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Show SPANISH FORK AND MAPLETON WATERUSERS ASK INTERIOR DEPARTM .OR SQARE DEAL The followk -0 .'".ration has ben sent to HutTr" .ork. secretary of the interior --by wnterusers of the Strnwlierry Project living in Spanish Fork and Sjiringville, asking ask-ing a square deal: "We maintain that many of the water users under the Strawberry Valley Project are not getting the benefit which the fact finder's bill intended to give to all water users needing relief. Many of the water users who have land under, the old river rights will get no relief whatever, what-ever, and we contend that they need it badly, and that the bill intended that they should get such relief. "When the original application was made for Strawberry water these water users were advised to spread the water applied for over all their land, regardless of the fact that they had a sufficient amount to irrigate from one-half to three-fourths three-fourths of their farm, thereby cov- for the operation, maintenance and construction charges of their district dis-trict and that the Payson High Line district be responsible for the operation, oper-ation, maintenance and construe tion charges of their district. "We further recommend that the Springville and Mapleton districts have their contracts amended in a way that will give all their water users relief under the five per cent repayment plan as above contended and requested for the water uscix who arc now paying under individual individ-ual contracts. "These amendments to the proposed pro-posed contract. If granted, will In no way diminish the security which the government now has on the land, and will Tesult in a united effort ef-fort of all the water users in all three divisions in signing the pro-"osed pro-"osed contract, taking over the project pro-ject by the water users and give relief re-lief to all the water users In all three districts.'' ering all their land with from one-half one-half to one nnd one-half acre feet of Strawberry water. "At the present time some of this; land Is under a heavy tax from drainage districts which have bonded bond-ed to an amount of approximately ttiree hundred thousand dollars. . A new drainage district Is now contemplated con-templated which will cost at least one hundred and fifty thousand ; dollars. Such drainage has been (necessitated because of pli c'ng re-lamation re-lamation water on the higher land which naturally lias water-logged much of the lower lands, which includes in-cludes our most highly cultivated and improved farms that wove taken tak-en up by the pioneers of this district dis-trict and have been placed in first class by the land classifiers, "We contend that the reclnmma-rfun reclnmma-rfun water should be rearranged on the land permitting each user to place two acre feet on such amount of his land as will equal his present pres-ent water right holdings, e. g. Mr. A. has 40 acre feet of reclammntion water which he has been advised by government officials to distribute distri-bute on his 40 acres of laud. He needed only one-half water right. Under the present plan of re-payment he will be required to pay on the crop returns of his entire farm regardless of the fact that one-hnlf of these returns are produced by old river water rights. This would give him no relief at all, lis he Is compelled to pay on his entire farm ii drainage tax, an opcratiou nnd maintenance; tax on the old river rights, besides a general state and county tax. We maintain that Mr. A should be permitted to rearrange his 40 acre feet of water on the 'JO acres of land for which the wafer Is needed, nnd that the crop returns on this Innd which hns been produced pro-duced by reclamation water should be the basis on which the new five per cent payment should operate. The other 20 acres should be left free to pay the taxes accrued through the need of drainage, other water rights and the general state and comity taxes assessed. Or, the government should designate a certain cer-tain 20 acres of his farm which they should determine crop returns and his payment to the government should be based on the returns from this particular piece of land. Mr. B, his neghbor, made a later application, appli-cation, and through a subsequent ruling by the department officials, he was permitted to purchase two acre feet on 20 acres of his 40 acre farm. Under present arrangements Mr. B. gets the needed relief. Mr. A. gets no relief.' Both nre entitled to relief, and will get It under the plan above proposed. . "We further maintain that the joint liability, of the whole project is unfair. The Mapleton-Hprlngville district has. made no delinquencies because the banks or some one else besides the government is carrying Ibelr load. The Spanish Fork district dis-trict has approximately sixty-five thousand dollars delinquencies on approximately twenty ' thousand acre feet -of water covering .their lands: The High Line (.'anal .Company .Com-pany Jios approximately two hundred hun-dred and eighty-five thousand "dollars "dol-lars delinquencies on forty thousand acre feet of water covering their lands. Tii ask Muplelon Spviuiriille' district or. the Spanish Fork district to assume the obligations of the Uigh Line Canal district Is decidedly decided-ly unfair. In view of these facts those individuals who have borrowed bor-rowed the money to pay Iheir operation, opera-tion, mnintenniic-e and construction charges feel that they should not be obligated to pay the delinquencies delinquenc-ies of those who have not paid. Besides, Be-sides, these three districts comprise com-prise three district divisions in three distinct localities. Owing to their distance from one another, from the different ways by which they huve contracted water for their land, und the fact that the water divides at tbe nioiilh of Spanish Fork canyon into these three major ma-jor divisions, the government officials offic-ials have always considered tlicni in three separate d' visions. "We therefore recommend that the contract be aiiM-i.dcd s,, that tbe Mapleton-Springville di-liict be liable for the operation, nuiinlcn-ance nuiinlcn-ance and construction charges of Iheir own particular district. That j (be Spanish Fork district be liable |