The Delta independent., 1917-03-30
UNcoMPAHGRE BOARD TO TAKE
MATTERS TO WASHINGTON


gre Valley Water Users association
will beard the Reclamation lion in his
Washington den in the near future.
This was decided at conference held
at the Moose hall Friday afternoon
between Congressman Edward T. Tay-
lor and the Water Users board and
goodly number of prominent water u.s.
ers of the valley
Responding to the earnest solicita-
ton on the part of the Water Users
board Congressman Taylor postponed
for the time being response to hur-
ry-up call from his party to make
haste to Washington and came to
Montrose for the purpose of conferr-
ing with the water users here upon
reclamation matters as they apply to
the Uncompahgre project.
The meeting was called to order by
DR.. McClanahan, president of the wa
ter users association, who outlined the
purpose of the conference as an en-
deavor to provide for Mr.. Taylor first
users under the project felt on the
present situation
F. d. Catlin. Judge Bell, J. F. Kyle,
Ira Mcneil T. w. Mcneil, w E. Obert,
] ]. Tobin and others contributed to
the discussion. which consisted of a
review of the history of the Uncom-
pahgre valley project, with consider
able stress laid upon the fact that the
project was originally intended to COS
not more than s25 per acre and the
impossibility of the people under tn
project meeting the conditions of the
reclamation law on the basis of a $50
acre charge in ten or twenty years.
Mr.. Catlin suggested one of several
Methods for meeting the situation.
Either the elimination of the cost of
the tunnel from the project; retention
of the project by the government and
water supplied by the government to
the users on a rental basis, or a rate
OF one dollar an acre per year above
operation and maintenance charges in
the payment for the project.
With either one of these objects in
view Mr.. Taylor was appealed to for
a suggestion as to the best way to go
about an effort to secure the con-
cessions deemed to be necessary to
meet the situation.
Mr.. Taylor responded with the ad-
vice that committee of two or three
membres OF the association go to
Washington and lay the entire matter
before Secretary Lane of the Interior
Department. While the concessions
asked for will take the action of Con-
gress, Mr. Taylor declared that legis-
lation of such a character did not
make much headway in Congress un-
less it had the Endorsement of the Sec
retary of the Interior. Consequently
it would be necessary to convert Sec
retary Lane to the proposition. and
this was pointed out as the first and
most important step is the proceed
ings.
Accordingly it was decided to go
ahead with the proposition of a re
view of the project by local board as
announced several weeks ago T.
lyle and Ira Mcneil were named as
the local members of the review com
mittee with the third member to be
appointed by Secretary Lane. If he so
desires. If he fails to make an op-
pointment before April first. the Va
ter Users board will name crother
member.
II is proposed that this review bual /
gather all of the data necessary to
present 1t in an intelligent ana con
vincing manner to the officials at
Washington. 1t is proposed that q
committee be then appointed to so to
Washington and present the matter
Congressman Taylor has promised to
secure an audience for the delegation
with Secretary Lane and do all that
lie can in helping the committee to
make the plee as convincing as pos
sible. Senators Thomas and Shafroth
will also be appealed to and are eS-
pected to give their aid to the effort.
In the meantime Congressman Tay
lor has promised to get promise
form the Interior Department not to
issue the order declaring the uncom
pahgre project open. or any other or
der effecting materially this project
until after the water users under the
project have been ciyen n hearing
Nontrose Enterprise.