The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-01-25
WHAT the FARMERS
OF SUNnYSIDE WANT
Changes and Amendments Recommend
ed to Representatives in Regard
to Irrigation Code.

AS result OF the mass meeting OF
farmers of the Sunnyside held to dis.
cuss the irrigation code the following
report, adopted on January IA, has been
forwarded to Olympia:
Sunnyside. Jan. IA, 1904.
To Hon. Walter J. Reed, w. II. Hare
and Lee A. Johnson, Olympia, Wash:
Dear Sirs: Tn compliance with the
request of Lee A. Johnson meeting was
held in Sunnyside on the above date to
discuss the code of laws prepared by
the irrigation commission. of which
meeting the undersigned were duly chos
en- officers. About 80 farmers were pres
ent and the afternoon was spent in lis
cussing the code section by section.
The following changes were recon-
mended by the meeting:
|. That section Is be amended so as
to require the owners of bitches to sub
nit annually, as provided. "an itemized
report, under oath, showing the number
of officers employed by the company,
the salaries of each, the duties perform
ed by him, also the number of employ
es. the term of service of each and the
wages paid to each.'
2. That section CT be amended 50 as
to allow the land owner at his option
in all cases, the right to either receive
far nt ba animal ranf,1 rr,>x-;I
ed for in case l. or buy perpetual
water right and pay the annual main
tenance fee as provided for in eases 2
and 3. The basis for fixing such rates
and prices and the tribunal and pro-
ccdure for fixing them to remain as set
forth in section 81, except as follows:
8. That the words, "taking into coli
sideration the value and character Of
the service performed" found in case l.,
page 81. also in the second paragraph on
page 80, be stricken out.
If those words mean that the risks
AMI losses attendant upon ditch con-
struction should be considered, tnen the
language should be changed to so read;
though such would no doubt be tax N in
to account anyhow.
We fear that the words would be
construed to mean that the great bene-
fit that irrigation is to the land should
he taken into account, and the result
would be that there would be practical
ly no limit for the rates.
We would suggest that the second
amendment we propose could be in
serted by the following changes:
Strike out all of case l, in section 81,
after the words, common carriers of
water" also
Strike out from case the words
where first word) to cor lin third
line) inclusive; also
Strike out of the paragraph following
the case the words sin" to "owners,"
inclusive, and substitute therefor the
words, "In every case the owner Of land
may at his option either ~ require the
carrier to furnish water for specified land
at a reasonable price per annum based
upon the value of the works and the cost
of maintenance and operation together
with, in each case, a fair profit to the
carrier" or. etc.
In all other respects the code met the
approval of the meeting; the various
provisions designed to prevent specula-
ton in water, those governing the ap-
preparation of water, the rotation of
water by the water commissioners, and
making the theft of water misdemean-
or were especially approved.
1t appears that some of the delegates
who went to North Yakima on the 18th
made we'll meant but wholly unauthor.
lied attempt to improve upon these res
olutions and engraft the whole upon the
"Aibstitute ball," thinking that the COM
missions bill was to be voted down by
that meeting. But such action was not
the will of the Sunnyside meeting, nor
has it met the approval Of the people of
Sunnyside.
Respectfully submitted.
L. L. HIGGINS,
Chairman of the Meeting.