Arizona republican., 1914-11-21
No Repudiation of Charges Properly Assessa a b le Against Salt River Irri- gation Works, Stand of Farmers Meeting
KING AND HAYDEN ASSAILED BY LING
Explanation of Cost Com putting and Time Exten- sion Plans Brings Out Stinging Rebuke for the "Objectors"

Facing the most difficult of audi onces-one whose prejudices had been aroused by the spacious oratoTy of R. NJ. Ling, Judge Will R. King, chief counsel to the reclamation com mission, and Hon. Carl Hayden, Ari- zona's representative in congress, yesterday drove home with telling force the one big idea in connection with the reclamation time extension and cost survey plans-that there is to be no repudiation of any just debts.
 Slurs cast upon the reclamation of- fiCials and even upon Arizonas con- gressman, cleverly twisted facts aud figures distorted statements of high authorities, went crashing down in dscredit. when, with a few simple, direct facts, the thinking speakers of yesterdays farmers meeting had their belated turns upon the floor.
 The controversy grew-or rather it was nursed into being-on a basis of the action of the board of gover- hcrs and the council in the morning session, when it was decided over whelmingly that because the people of the valley had entrusted their af- fairs to these representatives, no special election should be called to select an engineer to represent Salt river project on the cost computing board, and that the appointment of d representative. when made, should be done by the governors and coun cil. acting jointly.
 When Mr Ling began quoting; laws and things of that sort, he ran government pays a salary to know about these matters When he 3e- gan whooping it up about lawmakers he had Carl Hayden in his hair. Judge King stated very calmly and definitely that MT. Ling was wrong on every single law point he brought up. Mir. Hayden took up the ques- tion of the acceptance and proved that it was not the intention of the secretary that the people should sign before they were told what they would have to pay. The paragraph in the time extension bill which Ling attributed to selfish and tyrannical secretary, Hayden stated had been written by Congressman Frank w. Mondell of Wyoming, a real friend of the irrigator.
 Kings Explanation
 Judge King was introduced by President John P Orme of the Wat CT Users association, who said that [ fter the visitors remarks, each man present would be given five minutes in which to ask questions.
 Judge King outlined the cost com putting plan much as he had done m the morning. He said the secretary proposed to inform himself as to the reasonable cost of each project before settling what the assessed cost should be. He does not have to do this under the law. for the law gives him the power to fix the charge And under the law, neither can he dele gate the duty to any man or body of men.
 On each project, MT. Lane plans tO nave plDJcCl DodIu cOISlStlHS LII an engineer of the reclamation ser vice-not necessarily one who has had anything to do with building the project-an accountant representing the secretary of the interior and an engineer or expert named by the Water Users association.
 The findings of this board, with such recommendations as it sees fit to make-together with such minority reports as the project member may submit-will go to a board of re- view, which will consider only such points on which the lower board doesn't agree Then he, himself, will take the report of the board, and if there are no objections by the water users, shall say that the cost is such and so.
 The only place where the time cX- tension law and the project cost plan refer to each other, is in the nexi point-that of the acceptance of the twenty-yearo privilege. After having had the public notice of the exact cost the various boards and finally the secretary may fix, tho water use has six months in which to file hi; announcement that he accepts tho proposition. And yet it is not com. rulsory to take the twenty-yeal privilege. Those who do not wan it may continue under the old ter equal annual installments plan still, however, obligated to pay tn- pro rata based on what the boards and the secretary fix as the cost O tie improvements.
 This is in brief, Judge Kings ex planation, together with some of tn facts brought out in the questionn' that followed. Then c. c. Thompson