Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-08-06
Protest Against Jobbery.

Next Friday the state land board
will decide on the application of
the Idaho River Improvement COM
pany, for a franchise to improve
for logging purposes, the North
Fork and Little North Fork of the
Clearwater river and tributaries
in Shoshone and Nez Perez coun-
ties. The Mill Mems Association
and the entire pOpulace of the
Clearwater districts are bitterly
opposing this fragrant attempt to
monopolise the timber outlet of
this part of the state. Petitions
are being circulated everywhere
and businessmen, farmers, and in
fact every man interested in the
welfare of the timber industry of
this section of Idaho, are remon-
strating against this corporation
securing a franchise that will give
them full control of this important
industry on the Clearwater river.
The application, which will be
heard by the land board August
II, estimates the cost of clearing
these channels and constructing
the necessary booming, rafting
and sorting works at $35, 900, and
asks for franchise to collect tolls
for Is years.
A circular letter sent out by the
mill men alleges in part as follows:
"The streams on which this
franchise is sought constitute the
only channels for marketing the
timber Of the great Clearwater tim
Der belt, some two million acres Of
forest, an area almost as large as
the entire forests Of Michigan; and
these streams up to the present
olIuc udNo duOTUcu ITco dCCcoo w
this section to the whole public
and have been logged annually for
more than twenty years and need
no improvement for practical log
cling. These streams constitute a
part of our public wealth and be-
cause access to them has been free
homesteaders, timber entrymen
and squatters have appropriated
most of this land and they are de-
pendent on the sales of their tim
Der for subsistence and for funds
to make necessary improvements;
and numerous small mills have
sprung up along the Clearwater
which afford a fair competitive
market. 1t is therefore essential
to the welfare of the citizens who
have invested in this section that
these streams be kept open.
"And not only is no improve
ment needed, but the amount pro.
posed to be spent by this company
--thirty-five thousand dollars
would be utterly inadequate if any
real Improvement were required
and considering the value of the
franchise, the amount proposed t.
be expended is so small as to raise
suspicious as to the good faith 0
the Idaho River Improvement com
pany. Annually during the tern
of the franchise it is estimated tina
two hundred million feet of lumbe
would be brought down thes
streams, which at an average tol
of fifty cents per thousand, Zone
half the toll asked by the Idah'
Boom company, organized by thes
same gentlemen }, would return t
the company one hundred thous
and dollars per year, or one mil
lion, five hundred thousand dollar
during the term of the franchise
This toll alone would be double til
present cost of logging withou
any improvement, and this is tn
price to be exacted of timber own
ers and mill men for the use {
''improvements'' costing original
thirty-five thousand dollars, an
which confer no apparent benefit.
1t is highly improbable that til
state administration would len
the slightest aid to such schem.
which is SO emphatically and uni
versally condemned.
Tho ,~Nls<sAo1 II