Arizona sentinel., 1917-10-04

is monarch of all he surveys" He owns it, individually and exclusively. True, there is more or less public benefit accruing therefrom. The en- tire public is benefited as a result of the reclamation of the arid west and in the conquering of the desert. In other words, we are carrying on a peaceful conquest which in time will reclaim more territory than will ever be accomplished by the contending armies of Europe in the present great struggle. Had these countries only been wise enough to put the money now being shot away in the destruc- tion of their fellow men, into a recla nation fund, they could reclaim the deserts of Asia and Russia and other countries and have something con structive to show for the vast and idiotic expenditure now going on. Our great government is carrying on pCdSC1uI SOh4OOoI, ebhO IL 10 AhNSA ONS ed not only to the extent of the gen. eral benefits it receives, but if we want to put it in that form, also as a military eXpediency for it will be observed that reclamation work en- ables the country to be so built up ln' population and resources as to be more easily able to repel an orien- tai invasion, or armies of any country which might attempt to attack the eastern and central states through this section of the country. To that extent, as well as the general public good, the government is benefited and interested, hence should contrl- bute some towards the retaining oi the arid lands; and it is doing so when it advances the money, without interest, with which to reclaim these lands, and assumes the respondibll- ity of carrying on the construction, as we'll as the management of the pro- jects, until past the danger line.
 There is also a strong sentiment in favor of charging off the overhead charges in Washington. That can be done, I think, if proper effort is made before congress to have the law modl- fled and may be done any time. That however, is a small matter, cOmpara- lively speaking although it will ligh- ten the burden to some extent and more largely tend to reach happy medium, the government doing its part and the people doing their part. As Secretary Jones told the people the other day in a very able address
 delivered at the dedication of the Ele- phant Butte dam, the agricultural de partment is being maintained at an expense of millions of dollars annual ly for the purpose of experimenting and they have bureaus in washington
 maintained by the general govern ment but that an exception Is made with reference to the reclamation end of the work That is to say, the az
 ricultural department is carrying on
 experiments to remedy the past mis takes of the farmers and enable them
 to correct them, while the reclamation service, as he suggested, is doing to prevent rather than to correct mls takes, and to that eXtent-I am not sure he specified that particular mat ter-but know those are his views the government ought to contribute to the extent of the overhead charges
 of the Washington office, but when i comes to paying for the entire charge of the reclamation of a farm, placing water upon the land, etc., that is al entirely different matter, and WheI this is done in the way of furnishing money on long time payments without
 interest and assuming the responsibll ity for the engineering, 1 think 90 ou of 100 people will agree the govern ment has done it's part and should
 be repaid for every dollar actual!
 placed on the project, so far as ma!
 come within the law providing fo
 the expenditure.
 Now something has been said abou
 what should be the actual charge
 whether it should be the estimated
 cost, etc. I am not going to discuss that at this time. In fact we won reach it, or it will not come up un
 til after the public notice is issued
 and public notice can be issued jus as we'll after an irrigation district i formed as before and another con tract can be made. You may not knoV that public notice cannot be made il either instance until the estimate cost is decided upon by the secretary which has not been done in this il stance. That is a matter to come u in the future and there is no occasion to discuss it now. It has been trutf