Arizona sentinel., 1917-02-01
YUMA MESA LAND LAW
 NOW ABSORBING TOPIC

stricken from the original b It is printed in this issue exactly as the LAW now reads My advice those who personally interested in Yuma Mesa lands is th copy of the ARIZONA SENTINEL for future reference this being the only paper up to this date that has had bton enough to print the law in its entrlty
 My friends are mportuning from every side to know when work will actually begin the mesa and tlS anC that &c. &c, to which reply:
 When was sent to Washington the first of last March my first act convince the Reclamation Commission that physical survey of the first unit of the 10000 of land embraced in the auxiliary project ought to be made This ordered and photograph taken ot the event when Director Davis handed the signed documen ordering the survey be made which followed by tee graph instructions to the project manager to that effect
 Then begun the long drawn-out fight for the proper wording of the Yuma Mesa Land Bill This finally agreed and introduced in the house. by Congressman Hayden about the middle of April and in the senate by Sen Henry Ashurst the following day. passed the the last session. and finally passed the house. with the amendments previously agreed upon, January Is and signed by President Woodrow Wilson January 25, and is the law of the land
 In response to the telegraphc instructions given from Washington Project Manager Lawson made complete physical survay of the first un from which official est being made what it will cost to lift the water from the Sphon canal to the canals and ateras nee eSSary rrigate the fTt unit Until these estimates shall have been made detail NOTHING can be done fol that prerequisite the whole scheme My information that these estimates will be ready to send to Washing ton within the next 30 days, more or less.
 Upon inquiry at local Reclamation headquarters, find that designs for the power house have been made Denver and in the hands of the local project ager both power plant at the ten mile drop, where the electric energy is to be developed and the pumping plant the drop the main SiphOn canal few miles below Yuma If the order for all this machinery plac ed today would require the better part of year get here and erect it.
 In the meantime, however, long before the arrival o the machinery immense of work vii have be done both the power station and the ing plant Canals and lateras be constructed while the plants are being erected It must be borne in mind how that there will prababy be OPEN canals or latera the All of them will be either concrete irOT ppes to properly every gallon of water ha pumped on the mesa
 "When will work begn?" That is the all-mportan question.
 apprehend that the very first step to be taken will bs by the secretary of the interior asking Judge Will R. King chief counsel of the Reclamation Service to construc the law, which that Judge King will be called upon say just exactly how far the Reclamation Service can go towards hurrying the matter of beginning work, wtho. coming in conflict with the law itself.
 And then date for the sale of lands in the frs unit after Secretary Lane shall have fixed his minimum price on them There nothing in the law however, to pre- vent the secretary from offering ALL the 10000 fo sale at the time. That will be left wholly his judgment It will probably take very long for this phase of the matter to be definitely disposed o for in al human probability this has already been thoroughly worked by Director Davis and Judge King in whose sounc judgement Secretary Lane has the most implicit confidence
 The interesting question is: Can the Reclamation Commission get the necessary funds from the Reclamation treasury proceed with the work before the money tually collected from the sale of the lands?
 am of the firm opinion that they can for the deferred payments bearing interest at per cent will be ample curty reimburse the Reclamation funds for any moneys advanced hurry the construction of the auxiliary pro ject That, however, is also matter of detail and vii work itself out in the proper way and the proper time
 It will not be necessary to enlarge the siphon canal from the Laguna dam down the power house. the mile drop, in order to get horsepower for the canal designed originally with eye placing the 4O 900 of land the So there will be addition al expense in that direction.
 As matter of fact all that is needed to begin actua work rrgatng the first unit of the sell th lands in that unit which will give ample funds to begin ac
 (Coninued