In Cabillo Jim went, after a hasty breakfast, to see John Haskins. Haskins was a banker and a Harvard man who had come to Cabillo thirty years before with bad lungs. He was, Jim thought, an impartial, though keen, observer of events in the valley. He was in the banker's office but a few minutes.
"Mr. Haskins," he said, "do you consider fifty dollars an acre too heavy a debt for the farmers to carry on their farms?"
"Not for the experienced irrigation farmer," replied Haskins.
Jim paused thoughtfully. "Experienced! And not twenty per cent. of them will be experienced." He made an entry in his notebook, then asked, "Is ten years too short a time to give the farmers to pay for the dam?"
"Is it possible to find sufficient water power market to practically pay for the dam, without reference to the crops?" Jim went on.
"If a group of farmers and business men will assume a debt, voluntarily, then repudiate it, are they sufficiently responsible persons to assume for all time the handling of the irrigation system and water power the government is developing for them?" Jim's voice was slow and biting.
Jim's last question made Haskins smile. "Is this an intelligent group of men, these farmers and business men?"
"Unusually so, especially the men who have been long in the desert and have struggled with its vicissitudes. Some of the Mexican farmers are difficult to handle, though, because they don't understand what the government is trying to do. For heaven's sake, Manning, why this catechism?"
Jim laughed. "Oh, I want your opinion to quote. I'm about to put up a fight against Fleckenstein."
"But that will be hardly proper, will it, considering your job? Not but what I think Fleckenstein ought to be fought!"
"Oh, I'm not going on the stump. I'm merely going to fight him by attending to certain portions of my job that I've always neglected."
Jim rose and Haskins shook his head ruefully. "More power to your elbow, old man. But nothing can beat Fleckenstein now, I'm afraid."
"I'm going to mighty well try it," said Jim as he hurried out the door.
His next visit was along the irrigation canal to a point where his irrigation engineer was watching the work on a small power station.
Marlow laughed. "I made him timekeeper. He's assumed the duties of policeman, ward boss and of advertising agent for you."