Tombstone epitaph., 1920-03-21
THE SAN PEDRO VALLEY AND THE CHARLESTON DAM

for production against destruction all interest turaly centered upon the udeveoped of our country
 The immense demand for production. $ after math of the destructive period of the world WI face the world for many years and the concentrated et fort of the government well as prvate industry, will be applied to the undeveopcd of the Uni ted States. It is only natural These projects will be undertaken and accomplished. through the stress off sheer necessity
 In this connecticut the eyes of the nation to the west. The great undevcloped the miles upon miles of fertile lands that be made produce the necessities of life: the mountains of mel; wealth that known hold the precionS metals for which the uni verse Is clamorng. and Is in dire need.
 The subject is indeed very broad one. and if one should attempt voice his views after careful sderaon of it, he would be accused airing pipe dream But allow your mind to drift into the world of probability. Picture these undeveloped as they will appear 20 years from today. when the growing needs of the world will demand that they be utilized The billions of gallons of water that now flow away. in deliberate waste. will be npormded Turned upon the fertile lands that purpose other than being part of the universe. they will give forth the necessities of lfcand wealth Power plants III suffl cicnt numbers supply motive energy for every ceivable machine will be part of the program while necessity and invention will succeed i'll keeping astridc with the demands of growing world.
 Let us turn our thoughts to a little strip of land ill Cochise county. the San Pedro valley. Who will con tend that it's have been developed to their full capacity of productivity! It's lands fertile and a- every purpose in the growing of varied crops What portion of that little valley is being benefited by the perabundance of water that winds its into the Gulf of California! By far. the smallest portion.
 Today. necessity has turned attention to the pro posed Charleston dam, part of the extensive activi ties of the National Reclamation Association which has been founded for the purpose of furtheng the work of turning into the food channels of the world the needed produce of which ndeveoped resources capable of giving forth
 The San Pedro valley. with the aid of the Charles dam, is rated highly among these propositions. It has been studied by capable It las been estimated that the San Pedro has sufficient flow I1gate upwards of 3O0O0 of fertile land which today producing practically nothing compared to what they can be made to produce The movement has been start ed and will be pushed by every ounce of energy that be mustered the farming and business inter- ests in these parts.
 The Charleston dam will pay for itself many times the Roosevelt project has done and the fertile San Pedro valley stands ready to yield it's abundant share of produce ill to the demands of the times The government recognizes the project paying one. and the National Reclamation Association has added its backing the action of both coming solely on its merits
 Concerning the steps taken toward the construction of the Charleston dam the Casa Grande Dispatch be- coming impatient, comments as follows
 '.Why is it that George H. Maxwell executive
 director of the National Reclamation Association,
 who is behind and pushing the passage of the Flet
 cherSmith Irrigation bill in Congress is anxious
 to get the Charleston dam project in Cochse county
 built, and has, apparently always overlooked the
 San Carlos dam!
 We believe this criticism is wholly uncalled for It is such action that will prove detrimental to the ulti mate purpose of the National Reclamation Association. It will be remembered that the Charleston dam der consideration at the time the Roosevelt dam was contemplated but the Roosevelt dam afforded the op portty of bigger benefits to the government, and was the larger and doubt the best proposition of the it was the first to be completed When the decision made to build the Roosevelt dam and to temporarily drop the Charleston project it accepted in these parts without criticism of the judgment of the officials of the government.
 We do not contend that the Charleston dam IS al better proposition than the San Carlos but at present both projects included in the program of the Ma tiona Reclamation Association and the united support of the sections surrounding these projects should be cheeruy accorded the officials of this organization re- pardlesS of which the first thelr mlndS.
 The hen lays the Easter egg mother colors it, Willie eats it. and bunny gets all the credit for it.