The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-16
.NACKAY'S TRIP
ON STATE BOARD
Kicks Out Underpinning, and
They Come Down" With
a Founder.
THE CITIZENS TRIUMPH,
GETTING FAIR RECOGNITION
Their Reasonable PrOffer First
Scorned, Then Scramble
to Accept It.
BY @, E. ARNEY.

Special TO The Tribune.
IDAHO FALLS Idaho, Aug, l5.-The
state land board of Idaho has come down
off its high perch in the matter OF lts
arrogance with the people OF Mackay.
who Insisted on tho right TO appoint
one of three expert engineers to COM
pose a committee to report on the con-
dltion of the Mackay dam.
1t will be remembered that the state
land board are ignoring the peoples ousi-
ness, except 1t may be made TO serve
the future political ambitions of three
out OF four OF this recreant body; Gov
crnor Grady, General McDougall and Su-
perintendent Chamberlain. all three OF
whom are candidates for reelection.
II will be remembered also, that the
repeated reports OF the states deputy
engineer. on the job. were placed al
most daily" on the tables Of the members
OF the board, showing clearly the repeat
ed failure OF the construction company
10 build the Big Lost river dam accord
ing 10 contract, and that as frequently
as this was done, the report was met
with absolute Indifference.
IL Will be remembered that only when
th,. citizens OF Macl1ay, at their own ex-
pense, sent TO California and brousht 10
this dam an expert engineer. }, Il. LIP
p:ncott by name: who condemned the
mode OF procedure in an exhaustive re-
port, did these careless officers sit up
and take notice. Then what did they
do2
In his suave manner the chairman Of
the board. Governor Brady, wrote let
ter TO the citizens committee OF Mnckay,
making all sorts OF assurances OF realty
10 duty, loyalty to public trusts, and rev
erence FOR their rights, which-ln the
HIGHT OF his previous lethargy in the
prcmiscs-became at once joke TO the
citizens OF Mackay.
In his attempt 10 be politic. tho gov
mittee to suggest a plan by which an
Investigation Of the real conditions
might be made as an index 10 future
with assurance of safety to the lives
and property Of the people OF the town.
and security 10 the land owners under
,ne Big Lost River Land company, whose
holdings are dependent upon the storage
OF water back OF these works.
The citizens committee replied at once,
and with entire fairness suggested the
Immediate appointment OF commission
consisting of three expert engineers, the
citizens committee OF Mackay 10 name
one. the board OF state land commission
c;s TO name one and these two TO name
third.
Couldn't Think of 1t.
At the end OF delay of ten days
during which period the recreant chair
man went over to briggs, in Fremont
county, and made md political @ s, speech on
THIS letter was answered by the state
ment that the board could not conoo-
scend to thS S for aftef OF wsn amy
on TO state that the board would be com
PEELED TO defend any acts they had failed
10 perform III relation TO this and other
claim the credit Tor all success attend
ing projects under their management. in
consequence of which they would insist
on themselves naming the commission
which would report on the status of the
Maclay dam.
Here the matter rested. Here 1t would
edge on the part of the Mackay citizens
that publicity OF the facts would bring
action. They had besleged the board
with telephone talks. with kilograms and
letters, but 10 no avail
But They "Came Down.
A long distance telephone call brought
the Idaho correspondent for The Salt
Lake Tribune to Mackay. a story of
the situation at some considerable length
appeared in last Mondays issue Of this
Today / received this special from
"The stateSland board are falling all
over themselves to square their conduct
with the people Of Maclay, They have
reversed their own order to name q COM
mission themselves by total acceptance
OF the very fair plan suggested by the
citizens committee OF Mackay We have
had all sorts OF messages from the gov
Miss Chamberlain Is tclcgruphing, too
assuring that she had the matter
attended to just as soon as the governor
returned from north Idaho. Accordingly
the citizens committee of Macksy has
chosen Nr. J. II Printon OF Los Angeles.
Cal, as their representative on this COM
mission. and we now await the further
action OF the board, which we think has
been brought about in this shape by the
story you wrote In last Mondays Salt
Lake Tribune"
Just slight game OF back and I'LL!
An ounce OF bnsincss acumen and a