Arizona republican., 1916-02-08
Decided In Meeting of Board of Governors to Ask Sec retary Lane for a Cor rection of it by Some Millions
AS TT STANDS NOW
 TT IS $11,000, ,000+
Every Board and Body Passing On It Added Ma terially to the Figures, Reclamation Commission Putting on Finish

The most momentous meeting in [ the history of the Salt River Valley Water Users Association was held yesterday morning for the considera- : tiOn of the report of the central cost review board fixing the amount of re- payment for the cost of the Salt River irrigation project. The general nature of the report had been made to the members of the board of governors and the council of the association so that there was d larger attendance of members of the association upon the meetings of both bodies than usual. This important subject was taken up in the board of governors in the morning session, in the course of the transaction of routine business and occupied all the rest of the session. Disappointing as the report had been, the members of the board did not indulge in any extravaganza of eX- pression, but there was a general be- lief that a way would be opened to overcome the findings of the report and the decision of the reclamation Nbiilihiooiciit llit ihlNtl pldNlHS tliC charges against the project at some thing more than $11.000.000
 It had been learned that the report of the central review board had fixed the charges at a little more than $1O,109,5f5, as against about $7,253,0 900 in the report of the local board of cost review. The greater figures of the reclamation commission, making charges of $64 an acre, therefore, were not at once understood, but a letter was read from Morris Bien the legal adviser Of the commission, in which. relying upon the case of Swygart against Baker, the commission had not Cnly declined to make reduction on account of unnecessary construction, excess charges or experimental work, but had actually added something more than s300,000 to the charges on ac- count of prospective construction work.
 That the commission was unfamiliar with certain phases of the subject was shown in the refusal to allow a deduction for the ORourke equipment for which the central board had al lowed s15,000. MT. Bien added that if any part of the equipment which had been charged to the Salt River Valley project should be found to be applicable to another project, this pro- ject would be allowed credit for such part of it as might be used.
 MT. Bier was unaware of the very material fact that there is now no OEourke equipment. It had had a valuation of s25.OOO placed upon it by the reclamation service and was later sold as junk for $2,000
 Judge Kibbey supplemented a statement concerning the report by replies to various inquiries and suggestions by members of the board Finally motion was of fered by r.. J. Bennitt for the sending of a delegation to Washington to lay the case of the association before the secretary of the interior, or, rath- CT. first before the reclamation com mission ard, if necessary, before con- gress as a last resort. MT Bennitt suggested that Judge kibbey head such a committee of association and should be accompanied by Fred A. Jones. who had been a member of the local board of cost review.
 Dr. Wilbur suggested, not in the way of an amendment, however, that the officials of the reclamation service bt sent for, to come to Phoenix so tha the investigation might be conducted on the ground MT. Bennitts mOtior at length prevailed. It will take rt less than month to prepare the nee essary data for presentation to th' interior department.
 In the afternoon session the matte was laid before the board of gover nors and the council in joint session
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