Arizona republican., 1919-02-22
ENOUGH WATER |S
 WASTED TO |RR|GATE
 WHOLE IF ARIZONA

Urging cooperation and united ac- ton by everyone in Arizona, not for any one project but for a general com prehensive plan for the development of all the water resources of the state, George H. Maxwell, in his address yes terday before the members of the Ro- tary club at their weekly luncheon, made plea for the saving of every drop of water that now goes to waste in this state.
 There was large attendance at the luncheon which was held in the War Work building The luncheon was served by the women of the Red Cross.
 MT. Maxwell declared the prevention of water waste would mean the event ual irrigation of more than 100000 acres of land in Arizona, including what could be given only a flood water irrigation at the start, but in the course of comparatively few years there would be water to give a sufficient amount to every acre in the state.
 The same problem confronts the peo- pie of Arizona today, Mir. Maxwell de clared, that confronted them 16 years ago when we started the campaign for the Roosevelt dam. The people were then divided into factions and there were several different canal companies distributing water from the river. Un- less they could have been united so that the government could deal with them as a unit, it would not have been possible for the government to build the Roosevelt dam. But the people were wise enough to sink their local differences in one great movement for the general good, and the result was
 
 in the end than would have been pos sible if each had continued to fight for selfish personal or local benefits.
 "The consequences of that action have been so stupendous in the devel- opment of wealth and population and annual production in the Salt River valley that it ought to be easy to bring the people together again for another one great drive, Everybody, all to- gether for Arizona" to get all the works built that are necessary to be built to bring into use every drop of water that falls from the clouds in this state" Mir. Maxwell explained the differ ence between the policy of the reclama- ! tiOn act and of the Newlands river reg ulation plan. Under the reclamation act the investment of the government | is made a charge against the lands re- l claimed and must be repaid to the gov ernment. Under the river regulation | plan, the government is expected to dc only two things, first to make compre- 1 hensive plans and bring into co-opera- | tion and coordination not only all the different agencies of the national gov | ernment, but also of the state govern ments and all local and other agencies to carry out that plan; and second that the government itself shall dc only what is necessary for it to do tC 1 accomplish the complete standardiza. | ton of the flow of the rivers through out the year, leaving it to the states and other local agencies to distributt and provide for the beneficial use o the water. It is not contemplated that the government shall undertak, to get it's money back, any more thar it undertakes to get back what it ha. spent for reservoirs on the Upper Mis- sissippi, jetties at the, mouth of tn Mississippi. levees on the lower Missis sippi, or the great lock and dam system on the Ohio river costing $60, 900 000
 Tn the same way and under tn same principle" said MT Maxwell that the government spends $60, 900, 900 on the ohio to provide a river fo navigation, leaving it to the people t operate the boats, so it should regulat the flow of all western rivers for irriga ton and power, leaving it to the peopl to provide for the utilization of tn water