The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-04-20
PLAIN TALK ON
DITCH MATTERS

BY Roswell Shelley.
Odell, East Hood River, April 49,
As correspondent for a paper it Is
not always an easy matter to record
the facts, and there sometimes comes
feeling that we would like to shirk
this responsibility, but having spoken
before on this subject now repeat
that so long as | am correspondent
from Odell shall write the cold facts
as they appear to me, regardless of
the opinions or criticisms of any per
son or persons whomesoever, at the
same time holding myself entirely
responsible for my every public utter
ance.
THAT ODELL MEETING.
In April, 1904, G. r. Bone, as presi-
dent of the East Fork Irrigating Co.
entered into a contract with sundry
parties at Odell to build lateral and
furnish water upon lands owned by
these subscribers on the following
conditions, to-wit:
That these said parties we're to sub
scribe and pay for $50 inches of water,
said subscriptions to be paid either
In money or labor at the option of the
subscriber, but to be paid in advance,
the contract specifying that the said
amount, towit $3.50, was to be used
in theHconstruction of the said later
al which was intended to carry the
water upon the lands Of these subscri-
bers.
What was the result? OF the $3.50
signed only about 300 was put up,
consequently the water was not forth
coming.
At no time since the signing of the
is contract has Mr.. Bone been liable
for damages for the reason that we as
subscribers have failed on our part of
the contract. According to the tenor
of this written contract the construct
ion work could not be done for the
reason that this money was to go in
to the work of construction.
Mr.. Bone has been repeatedly
assailed in this matter with strong
talk of damage suit on his hands |
for failing to give this section water.
The above are the facts and require
no comment. The public can draw
its own inference.
After considerable agitation along
this line, public meeting was held
last Thursday evening at Odell, when
this matter was discussed, Mr.. Bone
being present At this meeting Mr..
Bone renewed his offer to put water
on the ground by the first of June,
provided this old contract was com.
piled with.
While 1t appeared from statements
at this meeting that II might have been
impossibele for Mr.. Bone to have COM
pleted the work and furnished water
last year, yet our part of the contract
was not fulfilled and doubt serious.
ly If 1t will be this season.
And while this condition prevails
we have neither legal nor moral
right to criticize Mr.. Bone for the alb
sence of water on lands covered by
this contract. Enough on this point.
THOSE PINE GROVE MEETINGS.
Acting as chairman of those meet
ings, | did not deem it advisable
to discuss the issues. did, howev-
or, at the first meeting, In response
TO request, outline certain modihca-
lions of the contract that Mr.. Bone
had submitted for signatures. For
This offense | was severely criticized
by just two parties from Odell, who
9ven went so far as to try to work up
An influence to displace me as chair
nan of the second meeting. In this,
lowever they did not succeed, and |
low desire to extend to friends both (
1t Pine Grove and Odell thanks for {
he honor conferred upon me In max {
ng me such chairman.
Last week | refrained from discuss {
ng the differences between the people {
md the promoters of this contract. q
nd while | am not now prepared to '
ign such contract as was first pre- /
ented, 1t seems to me that the work |
# last Fridays meeting places the
natter beyond the pale of discussion. t
{ appears now to be up to the people Z
o arrange for water from some other 8
ouroe than through the ditch East !,
'ork lrrigating Co. 1
Before leaving the question | desire y
o say that on general principles am b
n favor of the public owning and c
ontroling public utilities, but how Il
0 do this at once Is the important
uestion. | had hoped and still do II