The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-02-11
Report Of the Mass Meeting Committee

To the Patrons Of the Valley Improve
ment Co.'S Ditch, in Mass Meeting AS
sembled, in Artisan Hall, Hood River,
February 8, 1904: We your committee,
appointed at general mass meeting
held in K. OF P. hall, Saturday, Febru-
ary 6, have performed our duty and
beg leave to make the following report
First-That owing to the shortness of
time allowed the committee has not been
able to get complete legal opinion re-
garding the most feasible plan for Sc
curing water for 1904.
Second-That the committee respect
fully asks for an extension of time to
l o'clock, p. M, Saturday, February
l3, to complete the investigation.
Ihird-That the following report is
one Of progress:
After having conferred with Mr.. Wag-
non, we your committee, respectfully
would submit the following: That in
our opinion it would be unwise to sign
such contract; account, first, that there
is no guarantee adequate for any failure
on the part of the company, and he re-
fused to make any other substantial
guarantee. Also, that the company is
the only party that can terminate the
contract and the consumer never. That
in paying $4,000 for 1000 inches, we
simply pay the Indebtedness of the
company and have no assurance that
we will not have an Indebtedness to
meet at any future year, or be at the
expense of rebuilding the flume.
Also that in case we sign up for 1000
inches this season they may require $40,
$50. or 500 per inch for the same rights
next year. Also, that when 1000 inches
have been signed for at $50 per inch the
Valley Improvement Co. will have re-
ceived 100000, sum adequate to build
the system and the consumers will have
paid the entire capital and the stock
holders of the Valley Improvement Co.
will own the plant, which they can
hypothecate, sell or retain, and collect
their pension annually, as suits their
pleasure, knowing that no other comp
any or person could ever, during the
term of SO years, build any other system
for irrigation after 1000 inches have
been sold. Bearing in mind that Hood
River is not a sage brush desert that
has to he colonized to sell water, and
the water limited and land unlimited.
Here we have an unlimited amount of
water and a limited amount of land,
with the people here and the demand
for water already created.
The consumers only redress for dam
ages, or repairing the ditch or flume, is
the amount paid for water right at $50
per inch, and $3.50 as his annual rental
for future years. II You can find the
man with the $50, and he for the great
er part, or $4,000 of the $4,000 has
this in payment for his claim against
the Valley Improvement Co.
That the contract presented to the
people by the representative of the Valley
Improvement Co. is business propO-
sitiOn simply for the interest OF the Val
ley improvement Co., leaving the water
consumers entirely at their mercy, with
out any substantial guarantee whatever
that they will fulfill their part of the
contract, 1t is the opinion of the COM
mittee that it would be financial suicide
for the water consumers to sign that
contract and bind themselves and their
farms for SO years, by doing so, keeping
out any other company that would be
willing to deal fairly with us, as it would
not be profitable enough for any other
company without the 900 inches which
they propose to sell.
The representative further states that
the contract be submitted was final.
That being the case, we, the committee,
advise the farmers OF Hood River that
they might better be satisfied with a
half crop of berries o hay this year than
to sell themselves body and soul, man
hood and all to a company, which has
never done as it agreed, and is not liable
to do so in the future.
They propose to take $50, 600 from us
farmers right now, also $3.50, by July
l, 1904, and $500 every July l, there
after, for 1000 inches Of water. For
doing that they agree to give us 1000
inches OF water every year and the priv
ilege to fix the ditch up ourselves, even
il it happens right in the midst of our
| strawberry season, il they neglect max
ing repairs after four days notice, and
for pay for our work we have redress
| only to the extent OF the water rent We
pay. In case of damage to our crops, all
we have to fall back on is what we pay
for our water rights. For instance, II q
man has 20 acres of berries and 10 acres
OF hay, should he lose half the crop Of
each by neglect Of the Valley Improve
ment Co. he would lose 81 800 worth
OF berries and $3.50 worth Of hay, max
ing 81, ,75O in all. The redress he has is