Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-01-08
LAsrsH DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
An Open Letter Addressed 20 the
trustees.
,,pr,,AvA. Or. Jan. S. 1894.


meut, SO l address these liDes TO
you but hoping that all the members
10 the district will read them carefully
also.
l believe that no one in the district
objects to the proposed improvement
in 90 far as the work will benefit them,
with the possible exception Of one
moss-back who thinks his "pauster"
will be ruined by "dresning" all the
water off, 20 his COWS cannot get mIred
to death any more.
The main objection seems to be the
fear that is ever present to some Of them
that 'neIghbOr so and 30 will be bene
flied more than will and will be
taxed rs much or more than him.
Well this is a very good plan to lOob
out for No. for II we don't, no one
else will. But all things may be over.
done and think haye been in som,
cases here. And I don't deny and iU
fact affirm that there has been very IN.
equal assessments heretofore Ia the
work done by our commissioners and
propose TO point them out and suggest b
remedy. 1t has been charged by some
that one Of the trustees, Mr.. Jones, has
| actually 400 acres of swamp land
that was reclaimed by the present ditch
and he only has so acres listed for as
sessment. This charge being made by
4 personal enemy must be taken cum
grano sails, but at the same time IL
should be looked into. The fact Of the
divide" as it Is called, being on Mr..
Jones' place gives foundation. proba-
Uility or rather possibility. This divide
is the highe|t point Of land between
the east aud west ends Of Lake Labish
and as is well known, the waters here
divide, some going west into the VIII
lamette and some east into the Pudding
river. The grade is very light and if,
as Is claimed, Mr.. Jones Is allowed to
draw all the water he can into our side,
or to the west, ditch Of three feet In
depth would allow several hundred
acres beyond the divide, to be drawn
to the west, for there is not much more
than that much fall in over u mile be.
yond the divide. 30 IL, l say IF the
charge as made is true there is mani
fest Injustice done to the rest Of the
stock holders Ia two ways. First, iu
the unequal taxation which is supposed
to be equal, aud second, In that by
draining an immense quantity Uf
water through the west end Of the dis
trict that should go east, thus causing
our ditch to be flooded at tunes In the
gainy season, when II it was not for
this excess our ditch would at all times
carry off the water for which II was
calculated.
l tind this Is one OF the greatest of
objections now made to the dsepening
OF the dtch as now contemplated. II
mas been represented TO me like this,
"If We make the ditch three feet ueep-
or IL will enable Mr.. Jones and perhaps
others ON that side Of the divide to
drain that much more water this way
onto US, and we will be flooded ia
water just the same, aud how much
better of are we2"
Now, there Is another thing to be
kept In miud. There are several par
ties that are taxed in this district, that
have no outlet to the ditch, or at least
their land does not reach to the ditch.
Notably, Judge Boise, who must
cross the lana Of two other parties, as
has Mr.. Morley, aud the school lands
here that must cross three different
parlies's land before reaching the ditch.
Yet in the assessments made for the
last improvement they were charged
as much per acre as the Zieber estate
or Mr.. Ford, when In fact, the two last
get all the benetit,as far az the improve
nent has gone, aud the rest OF us are
not benefited TO the value of a dollar,
uuless the work is continued on
through.
This Is manifest injustice, and has
only to be stated to 0e plain to all.
But there is a method Of rectifying
this aud other mistakes.
IL Mr.. Jones Is benefited by the
drainage OF more acres than the
has paid for or II other overcharges have
been made In the past, don't let Il stop
the present work, but let the engineer
and commissioners measure all the land
aud make the estimate according TO the
facts In the case, add together all
changes from the beginning, including
this last work OF deepening TO be done,
then subtract from this the amount
that eaca has paid towards il and tax
each party up with the balance. This
will be justice and none that wish ius.
tlce eau object TO II. II there is found
t. be any places where water Is brought
by ditches lnto our district from De.
you'd the divide (which can he easily
a'cer,ained by the englnesr) then the
m 'uif'st remedy for that L. Au action
at law b. the trustees In the name Of
the dStr,ct for damages alone aud for |