The Delta independent., 1918-02-01
In the first place. in the tunnel,


they encountered gas SO bad that it
stopped work for almost four days, or
until ventilating shaft could be put
in. The water seeped into the east
portion of the tunnel until it filled
the tunnel where they were working.
That stopped work for eight months
more or until all of that water could
be forced out and dried out
Next, the wall bulged in, causing
more trouble. Then in the south ca
nal where the sides and bottom were
cemented to make a smooth surface
| for the water to run on so as to save
excavating so much, alkali ate the ce-
ment out and made more work Ditch
banks on all of these hill sides are on
shale and slide very easy wnen wet,
and are now all sliding more or less
and will until properly fixed and set
| tied as all farmers know. ] have on
/ ly mentioned a few of the obstacles
that the men in charge have encoun-
tered and have to contend with There
will be others and even more than we
/ expect.
/ Do you want the job?
Experience is our only teacher, and
7 for one am willing to pay my part
for his education. but do not want
the job. Could anyone else have done
this job without encountering these
difficulties? Would. or could anyone
else, except the government, have
done the job at all? The question is
easily answered. No!
Now. as to the water users board
Has it worked and spent the associ-
atoms money wisely in the pickering
with the government? 1t is true we
have STAYED off the opening of the
project for five years. but this is
merely the delaying of the evil day
rather than eliminating it. Further
more, it now develops that the five
year extension is dependent on our
taking over the project We have
made our brags that the government
was spending too much money in the
running of the proiect-that we could
operate it at half the present cost To
show us that he is a good fellow I'm
Gle Sam has simply called our bluff
and on top of that has granted us five
years to prove our insinuations If
we have to run this project for five
years in order to get the five-years'
extension. fear that it might prove
to be bad bargain.
I am a member of the water users
board and I think that every water
user should know just exactly how
much money is used by our board.
These annual meetings cost about
s11O. We also have special meeting
which costs about 800.
Each member of the board draws
SO per meeting and mileage. The four
Delta members draw s. per meeting.
Olathe 81 each and Montrose 80 each.
or total of s44 for each meeting
when all attend. The board has held
20 meeting during the year which. al
lowing for members absent. make
total of approximately $500.
The secretary draws 800 per month
or a total of s1,0so per year.
ITedSureT uTdWS SlV per month"; OF
s12O per year.
Attorney legal and other services
for the year viii cost us $1,000
Grievance committee work, between
$50 and s65
1t has cost us to stage our fight
against the government approximate
ly $4,000 divided as follows:
Local review board S IT'S. .3s
Trip men to Washington 10000
Trip of board to Grand juno
tion, conference with King
e. Davis -..-.-------------..-..----..--- 1925
What good have we done for all of
this expenditure other than what
could have ben done by the secretary
and treasurer in the keeping OF the
records and the accounts
We meet to tell the government
people what to do and how to do It.
They don't always do as we tell them.
If they did they could fix any Of these
breaks in one day. In fact they
wouldn't have any II properly hand
led and properly managed We know
that the government should be able
to run the water no matter what
comes or happens so that It will go
to the headgates below. / have been
elected on the water users board for
eight consecutive years; not that
ever asked for 1t, but because the
people put me there, because the gov
ernment requires that each project
elect board to represent the water