The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-05-10
VIEWS ON IRRIGATION,

brought before us so prominently IN
the populist platform first promul-
gated in this state. They demanded
state control of water ard irrigation
canals. At that time, like hundreds
of others, we could see no great
bugaboo in the question, and like
others considered that it was entirely
out of the power of the state to under
take the gigantic proposition OF
throwing the water of our streams
out over arid Idaho through vast
canal systems. We thought that
state control of water would result
in those waters flowing on uselessly
for many years yet, through its i'm
potent power to carry out its under
taking-that the work must be left
to be done by vast aggregations OF
capital and that to induce capital to
take hold of these vast enterprises, it
must be allowed to acquire rights in
the water and given privileges that
would admit of greater or less returns
on the money invested. We have
given a great deal of serious thought
to the matter in the last year and as
ha for hoc :.
has grown and grown in the intensity
and magnitude Of its importance and
gradually opened out to our vision in
such a way as to cause complete
revolution in our ideas, until now we
are apt to be found to be more radical
than any Of those who first forced the
question before us. 1t first present
ed itself as political question put
forth by the peoples party, but we
believe it has drifted out of that en-
tirely until it has become one of simple
public difference, similar to the one of
good roads or bad roads. We know
that reform of our irrigation system
has its earnest advocates in all par
ties in this state and that their views
have no connection with and are un-
biased by party ties. Having wasted
so many words in preliminary, let us
hasten to review the present system
and see what change can be made
and how we will be benefited by
them. The objections to present meth
DDS will be found to lie principally
outside OF Washington county and
but in a small degree at home, but
all the delightful advantages to be
gained by the proposed reform, it will
be seen at once, will throw its magical
influence over our own locality in n
wonderful and unlimited degree. In
the first place land and water are so
relative to each other that they become
by nature absolutely inseperable. The
one is entirely valueless without the
other. A homestead is simply worth
less without water, and it follows that
monopoly of the latter carries with
it complete control of the former. 1t
is only too clear that this is contrary
to all laws of agricultural thrift, and
it is the fact of this system being in
vogue in Idaho that is claiming our
agricultural development with mana
Giles which are wearing away its life.
Our present system is drifting into
practical tenantry and tenantry will
witber all agricultural growth like the
breath of pestilence. The ultimate
intentions and results of the promotion
of the larger canal schemes in this
state is to finally become absolute
landlords of all the tracts covered by
their canals. Let us look at the
manner in which they are built. A
few men authorized by law gobble or
appropriate quantity of water in
stream, the natural heritage of neigh
boring lands, and without being OWL
ers of the land they become owners
of that which is necessary to make
the land valuable and thus get the life
of landed interests within their grasp
The next thing is to 90 to the land
owners and sell water rights at $40
an acre, and supposing a canal to
cover D, 600 acres, this yields $50, 900
with which the canal is built The
land owners have built a canal and
made an absolute present of it to the
company This water right Just
merely entities the holder to the priv
ilege of buying waterl They must
pay the company so much an inch
for it, and the only thing gained
is that the company guarantees TO
furnish them with water at the speci-
fed price, and they are forced to take
the water rights, as without them
they know they cannot get water for