Arizona republican., 1916-11-05

word of which I wrote myself. There are one or two articles in there. article l3 remember particularly was the pet and favorite child of my friend, Mir Dwight B. Heard. He wanted to be donbly sure of that of which was certain. and I didn't make any objec- ton to it. There was another article in it with which l had nothing to do because did not think il would be of any Use to the people of the valley, and that Is article g. providing for the division of this irrigation district into number of canal divisions, and 1t never has been done.
 Land Owners Get Together
 After the execution of these articles of incorporation. twelve or fifteen hundred of the land owners of this val ley became members of that corpora, ton and then We went to the govern ment of the United States At that lime Ethan A. Hitchcock was the Sec retary of the Interior, and Dr. Charles D. Walcott was the Director of the Geological Survey. which division was charged with irrigation matters It afterwards became a separate bureau We were peculiarly concerned with the Salt River project and the one at Yuma known a sthe California Arizona pro- iect.
 A Tiny Foundation.
 It was intended by that law that it's benefits should be applicable only to the public lands, and not to such val ley as ours. By the energy of some of our citizens who had been sent there among them MT. Heard and MT. B. A. Fowler who was until recently citizen of this valley and with the aid of Mir. George II. Maxwell. a man to whom this valley is greatly indebted. there was inserted somewhat crudely. but en- tirely effectually. as the results show, a provision that the Secretary of the Interior might sell water rights to the owners of land that had already been patented; and on that little short pro- yision-not taking over a line and a half in that law-has been built the entire irrigation enterprose of this val ley
 A SapPolnung OeCtSlon.
 Without it. We could not have sue ceeded. But right after that in- sertion We were confronted with what seemed to be fatal objection The ad wiser. of the Secretary of the Interior way back in 1902 or 19O3 decided that the benefits of the National irrigation law could not be made applicable to this valley because, as he said. 1t was in tended simply for the benefit of public lands, and only incidentally to those in private ownership
 The situation here was that eighty or ninety or more per cent. of the lands in this valley were already in private ownership, and that only a small pro- portion of the public lands could be made available for use by the Reclama- tion project. and that, therefore, this was peculiarly a private ownership proposition, and, therefore. not within the provisions of the law.
 No Cutters Those Days.
 We were somewhat discouraged, bu we did not quit The distinguishe, lawyer. the adviser of the Secretary O the Interior. at that time was nun' other than Judge Van Deventer, wh' decided against us: but by some happ. accident. he was promoted to anothe field, and today the man who decided against us. as to the applicability O the National irrigation law. Is one o the justices of the Supreme Court of tn United States. How narrow an escap that was you can only appreciate whel say to you that had he been then upoi the Supreme bench of the United State and the case had gone to that court. would probably have been held that thi irrigation law was not applicable.
 A Day and Night Job.
 These gentlemen constituting thi committee employed me as their lega adviser, and we worked night and day We worked behind closed doors and il secret sessions. We did not hold tow meetings, because 1t is a little diffieul 10 transact business at town meetings but we devoted our time and our energ and we sent men 10 Washington, and went to Washington myself at their re quest. and finally we got the approva of the Secretary of the Interior, Etha A. Hitchcock, that it could be made ap pllcable to the situation m thls Falie> am passing over these things hastily Those of you who took no part in thes earlier fights to make that Reclamatio act applicable to this valley can appre ciate the difficulties that there were our way-you can not begin to appre ciate the anxiety under which tha committee worked constantly. Som of them are here. MT. Heard, here O the platform. can remember how da after day and week after week an month after month we tried to fit ths in some such shape that the Inter-, Department might say: Yes. you ca have the benefit of it."
 The Final Condition.
 Arthur P. Davis, one of the engineer of that Department, came over froi