Arizona sentinel., 1918-01-03

ure out where my friend MOlloy gets 1 his great victory" True, the water will not be shut off from any of the lands in Yuma Valley. That is agreed to in the stipulation" But outside of that I can find little comfort for my valley friends in the skirmish just had before Judge Sawtelle. Under Secretary Lanes public notice" ALL : lands in the valley, whether they used the water or not, had to pay the min imum of $150 per acre. That included held purely for speculation. and most of it held by non-residents. Under the stipulation" agreed to by attor- neys for the waters users, these lands apparently go Scott free until such time as they make application for water. which means that the opera tion and maintenance charges will have to be borne by the lands that are cultivated.
 North Gila Valley is left out of the project entirely, just where it was placed by Secretary Lane some time ago. AS evidence of this fact it IS only necessary to say that on the night of December 31, at midnight, the Reclamation officials ceased to oper ate the gates and canals that furnish 1 water to the North Gila farmers. They were told that they could go ahead and operate the gate and canals them selves until some equitable agreement as to the costs of operation can be ar rived at between the farmers and the Reclamation officials.
 The South Gila also still remains OUTSIDE of the project, to all in tents and purposes, for no "stipula- tion" was entered into regarding the lands in that unit.
 Extending the time within which Yuma Valley land owners have to ac- cept the "2O-year extension act" sim ply means that those who do not take advantage of the time granted by this stipulation" will automatically come in under the TEN-YEAR payment pc riod. I wish from the bottom of my heart that I could record great VIC tory" for Yuma Valley, but as view it the whole thing reminds me of a man about to be executed-he gets temporary relief" by respite from the governor, but eventually hangs.
 There are very many farmers in Yu- ma Valley who are even today ready to begin their payments in accord with the public notice" issued last April. which fixes the construction charges at S75 per acre. They would much prefer this than permit non-res- idents to escape payment of their legl- innate share of the operation ana maintenance charges, for the fewer neople who have their lands in cul- tivation just that much greater are their costs. for under the stipulation no arrangement is made to tax lands that are not irrigated. They have neV- CT paid a cent of the operation and maintenance charges and apparently never will until this suit is finally set tied. Had they been FORGED to share the burden with those who are culti- vating their lands they would soon find if advisable to put their wild lands under the blow, but they will never do so las long as they can es- cape their just share of the operation and maintenance charges.
 Tn this respect, at least, 1t would seem that the "great victory" is FOX the nonresident and FOR the men whose lands are vet in the jungle. Pity 'tis, 'tis true.
 AS to losing any rights by signing up their lands pending the suit before Judge Sawtelle, and as to this "stlpu' lation" gaining anything in that ol rection, it can be dismissed with the knowledge that all these rights had already been preserved by Acting Sec
 retarv of the Interior Bradley in the following letter to Judge Thacker president of the Water Users Asso citation, which reads as follows, dated as you will observe, the latter part ol last September. Here is the letter . Read it, and then read all the append ed documents which form the "stlp ulation" agreed upon before Judge
 Sawtelle last Thursday and Friday . The final hearing before Judge Saw telle will come up either in Phoenix 1T