Arizona sentinel., 1917-10-25
YUMA MESA AMENDMENT
(Continued From Page One)

Continued
 done everything within my limited power to help in the good work of developing the lands And this has been done from purely unSelfish standpoint my part am reasonably familiar with orange culture throughout Cal forna having been largely interested one of the finest groves the American river (Sacrameno) secton where wild lands worth all the way from $2OO $500 per acre. and yong orange groves of but and years old were valued at 5000 and up My honest unbiased opinion that Yuma Mesa lands are worth several times much any orange lands that can be found anywhere the entire state Of California.
 If our mesa lands were situated anywhere in Southern California they would readily sell at from 5000 to S2OOO in their wild state and the would be glad pay $500 additional for water right such the Yuma lands will get when the project shall have been completed Just what the water right will cost the mesa none o us can even guess anywhere what it will be- But there thing that ought to be borne in mind and that that matter what the may be the lands will be able to stand it.
 Open dtches on the mesa, except where found abso uey necessary should not be thought of for moment be- cause it will cost more to keep them clean than will put in pipe and cement system the very beginning the orange groves of Sauhern California that begun with the open dtches have long abandoned that system and noW have the pipe system almost entirely thus entang double cost from what it would have been had they begun with the pipe and concrete ditch system.
 We have an illustration of the open ditch system in Yuma Valley We also have good illustration of the pipe and concrete ditch system Joe Rubys farm just below the city limits The open dtches constantly cloggng up with weeds grass and s whereas the pipe and concrete lined ditch system Mr. Rubys magnificent place is as clean floor all the time True it cost him two or three times much the open ditch but having put the pipe and concretened ditch system he would change back the open ditch system for five times the cost of his system.
 It will be the thing the Mesa. The sandy soil will have tendency to into the open ditch every time water is turned in for irrigation purposes and the wind storms will be additional menace So it is safe to assume that when the system finally constructed on the mesa it will be largely of the pipe concretelned ditch system thereby allowing the conservation of every inch of that pumped on those unsurpassed lands But far personally know it has not been determined just what sys tenn will be used the It is generally agreed how ever by all the land with whom have talked that they want first class system right from the very begin ming think they willing to defer to the judgment of the reclamation engineers in this matter like Project Manager Schech and Engineer Marzel who spending teir best days working proper solution of the many intricate problems that the Yuma Mesa presents But we would like to the thing pushed just little faster even
 the project manager and his assistants working time in their efforts to open up the mesa.
 If the Mesa Project can be constructed for S1OO per- acre. plus the proportonae share of the original works why all well and good but the costs are to be S2OO an dCC ol eVeI per am or me Del1e that those lands the Mesa will eventually call the names of Scecht and Marze blessed after water shall have been placed on those "frostless" lands
 For my owu part will feel amply repaid for all my boosting whenever see the first of water pumped on the mesa My dream will have been realized and my many friends will be prosperous beyond their greatest expectation for their lands will be worth as much as hens that lay golden eggs for their orange will produce golden nuggets
 Every man. and child in Yuma was proud of the First AriZOna reon1ent