Arizona republican., 1914-03-03
Those Who Would Use Water In 1914 Must Hasten With Applica- tiOns Or Lose Chance to Sign Contracts
RULE AFFECTS THE
 UNSIGNED ACREAGES
That Have Been In Culti- vation; But 1S0,000 Acres Can Be Handled In Re scrvOir and Present Nor maj Flow Rights
Morninu Session

[ spirited discussion was precipi-
 tated at the opening session of the board of governors of the Water Users association yesterday morning ! by motion based on the find ing of the board of survey to delimit the acreage under the project, that there is at present water for not more than 1S0,000, and recommending that applications for water for more than that acreage be not entertained. Water was supplied to l64,000 last year Within the last three years a little more than 1S0,000 have been in cultivation and are entitled to water on application. But, so far this season, applications have been received for only 154,000 acres. so
 that water is available for 26.000 more Preference would. of course
 be given to those lands which have
 been in cultivation within the last ! three years.
 The resolution accordingly provided that owners of such lands should have thirty days within which to make application, and at the end of
 that time applications would be re- ceived from owners of uncultivated lands.
 Objection was made to the resolu-
 tion on the ground that if water should be withheld from lands Tor
 thirty days, it might as well be
 withheld for the season. It would then be too late to plant grain or alfalfa and the land could be given only to summer crops. Cotton, of course, will be planted thirty days
 hence. but the land must be pre- pared for it long in advance There
 is not even time now to make such preparation.
 The resolution was finally amended, changing the thirty day period within which owners of cultivated lands might apply, to twenty days. and in that form the resolution was adopted
 A communication was received from Engineer c. H. Fitch, of the reclamation service, saying that ap- plication had been made by several charitable or religious institutions for free water. saying that they had been so favored in the past. It turned out that these applications had been made in behalf of cemeteries. The opinion was advanced, that to grant the ap- plications would set a precedent that might be troublesome in the future. E. J. Bennitt saw nothing alarming in the future. He didn't believe that the number of cemeteries would null tiply. It was unbelievable that people would start cemeteries for the pur- pose of getting free water for them. Further discussion of the subject was shut off by a successful motion to refer the matter to d committee
 A communication was read from Secretary Lane of the interior de- partment, saying that in consequence of pending legislation affecting the projects. the public notices that had
 been issued with respect to them had become of no effect. and that no others would be issued until the legis- i lation now under way had been dis posed of.
 communication was received from Clay Tallman, of the legal depart
 ment of the reclamation service, re- plying to an inquiry whether a home steader could assign to q minor child any part of his holdings above the
 unit he would be allowed to retain Mir. Tallman said, that since the pur- 1 pose of the order was to leave such
 unit to one family, if the minor child were a member of the family ! he would be barred from receiving
 the assignment just as the wife of | the homesteader would be- But. in case the minor child were a head of 1 a family of his own. an assignment might be made to him.
 l A committee from the board of
 trade, which had been appointed in l the matter of storing the flood wat
 CTS of the Verde, appeared, headed 1 (COntinuel on Papo Cavap1