The Delta independent., 1921-12-02
JAMES KYLE DISCUSSES
PROJECT FROM HIS SIDE

anu ISSOluLlOu VI Lie UOdiu "a uA oN
tors of the Water Users Association
concerning opening the project and
announcement of construction charges.
In both was very much interested.
am taking the liberty of address,
ing you in an open letter, for l take
it you invited frank, full discussion
of the question. and if satisfied that
the water users desire a postpone
ment Of opening the project you will
lend your influence and assistance to
secure further postponement.
With your letter generally the writer
is in full accord, but unable to agree
with all your conclusions.
! concede that above all things this
valley needs reduction in freight and
passenger rates, but never expect to
secure reduction in railroad rates
that will be of material benefit by
lowering wages of working men. High
wages are factor, but only small
factor in the excuse for charging un-
reasonably high railroad rates, but
space will not permit discussing that
question in this letter.
lu6 COSL Ol IldCLlutIy, lAC
price of coal. the cost of production
and the cost of living generally. is out
Of all proportion to the price the pro-
ducer receives for his product. In the
judgment of the writer all these things
will have to be corrected before it will
be safe to open the Uncompahgre Val
ley Irrigation Project for payment of
the cost of construction. If greater
burdens are placed upon the backs of
the producers, very large per cent
will be compelled to discontinue opera
tions.
Much has been said about the sane
tity of contract, and no one in this
valley is trying to evade the terms of
any contract they have made. would
like to commit the officers of the
United States government to the per-
formance of the contracts they make.
The water users who signed the orig
inal contracts and pledged their land
to the support of this project, signed
a definite and unqualified contract that
water should cost not to exceed s25
per acre. The o. K. of Mr.. Hitchcock.
then Secretary of the Interior, was
placed upon that contract. Future
secretaries said that no officer of the
government could make contract to
furnish water for less than the cost of
construction, for such contract was
in violation of the terms of the Recla-
nation Act
The original contract with the gov
ernment was it would construct tun-
mel that would carry 1900 second feet
of water. 1t built one that will carry
500 feet. and that is not enough water
to irrigate the irrigable land of this
valley, so the land we can irrigate is
governed by the supply of water.
The suggestion that the longer we
postpone the opening of the project
the more per acre the water will cost.
is simply propaganda. The cost of
construction of this project is about
$7.000,000. Whether it had been open
ed five years ago, to. or ten years
from now. 1t will cost 100000. II
the project had been opened five years
ago. we would already have paid to
the government in addition to the cost
Of maintenance $4,000. Does any
body think this valley could have paid
$4,000 in addition to its taxes, in
terest, water rent, its other fixed
charges, and survive?
The promise OF the department off,
GERS that they will give us extensions
II we need them, is simply holding out
false hopes, for department officers
would have no power to extend the
&c hnv ho hot
why should 1t be necessary to intro
duce bills in congress to extend pay
ments? Should payments be extended
or defaulted under the terms of the
20year extension act, deferred pay
ments would draw interest at IL per
cent per annum. II payments are re-
duced or extended after the project is
opened, the payments must be added
to subsequent years.. for the project
must be paid in full in 20 years.
Until the project is declared open
power to fix the date when payments
will start, and no interest can be
charged until project is declared
open.
We are violating no confidence. or
seeking to evade the terms OF no con-
tract when we ask to have the time of
opening extended. The fourth section
Of that contract provides that "Con-
struction charges fixed therein shall
commence December !. 1922. unless
extended or modified by law or by
order Of the Secretary Of the Interior"
Section four of the contract was
written as quoted above for the pur-
pose of protecting the people OF the
Uncompahgre Valley in case they
needed other extensions. Secretary
Lane admitted the people OF the Un.
compahgre Valley had not been treat