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


eager to take community bonds and
would demand higher interest But,
backed by the broader credit of the
state, the bonds could be sold at a
premium, and better interest rates be
obtained; and in the end the same
results would be obtained. The state
would only loan its credit to assist
communities, as local tax would be
levied which would be turned in an
nually to the state and when the
bonds were due the money would be
on hand, and not one dollar would
G me out of the general state treas
airy; it would all be paid by the land
under the canal Some suggest that
the bonds be paid through half tax
and half sales of water. That con-
troverts the principle. We say free
water and all tax. That would at
once stop the holding of large tracts
of land for speculation, as the water
tax would come on vacant land as
well as titled, and the Spectator
would see that the land produced
enough to at least pay its own tax
Some objector will at once pop up
with the assertion that this issuing of
so many bonds would soon reach such
an enormous figure that the state
credit would be swamped. Not so.
BY putting out the water of the
streams free as the soil itself, the
state would cause the wide valleys to
smile and blossom into wealth as the
flower kissed by the sun. Property
and values would increase in treble
ratio to the debt incurred so that it
would be as naught. Another says
it is class legislation; but as all sec
tons susceptible of irrigation pro
ductiveness are eligible and they bear
it all, and other parts of the state
that do not require the operations of
the law, do not pay nickel and are
only affected favorably in the in
creased state wealth and resultant
decrease of general taxation, we see
no class legislation. Such a law as
we have outlined would be perfection
itself Let us see how it would affect
us here at home Here is the Gallo
way ditch, We understand it can be
purchased for $50, 600; then it does
pot irrigate all the land west of town
and must be enlarged sufficiently to
do so; that would require $40, 900
The state issues $50, 600 bonds for
ten years. Interest, at 6 per cent
Isl, 800 a Year, would in ten years
amount to $4,000. Then 50, 900 a
year to keep the ditch in repair would
make $40, 900; in all 500, 600 that
would have to be raised by taxation
on the land under the ditch in ten
years, or Sc, 800 year. From Mon
roe creek west to the canyon there are
under the ditch just 8, 900 acres; we
have not looked up the amount east
of Monroe creek along the north side
of the Weiser, but it is perfectly safe
to say 1000 acres, which gives us
II, 600 acres Of tillable land from
which to raise an annual tax of
Sc, 800. 1t would be just "a cents,
lacking very small fraction, per
acre. Their water cost our farmers
last year about 81 per acre, so it is
positively proven that the lands could
carry tue burden of paying the state
bonds, interest, ditch maintenance and
all and it would only cost the farmers
about one-half what it does now for
water, and every payment would be
bringing them nearer and nearer to
the eventual wiping of that figure
out, and at the end of ten years the
ditch would all be bought and paid for
and only 50, 600 a year would need to
be raised That would be a little less
than 10 cents an acre. just think
Of abundant water all over the 'saat"
at l6 cents an acre! Would not long
lanes stretch through the valley, fences
and cottages and family spring up
on every forty acres, every sage bush
vanish, every acre yield its quota of
agricultural wealth, and the whole
sweet valley join in unison in Natures
magic Harvest Home? Would Weiser
grow then? Oh, no! We guess notl
Now all this is said with an honest
heart; we believe that this reform
must come before arid Idaho can at
tain future greatness. We refer to the
whole system of south Idaho, nor in
any degree do we desire this construed
as aimed at our local ditch. We