thing to say:
Let the people rule