The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1903-02-20
TURN ON WATER
EFFECTS THE ARID LANDS OF
THE DEsCHUTEs.
President Acts on Pilot Butte Enter
prise and Last Obstacle
Is Removed.

President Roosevelt mas duNlseu NeP-
resentative Moody that he has approved
the map and contract with the state OF
Oregon permanently segregating 64,1OI
acres of land in the Deschutes valley,
which it is proposed shall be reclaimed
under the Carey act by the Pilot Butte
Development company, of which A. NJ.
Drake is president.
This action ends the long controversy,
and so far as the general government is
concerned, gives this company the right
to proceed with the immediate construc-
ton of its irrigation system, according
to the approved plans. Government
d.!icials regard this as the most import
ant and most promising Carey act pro-
position in the state, and see 10 reason
why the project should not be carried
through in the ten years allowed by law
to successful completion.
Under the terms of the contract with
the state, the Pilot Butte company will
be allowed to charge an annual water
rental on reclaimed lands of 81 per acre,
the lien of the company amounting to
$848,557
This case is the first one IN Oregon
under the Carey act to be approved by
the president. 1t has been hung up in
the land office since early last summer.
Representative Moody, throughout the
session, has been urging immediate ac-
tion on all Carey act cases in Oregon,
but it was not until Commissioner Rich
ards took hold that he was able to get
this case ''iarred loose"
When he came to investigate the com
missioner found the adverse report of
Special Agent Greene, holding the
lands covered by the Pilot Butte con
tract to he timber land because of
sparce growth Of juniper trees. He
therefore recommended that the select.
ion be cancelled. President Drake,
when in Washington last fall, contem-
plating such a report, fled with the de-
partment overwhelming evidence to
show that the lands we're desert and
that the presence of juniper did not
warrant their classification as timber
lands Among the allidavits were state
ments from Chief Forester Pinchot and
photographer Newell, who had person
ally been over the lands, and these
snoWipgs were backed up by Represent
alive Moody, who had trayersed the
disputed area with these government
officials.
Being practical western man, thor
oughly acquainted with the arid regions,
Commissioner Richards at once recog.
nized the fallacy of the special agents
conclusions and dIsregarded his recon-
mendation, holding the lands to be
properly bject to irrigation under the
Carey act.
During his visit TO Washington last
fall Representatives WIlliamson
represented to the department that thu
Pilot Butte selection was irregularl!
made for the purpose Of "cornering" o.
controlling large area Of government
lands not proposed to be irrigated, bui
with view Of speculation. This charge
as well as all others made against the
Pilot Butte company, was waved ASIDE,
for on close examination they proved to
be unwarrauted. There has been every
evidence of good faith on the part OF
this company, and the department il
fully convinced that it will live up I,
the terms of its contract with the state.
There is, Furthermore, general belief
that this Deschutes project offers better
opportunities for success than most
works undertaken under the Carey act
in other states where the law has proven
success.
The fact that the Pilot Butte company
is to be permitted to reclaim the Des-
chutes valley means that no government
project will be undertaken in that To-
callty. Whatever sites are later recon-
mended by the Oregon committee must
be in other localities.
photographer Newell said he had
heard nothing from the Oregon irriga-
tion committee, and in view of the late
ness Of the date and the great pressure
for consideration of projects already OK
amined in other states, intimated that it
was a least very doubtful il one of the
original general irrigation works could
be undertaken in Oregon.