Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-10-14
PROMPT AND VIGOROUS ACTION NECESSARY

The Courier has patiently awaited the settlement OF
the difficulties between contending interests in the hope
that ultimately irrigation would become an acuaty, but
the time for action has arrived and seems, from the
statement of the Josephine County Irrigation and Power
company which has srven persistenty for irrigation for
the Grants Pass country that the prospects somewhat
doubtful at this time
AS stated in yesterdays Courier, this paper Will insist
that whoever is to blame for this condition of affairs step
out be forced out by the communicated there IS little
doubt about who is to blame
Without irrigation the development OF this valley is
retarded and it's growth in population and wealth delayed
and whoever puts himself obstacle IN the path OF the
progress of this valley must take the consequences OF an
outraged peoples wrath
Mr. Williams and associates were ready to give theI
valley irrigation They had arranged to purchase the IN
terests of the local irrigation company and had secured
the cooperation of the Ament interests The money was
at hand to carry out the gigantic project that would mean
so much to the valley. Good progress was being made
with the minority stockholders Of the Golden Drift COM
pany at Chicago until Mr. Sanders appeared on the scene
Then everything changed.
Mr. Sanders has organized the ChicagO-Rogue River
company and according to the prospectus issued by that
company it is intmated that the company has the
water users of the district tied up in contracts AS mat
ter of fact the old contract between the Golden DRIFT ana
the local company is utterly void, according to the OH
cals of the local company because of lack of perform
ance by the Golden Drift company.
Another thing is the fact that the water users OF the
district will not sign up for water with the Ament dam as
permanent source Everybody knows this, the claim,
made in the prospectus that the company rgate SUI
ficient land this coming season is hardly accurate
But even if Sanders were able to sell the receivers
certificates which is highly improbable and if the water
users would accept the Ament dam source OF water
which they have refused to do, except as temporary
substitute Sanders would be unable to bring about ir-
cation for the coming The bondholdeH have pro
tested against any changes in the dam against the ss
ance of any receivers certificates purportng to be first
lien on the property of the Golden Drift company Then
position is well taken according to competent legal ad
vice. and that would tie up the repairing Of the Amen
dam so that it could not be completed this fall before the
season of high water The result will be that there vii
be no dam this SPRING for the high waters will probably
wash what remains of it away If to get irrigation
the coming season the dam will have to be repaired
once so that it may be used temporary water sourc
until the dam at Savage rapids can be completed.
This was Mr.. Williams proposition. lie was read
and able to carry out when Sanders stepped in and mad
itimpossbe far The people of Grants Pass nave bee
iuggled out of their right to irrigation The water here
The land is here and the money is ready to install an
rgaon system The people of this district have been III
posed upon long enough and the time for action ana ic
the assertion of their rights has come The proSpeMt
of thc valley should not longer be the pawn with whic
promoters play the game of finance 1t is up to Grant
Pass to serve notice upon obstruconists that they WI
have water Let representative business men put then
selves back of movement to have an irrigation dlStl
created to proceed at with plans for irrigation Sue
step will remove the possibility of irrigation beng he
up by amy one
The time has come to take positive step. 1t is up
the business men of the city to do it,