The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-08


State Board Responsible.
The Carey act law, ms accepted by
the state of Idaho, fixes responsibility
on the state land board for acts of
commission and of ommission in the
working ont Of the plans of the project
The governor, who is chairman of this
board, has the appointive power of the
state engineer, who constitutes the en-
tire scientific knowledge which must
surround the state land board in It's
determination of the techDcalities sur
rounding the construction of irrigation
works
All credit for the business-like hand
ling of these projects is due the board.
of the works must be assumed by it.
Responsibility for the dilapidated con-
dition Of affairs in the dam construc
tion above Mackay is fixed today. in
the minds of the public, at this place,
on the individual members Of the state
board of land commissioners consist
ing of James Fl. Brady, governor and
chairman; Robert Lansdon secretary Of
state; d. G. McDougall, attorney gen
eral, and s. Belle Chamberlain. super
intendent of public instruction.
How People Feel.
The people Of this community who
are SO vitally interested will not JUS
tify the delinquencies of this board
through any shortcomings of the gov
ernor;s personal appointec for state en-.
gineer. ct should be stated here and
now that public opinion here regards
the present state engineer ID. u.
Martin, as one who has fallen heir to
this deplorable jnheritance). The peo-
pie of this community can not justify
nor do they, the confessions of the gov
ernor because of his lame excuse that
he is and has been trying to aid pro,
noting companies IN financing this and
other ,commendable enterprises operat'
ing in irrigation projects within the state
OF Idaho. The scope of the federal law
itself, and Of the Idaho state law ac-
cepting it. anticipates no such actions
on the part of any member OF the state
land board.
There. is no reason why this project
should fail and there is certainly none
excepting inefficiency on the part OF
the state land board whv It's own as"
sets could not have been made to pay
for its own adequate construction and
left to It's projectors splendid mar
gin There is no reasoning IN law or
in equity by which the board of state
land commissioners can Justify for their
conduct at the bar of public opinlon
I
trust and remlss in their duties to the
fortunes and to the lives of a portion
of the citizens of their commonwealth
whose vital interests they were sworn
| to protect.
| The temper of the people of this
community at this time as to the mani
fest injustice meted out to them by
these people of authority sinks deeper
into their hearts than any other public
question which it has been my priv
| ilere to observe during almost a quarter
of century's residence IN Idaho,
What Will People Do?
Just how the people Of Idaho are tc
take this innovation of Il governor per
sonally soliciting aid for irrigation OF
any other projects Is matter Wmcf
the future is to tell by their expressions
in general primary election to b'
held the last of this month and later
by a final election to be held In early
November,
Just how it Will appeal TO the Idaho
citizens and votary that the TroW
bridge Niver company has taken out ol
this Big Lost River Land company
/ So 400 900 of the settlers securltle;
and cash, and defaulted in payment OF
the contractors who nave done ta;f
work i'm faulty manner. IS of slgnifl
cant interest to the people OF tins par
ticular section at this particular stage
of commercial and of political activity
Has the Colorado irrigation enter
prises any or nll of the securities of
this Idaho irrigation enterprise is
question that has been asked me here
today, not once, but repeatedly.
Has the confessed interest of Gov
crnor Brady and the state land board
in the T'rowbridge- Niver companies
bond dilemma had any influence over
| him or over them in permitting these
contractors to go on In their construe'
| tion of this dam in a manner at Nari'
ance with the contract they had with
! the state when the state S own engl-
neer on the ground was advising Lheh
! day after day of their departure from
the express terms of the specifications
| is n query put to me by many men OF
Mackay today
Who Is Brady Serving?
Which "master has Mr., Brady been
serving" in this dam construction. the
bonding company, which is under con
tract TO do this work after specific
/ ashton, or the state of Idaho, whose
specified contract it is disobcying'
The Lippincott report points out
clearly the true condition OF this de
linouency in construction. In entire
| fairness to the engineering force of the
] state land board s own making, u mas
pointed out promptly and mlnutely the
variations from the state S contract
with the bonding company which owns
the project.
Where Do Settlers Come In?
Where do the settlers come in! What.
in the hight of the Llppincott report,
are they to eypcctl Unless thus dam
holds water how can rae flood waters
of the winter and sprIng be so con
serve. as to meet the 1smandc Of this
go. 900 acres which must ~ 'yatcrcd,
else Idaho has permitted their money
10 be taken unGcr false pretcaScs2
Mr.. Lippincott advises the prtple Of
Mackay to go TO the courts If ncces.
Sarv, to prevent the competition of this
dam on the base of its present con-
struction, He gives his scientific rea
sons why the lives and property OF
Maekay would be endangered by the
completion of the works on its present
faulty foundation
Is the chairman or his associates on
the state land board prepared 10 qucs-
tion one vital statement in Mr.. Lippin
colt IS report
II not. would it not have been mani
festly better-saner politics, for in