Arizona republican., 1915-06-27


 government. water users and fut- ure generations is very diff ficult one. The money expended has
 been loaned to the organized farmers without interest from a fund obtained i from the sale and disposal of public i lands in certain states and territories" l This fund has been designated for us6 | in retaining arid lands and is to b,, a 1 revolving fund. When the money ad- ! Nanced for project is paid bacl, inr0 i the United States treasury. il is t. le sent out again on a similar mission. so i that all desert places my he made 1 to blossom as the rose" and waste places be made productive.
 | The national irrigation s' { gives to the secretary of the interior power to decide tine cost of the various govern ment projects. bat Secretary Lare has devised plan whereby 'Ee cost will | be fixed by boards of review, local and general. The local board consists of Frank w Hanna, appointed tj repre- sent the United States reclamation | service; Fred A. Jones of Dallas, Tex as. to represent the water users, and
 a third member to be chosen thus: Two representatives from each of four projects (Yuma. Rio Grande. Carlsbad
 and Salt River). united in nomiuatinC three men. from which the secretary of he interior selected Thomas Y. Taylor of the University of Texas to act as third member on each board. ! This local board has completed and sent its report to the general review board. l. D. ODonnel. supervisor of
 irrigation; General William l.. Mar shall. consulting engineer to the sec retary. and Elwood Mead of the Uni versity of California. chairman. This ! board will hear complaints and objec- tions from the farmers and submit their report to the secretary. who will finally decide and announce cost This total cost is to be paid in twen- ty annual installments. the first being due on the first of December, follow ing the formal opening of the project
 Each Of the first four are to be 2 per cent. of the cost. each of the next two I per cent, and the remaining four teen per cent.-very low instalments for returning a loan. in fact equivalent to paying interest at per cent. for twenty years and none of the principal Who could be more liberal than Uncle sam m this matter2
 During the building of the Sat ' requests of the government in addi- tion to the original one that the Roose- welt dam be built. and the water users should. and unquestionabIy do. agree that the actual cost of all should be borne by them. After the dam was started, the water users vision became broader and they asked that Uncle Sam make that dam twenty feet higher than planned. thus increasing the stor- aSe capacity 250. 900 acre feet Then a diversion dam was seen to be needed and the farmers actually demanded that the government eX,end the plans to include the Granite Reef Dam. The fourth request was that the govern ment take over the entire canal sys- tenn. The original estimate of cost for this project was $3.750. .O0O This was for the Roosevelt dam only. and it was to be 9 feet lower than it finally was made. with the addition of , feet to the spillway.
 When I hear the opinion voiced that the water users can and should hold the government to the original figures as to cost, I am reminded of John. John was the oldest of five children. His father loaned him certain sum cf money to invest in q farm Then -John told his father he would like enough more to build a house for he wanted to get married and live on the farm. So the house was built Then John said he must have chickens. COW. horses. barn, tools and imple- ments- And when all was done. Johns original debt to his father was multi piled by three Yet he insisted that only the original amount be counted against him. for that amount was for a farm. and all the things went togeth- CT to make his farm. Had he been the only child. his father might have in dulsed his whim; but there were four others to he launched on the sea of life ere long. so John had. to pay it all And he made good
 On promise from the government that the formal opening of the project and the subsequent payment of the constructiOncharge would be deferred two years, the farmers voted to pay 1 S1.OOO.000 to build power plants. This | payment will be completed in May of | this year. Revenue from them is be- | ing nd will continue to be applied to | construction charges, thus lessening | the expense to the farmers. The pow | CT plants are expected to pay in full | the first two miscellaneous on the con | struction charges of the project
 Maintenance charges and association l expenses are paid by the users. On | October 1. 1914. S1OO per acre was | paid for two feet or less of water for 1 the ensuing year this money for main l tenance of the project There was | also an assessment of s1.OO per aero | (50c in November last and soc in May) | to finish paying for the building of the | power plants. to return power plant | assessments paid on land finally ex- cluded from the reservoir district (ac- cording to vote of Users) and associa- ton expenses.
 If the actual cost of the project l should amount to $65.OO or $70.00 an acre. as some persons predict. it wouTc still be less than in Utah. where peo- pie are eager for the project, even at possible cost of S100 or $12O per