The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1903-08-07
COMMERCIAL CLUB ACTION
Resolutions Adopted to Send to the State
Land Board Opposing the Franchise for
River Improvement

meeting held August discussed at length
the application of the Idaho River I'm
provement company to the state land
board for a franchise to improve the
North fork and Little North fork of the
Clearwater river for logging purposes,
and decided resolutions to oppose the
application. A committee appointed
drafted the following resolutions. which
will be forwarded to the board aud used
against the application at the hearing
fixed for August IL:
WHEREAS, the Idaho River Improve
ment company, corporation organized
under the laws of the state of Idaho, filed
with the board of state land commission
ers on May 4. 1903, its application for a
franchise to improve for logging the
North fork and the Little North fork of
the Clearwater river and to collect tolls
under the act of the legislature of Febru-
ary 28, 1897;
AND WHEREAS, this application for a
franchise closely touches the interests of
the people of the entire Clearwater val
ley and materially affects the welfare of
the state of Idaho by reason of the fact
that the state has large sections of tim
bered lands within the territory affected;
AND WHEREAS, the Commercial club
has examined and considered said appli-
cation, together with former applications
filed with the state land board for sim.
liar franchises on the same aud other
tributaries of the Clearwater river and
the petitions. protests and the reports of
the condition of said streams fled in
connection with such former applications;
and has examined and heard the testi-
mony of lumbermen and mill men famil.
lar with the character and condition Of
the North fork and the Little North fork
Of the Clearwater river, from all of which
evidence it fully appears to the club.
| I. That the North fork AMI Little
North fork of the Clearwater river and
their tributaries constitute the only cham
nels at present for marketing the timber
of the entire section reached by them;
that much of this timber is owned by
settlers and other citizens of the state Of
Idaho, and that approximately 100000
acres thereof is owned by the state of
Idaho under grants to the common
schools of the state and selections of
state lands for the benefit of the state
normal, agricultural and scientific schools,
the state insane asylum and other state
institutions;
2. That those streams in their present
condition afford to all the public efficient
means of transportation for timber; that
they require no improvements, except,
perhaps, in remote portions thereof, as is
fully shown by the report Of R. w. Faris.
a special agent of the state land board
who investigated the condition of said
streams and fled his written report
thereon with the said board ON Septem-
Der 80, 1899. which report appears upon
the records of the state land board; that
they have been logged for many years
aud are now being logged and that the
public welfare imperatively demands that
they be kept open; 5
8. That the said application of the
Idaho River Improvement company does
not disclose in detail auy necessary im-
proyements. does not require the com
pany to make any specific improvements
and is so indefinite that no valid bond as
reqnired by law could be based thereon
and no liability attached to the com
pany;
a. That as to the two classes OF i'm
provements proposed in the said applica.
ltion. the Strengthening and cleaning OF
the chan, els and the erection OF booms
and sorting works, the FIRST is not re-
lquired AS heretofore showp, aud the
second could not possibly eonier any
benefit upon the public as u boom along
the North fork or It's tributaries wonld be
utterly useless for the reason that nc
mills are or can be operated in that sec.
Itiou OF, account OF the absence of rail,
roads or other mean ,of trant porting lnm.
lber; t.s
S. That snch franchise applying 10
the navigable portions Of the streams
would be an unwarranted obstructiop 10
the free nse thereof would confer nc
benefit upon the public. would increase
the cost of transporting lumber TO market
land thereby reduce the value Of the hold.
lings of the state and do material injury
Ito many private citizens; that il would
prove q menace to the public and retard
the growth Of numbering in the entire
lsection. Therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Commercial clut
oppose the granting Of this franchise and
encourage the movement in opposition
Thereto by every means in its power. ant
earnestly recommend to the board o
state land commissioners that the saun,
he rejected