Arizona republican., 1918-07-28
A Benefit to All.


 In a little than. week, that is August S, the people of this city who taxes and the people of the valley who farms under the irrigation ject will give expression matter of the greatest importance; more important question than has been presented to them since decided that nego tiatons should be entered into with the government for the building of the Roosevelt dam
 On August 6 it will be decided whether shall take steps to reduce by pumping system the under ground of the valley and apply the water to new lands; whether shall convert threat against thousands of in this valley into blessing to the owners of other thousands of It would that there could be any difference of opinion on simple matter as that
 The drainage system which the people will either adopt reject will cost s6OO0oO It is proposed that the city shall issue bonds in the of s1ooooO and that the members of the water association shall be assessed their acreage, the total amount s5OO,OOO. ] The sentiment in the city is strongly in favor of the bond issue for two One is that the city itself is threatened with damage from the rising aevel The health of the city is concerned The other reason that the growth of the city. value city property, depend upon the surrounding, supporting country If for any considerable part of that Support should be withdrawn say by large acreage becoming flooded the city would suffer immediately next to the owners of the flooded lands. I But if the water taken from the underground How should be applied to the lands will be- the city would have just that much support its growth would be stimulated and it's prosperity increased by that much It is plainly good business proposition for the city to vote these bonds. It is both insurance premium and profitable invest ment.
 , As to the attitude of those water users whose lands threatened, nothing need be said. It is an idedo to them Thern he only way for them to vote.
 3 There are, though, understand, other water who take exceedingly short sighted view of this matter. Their lands not immediately threat ened They far, safely above the underground flow and perhaps they will never come within reach of it. They feel interest. either the addition new lands to the project or saving any of the lands from becoming water-logged.
 We will suppose that the worst should happen, and it has happened in Irrigated regions. We will suppose that large adjacent should become worthless and that only here and there farm re- mained safely high and dry Would those farms be worth much as they today? Suppose that in- stead of farming of 200 900 acres in this valley there only 100000 acres, would any of the land be worth much it is now? Suppose. further that there only 10000 acres in the valley ceptble of cultivation would any the land worth? It would be worth very little for the that there would be exceedingly restricted market for it's products. The whole area would be only a settlement
 We will suppose something else, contingency that would touch very roughly those whose safely above the water level. All lands under the Roosevelt project must pay for the pro- ject, so much an acre. But each acre must pay what is necessary to bring the aggregate to the of the project. With all the lands in the association these payments will be in the neghborhood of s60 an If any of the land becomes worthless that the owners cannot pay; that the lands them selves cannot be made to contribute to the payment the burden must fall upon the remaining lands. If, there would fall upon the remaining lands an add- tiona assessment by the government of from SIP to s15 That would seem to the owners of the safe high and dry lands pretty stiff assessment in comparison with the small assessment to which they asked to submit themselves for the drainage project.
 On the other hand, if the drainage project should result as it will, in adding thousands of acres of lands to the project the proportion of the lands added will be the proportion relief afforded all lands in the project from their obligations the cost of the project.
 Everybody interested stands to win from the drainage project Nobody can lose.
 The Mooney Case.
 The telegram of Felix Frankfurter, secretary oi