The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-25

purposes contemplated. are to be under the
exclusive control of four water commits
sionera." Each department 10 expected to
vote 81, OO0, 600 in bonds - . working CAPT
tai for the hEst two years. and additional
millions from time to time, as the work
shall proceed. Immediately upon the au-
thorization of the issue OF the bonds. the
commission 10 TO proceed, under the dirsc-
tion of . State engineer, to make surveys
and TO begin the construction of q compre-
hsnsivs system Of irrigation works through
cut the state. The interest or these bonds
(sse. 2l) and all expenses Of the commits
sion for salaries. etc.. after deducting
amount received for water rents, are to be
raised by q tax upon the people, levied and
collected as are other taxes. How the
bonds themselves are to be paid. on matur-
ity. the bill does not state. Sec. 8 of the
bill declares that "ths form and denomina-
ton Of said bonds shall be determined by
said commission" This seems to confer
upon the commission the power to draw a
bond which shall pledge the state Of Mon
tsne for both principal and interest.
Let Us now suppose 4 ditch to be run In
one OF our valleys whore ons-half the land
belongs 10 a railroad company and the
other half to the United States. or to set
tiers. When ths ditch is completed every
mere Of irrigabls land tributary to il has
had a value impaired to it varying from
80 to $25. But while those who are the
fortunate owners of the land have rsaped
an immense profit. the public which has
borne the major part OF the burden VIII
have derived no bsnefs whatever. This
would be class legislation of the rankesi
sort.
If, on the other hand, the bill does not
contemplate the issue OF bonds guaranteed
by the state. on what security does 1t pro
pose to base its bonds? The only light
she'd upon this point 10 a passage in section
10 which says that ''ths canals. reservoirs
and other department or district property
for the construction, repair and improve
ment of which said bonds may be issued,
shall be irrevocably pledged for the pay
ment of the principal and interest
thereof" From this it would appear that
the bill c~ontemplates securing the bonds
simply by the bitches n other property
constructed and purchased with the pro.
secds of the bonds. This would be like a
with which TO build a house, and TO take
the house. when built. as security for the
loan-which would be absurd. Such a
bond would be absolutely unstable. The
plan proposed by the bill, therefore, in
wolves a dilemma, upon the one horn or
tu0 OVAOi Vi AAS Az 40 W. pS 4LB-
paled. If the bill passes and the people
shall be askedto vote q bond guaranteed by
the state, they will refuse to do so, because
of the essential injustice involved. Or. on
she other hand. it a bond should be issued
based simply upon the works constructed,
the whole scheme would be as baseless rs
. castle in the air.
The plan of reclamation proposed by this
bill is one unsuited to existing conditions
in this state. If the lands of Montana were
all owned by the state or by her citizens.
the plan of bonding the lands for the funds
necessary for building bitches and reser-
voirs would be feasible; but SO long as tho
title to our unreclaimed lands rests in the
United States they will not be available
for securing bonds. In California. where
the lands as we'll as the bitches by which
they were 20 be covered, have been avail
able for securing bonds this plan. under the
district system created by the Wright law,
has met with considerable success.
But were the plan contemplated in this
bill practicable under our conditions, in
this state. a very grave question would still
remain, as to the wisdom of a system of
forced development such as this would be.
1t is generally assumed that ii irrigation
facilities were provided for our lands that
an inrushing tide of immigration would
speedily appropriate and bring them under
cultivation. Very likely the author of this
bill assumed that this would be tina case
and that water rents would therefore
speedily aggregate a sufficient sum to meet
the interest on bonds and create q sinking
fund besides. But that these hopes
would be realized is, to say the least, doubt
full. 1t Will perhaps surprise some who
will read this article to be told that of ths
IS, 5OO,0 acres which existed undes ditch
in the arid states @nd territories Jan. l
1882, no lees than 10, 900, 900 acres still re
manned to be brought under cultivation
And the year 1892 was expected to materially
lDcfeAst thls dlSt rJDDrtlDn- 1hngs fnet
derived from Col. Hlnton's iepotts, shov
conclusiyelY that settling up the arid statef
Is quite a different p obiein from thai
which was prevented IL the humid states
Free land, as III the humid states, and re
claimed land at q minimum cost of SO pc
acre, as IN the arid states, ara startiinzl'
different propositions to the land seeker; t.
which is now added the further dissuasioi
that agricultural production has reached
q development In these states which ha
forced prices down to very slender and m
attractive margins of profit. The write
has in mind one of the most attractive val
leys In this state, in which is an excsllen
ditch covering thousands of acres of land
And though this valley is trnversed iron
end to end by the Northern Pacific raiiroa,
and the ditch Ees been in existence for tel
years, so slowly has settlement proceede,
that up to the present time 1000 inches o
water annually is the maximum which Ia
been called for by the settlers.
Col. unions tables prove conclnsivsi
that this cannot be an isolate case, Shout
she state of Montana, therefore. launch mr.
on q system of forced developm ent such q
this bill Seeks to provide for, it is possible
If indeed not probable, that diaappoint
nent and embarrassment would harass tn
project from the beginning. Under thi
method of retaining land there exists a
indefinite margin of time between the sal
of bonds and the realization of supstantit
returns from the sales of water, or of Ianc
which constitutes an ugly feature, Ii
said that in California, even under tn
Wright law. it has been found necessary I
ask the Legislature to guarantee the intel
est on the irrigation bonds, secured n,
only by the bitches ard reservoirs but ais
by the land adjacent thereto. Shout