OCR Text |
Show i Not a Speculation Commodity, The time has gone by in the West for irrigation water to be used as a commodity for speculation. In the early days the title to water supply 0r the prospect of getting it was used as a means t.o enhance values and in many cases to sell land to strangers themselves eager at invest; but now water is needed to legitimately irrigate irri-gate land so that it will yield its "products "prod-ucts which must be sold in the face nf constantly-increasing competition War ter, therefore, should be no longer used as a speculative medium. It should be made available to the consumer at the actual cost of the construction and operation of the necessary distribution works, and without cost for reservoir storage. It has been generally demonstrated, dem-onstrated, during the past ten year's that there is but little profit in private storage enterprises, for, while the advantage to the community is great the owners of the plant dp not reap the full benefit, The practicable and fair method and the only one which wil be absolutely successful is the building of reservoirs by either the General or State Governments, with the free use of the waters stored to me tana-owners. The proposition is exactly similar to that in which the public has the free use of and benefit from tne improvements made by the Government on some harbor, the dredging of some river for navigation" or the establishment of somoVS house or danger-signal. 0 -Jfc |