Arizona republican., 1916-02-08
Let Us Have Justice


 The report of the Central Cost Review Board to the Secretary of the Interior made known to the gov ernors and council of the Water Users Association yesterday brings the farmers under the Reclamation project face to face with serious and long antici- pated situation. We do not the word serious" in it's usual exaggerated sense of dangerous" but we do believe that the situation which has now developed calls for the level headed united action on the part of all the water users, and we believe the of this valley will meet this situation with good sense and with united front.
 The people of this valley are not asking for any favors, but they naturally demand settlement with the of all just debts incurred abso- luely just treatment and whatever differing views may be as to the action of the government yesterday we believe that the Secretary of the Interior, Mir Lane, IS too big, too broad and too just not settle this question of the cost of the Salt River project the basis which he started to settle 1.-the reasonable, just cost-and every water user in the valley should be willing without slightest talk of repudiaton to his share this reasonable cost
 We publish elsewhere in this issue the letter of the Reclamation Commission to the Water Users un- der date of January 18th report of the Central Cost Review Board which Dr. Elwood Mead was chairman, and the tentative draft submitted by the Secretary of the Interior the notice for opening the project We also publish the statement presented by Judge Jos. H. Kibbey the counsel of the Water Us- CTS Association, to the joint conference yesterday of the Board of Governors the council of the Assoc ation
 The astounding thing about this whole situation is that the Reclamation Commission has apparently advised Secretary Lane that the should be placed on this project with apparent re1erence to the re- ports of the expensive review boards which have carfully studied this question: all of which work as one member of the Governors tersey expressed yes terday would be wiped off the slate in the turn of q wrist should the Secretary follow the suggestions of the Commission
 At this point we will briefly review the estimates of cost made by the review boards and the Reclama ton Commission. The Local Cost Review Board was composed of three engineers appointed the follow ing manner: One appointed by the Reclamation Ser vice one by the Water Users Association and under rules prescribed by the Secretary Interior these two selected three names which presented to him and of which he chose The Local Review Board thus formed was composed of Frank W. Hanna re- presenting the Reclamation Commission; Fred A Jones' representing the Water Users Association and Prof Thos t. Taylor selected by Secretary Lane
 After months of the most careful investigation and under definite printed instructions from the Secretary of the Interior the spring of 1915 to eliminate any item of of any project or any feature of such project any part thereof which in their Judgment it is not proper to include as a basis
  Review Board reported that they that the total amount chargeabe the project including operation and maintenance account to be s13 lOO 800 OO subject to the following credits: From operating revenues and
 other credits ............. $2,509,45O.O0 For defective unnecessary and
 excessive construction cost. 3,537 SO9 % Total credits allowed .......s6O47 ,259OO Leaving net to be
 paid by the Water Users for
 the proper and reasonable
 cost of the project ......... $7 ,O53,241OO
 Mir. Hanna, for many years local officer of the Reclamation Service filed a minority report summar- ized follows:
 Total cost of project including operation
 and maintenance S13 1O9 Se2 % Credits:
 For receipts from operation
 and maintenance and other
 credits all0wed ............$ $294t1270O For credits cover defective
 and excessive construction
 cost -. ..,................ 641 222OO Total credits allowed ........ s35S2349OO Net amount proper and
 reasonable charge ......... 95275t3OO
 The Central Cost Review Board composed of Dr Elwood Mead Gen Vim. l.. Marshall and l. D. ODon- nell visited this section last and their estimate of cost is follows:
 Total cost of project including opera
 ation and maintenance charges - s13 573 s16 oo Credits:
 Receipts from operation and
 maintenance and other
 credits ......... .......... $2,S90,603.O0 Credits due from Indian ser