American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1910-04-09

the management and operation of the
system should the settlers decide to
take the management preferred them.
In order to present the matter clear
ly to the people Glenn R. Boutwell,.
president of the company, was asked
for a statement as to what the COM
pany proposed to do, and what it wish
ed the people to do, and said:
1--WE desire to relieve ourselves of
the care of managing the system. . he
said, "and in order to devote our at
tention to other affairs. We propose
to advance the money necessary to
operate the canal system this year.
and ask the settlers to organize, take
the management, levy an assessment,
payable in November, and reimburse
the company for the outlay, less what
the company would be charged for un-
sold water rights. If the settlers do
this we will put all the unsold lands up
at auction in the near future and sell
them for what they will bring.
I'VE estimate it will require S12, 900
to operate the canal system this wear.
The company is permitted to charge
water rent only for land actually water
ed and at SO cents per acre this will
bring in about S4, 500. If all the lands
under the system paid at the same rate
1t would bring in about S27, 900. If the
settlers organize and take the manage
ment they could collect rental for everv
acre having water right, and this is
what we would recommend. If thev
should pay at the full rate al
lowed it would make the company nav
in from 81, 900 to $4,000 and we would
be willing to do SO. The speculator,
who now pays nothing toward mainten-
ance, but who is getting handsome re-
turns from the advance in values due
to the efforts of others, would be COM
PEELED to bear his share. The result
would be that unused land would pass
to the ownership of men who would inn
prove it, or be improved by the present
owners, and the country would be much
more prosperous and have a much larg-
er population than at present.
"We would want Mr.. Blossom as one
of the directors, if the settlers organize,
and made manager for this year. The
company, in addition to its assess
ments, would be willing to pay half his
salary. We have confidence in him
and so have the people, and the fact that
they would pay half his salary would
make him as much their employe as our
own, and place him under as much OBJ
legation to the people as to the COM
pany. He is the best qualified man
available for the position, and his ex-
perience and knowledge of the system
would be great benefit to the people.
Working with him the people would
become competent, if they so desired,
to manage the system without the en-
ployment of so high salaried man
when the time comes to turn the sys-
tenn over to the owners of the water
rights.
when the association is organized
and in working order, if organized at
all, we would want the board of direct
ors to go over the entire system and be-
come acquainted with every detail, ex-
anime it thoroughly, and state what
they want done to make it complete to
their satisfaction. During the present
season we will then complete the sys-
tenn according to their demands. By
this we mean we will do anything in
the way of construction that reasonable
men would ask, or that reasonable men
would grant. | have no doubt but that