The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-12-03
How they Could be Sc
cured.
The Subject Discussed
by an Able Pen.

and the following plan
may not be amiss.
If we understand correctly no
property rights can vest in water, it
being a public right to use, and the
bitches or conducts only are termed
property. If water is free, it should
be part of the land, which the bitches
or conducts carrying it covers and
the following plan seem to us the
best possible one to arrive at this end
Suppose that all the land lying
under the survey of a large ditch was
designated a water district. That
the resident property owners in said
district should deem it advisable to
issue bonds by direct vote, for the
purpose of constructing Or purchasing
ditch of sufficient capacity to cover
said land. The bonds to run say 20
years and hear per cent. interest.
| The land embraced in said water dis
trict is now subrogated for the am
cunt of bonds issued and interest In
addition to the 5 per cent. interest,
the land owners would also pay 5 per
cent. per annum to sinking fund,
thus insuring the payment of the
principal at maturity, and the sinking
fund will be invested, should of itself
pay quite hansdome profit. Thus
at the expiration of 20 years the land
| under the ditch would have q per-
petual water right attached to it. DO
you think this visionary schemeY
Is it practical? Why not entirely
practical? What is the difference
whether a municipality, city or county
or state issues such or similar bonds? ?
Let us figure and see whether the
plan is feasible. For the sake of ar
gument, we will suppose there are
twenty sections of land Immediately
tributary to Weiser, from Mann
creek down that could be irrigated
from one good ditch; we then have
16, 500 acres to surrogate, as security
for these bonds; we issue $50, 600 OF
) per cent. bonds RAINING 20 years
the land owners then pay annually
) per cent. interest equal to S2o0C
and per cent to u sinking tun(
equal to $500 more or total O
5 $4,000 per year; this gives us an eq
/ uiyelant OF q fraction less than 81
cents per acre per year for 20 years
= when the ditch is paid for and there
after the oaly expense would be tn
yearly rerair of the ditch. The re
= pairs on The ditch could be kept a
/ by assessment work against the user
c of the water. This plan gives tn
water absolutely TO the lane
and when the land is sol
the water goes with it. The tax woul
- attach to all land alike, wheth'
cultivated or not until the Bonds az
paid. While, at first sight this woul
seem a hardship to speculative Ian
holders. the contrary would be tru
for he would pay 30 cents per acre p
year or SO peracre during the 20 year
Who would not be willing to pay )
on per acre for q perpetual water righ
This taxing all the land wo1
II however have a tendency to settle
u the country wiAh praetlsai farmer
every acre pess'b'e would ''llli H.
cultivated oar spoptht.oa wou
increase. uricoantryy y''wF5tdifi 'wF5tdit Il pros ,
~, because our farmers prosper, G
merchants ira lc wolld increase q
our towns grow, because the count
is on production basis.
But you say what are you going
do with prior appropriations
ditch already constructed wen
!, the theory promulgated by our g
IN stitution is true, ''that water Is
public USE and il not property
lY- vest in water then the people who
'ear it. should be the owners thereon e
- if it should crowd upon the corns
~. some few individuals. Besides IN
who have appropriations for PRIV
use could be exempted from this
otel. except as to their proportion oil rel
,lay- day costs. In buying bitches already {
Can structed they could be taken at t