Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-06-10

Attorney General A. NJ. Crawford
has written the following letter tC
the Mail Tribune of Medford under
Grants Pass date. 1t will be no
ticed that Mr.. Crawford is deeply in
earnest in this communication and
explains fully his position in the mat.
ter under discussion. The following
is in reply to an editorial in said
paper of June Sth
Grants Pass, Ore, June Z, 1910
Editor Medford Mail Tribune,
Medford, Oregon.
My Dear Sir: | notice in your issue
of the 5th instant an article in
which you say in substance that the
encouragement is aiding parties to
secure water rights on Rogue river
detrimental to irrigation and calling
upon people to protest to the state
engineer, and that the state engineer
has given out figures detrimental to
irrigation projects other than the
one the attorney general has been
aiding with his advice. The article
also intimates that the parties who
are trying to promote plan to irri-
gate Rogue River valley in the vicin-
ity of Grants Pass and Merlin wish
to dictate the terms of irrigation to
the people of Josephine county. The
article appears as an editorial, hence
| conclude that you are responsible
for the same, and, as your article is
evidently based upon false premises,
I hope you will be fair enough to
give this communication as promin-
ent a place in your paper as you did
said article. First, ! wish to say that
the state engineer, Mr.. Lewis, has
given out no statement Of figures
against or in favor of any project
whatever, but has answered letters
as to the amount Of precipitation,
drainage area of water basins ana
other like information relative to
different portions of Josephine coun-
ty; therefore, do not say anything
detrimental to him, as he is entirely
innocent Of favoring any plan OF r.
rigation or of discouraging any.
Second. the attorney general has
been assisting Mr. p. A. Williams
of Oskaloosa, Iowa, and his assocl-
ates in formulating a plan to irrigate
the semi-arid land in the vicinity OF
Grants Pass and Merlin.
Third. this proposition is for r.
rlgating primarily and said parties
have contracted for about S5OO
acres of lend. which they wish to
improve and suply with water and to.
construct system which will supply
all the lands in what IS known as
North Rogue River valley
Fourth. this proposition has been
submitted TO the people Of that vicin-
ity and is approved by them
Fifth. a portion Of the lands are
so hiph they can not be irrigated by
gravity flow, hence a dam is proposed
at He'll Gate gorge, or some other
point, to furnish power to pump
water for such lands. If there should
be a surplus Of power, It would o'
course, be for sale
Sixth. the point Of diversion lot
gravity flow Is a long way down ,ue
river below any water rights Ior
either irrigation or power Tor so1'"
Rogue River valley in which Is 'o-
Gated your beautiful city.
Seventh. the only power WHEN can
be produced is subject to irrlHa'Io"
first. and other purposes AFTER 'u,
lands have been supplied ana al,
locations of water for power mus
he made subject to the needs OF th'
nublic for domestic use and irrlsa.
tlon. Further. to irrirate aI "
North Rogue River valley VIII no'
take TO exceed 800 second.fee'' whicn
will leave at the lowest stage o'
water which has been observed Ut
five wears. over 900 second-feet ior
other uses. and all Of this water io'
irrigation purposes must be tas'r
a.. n.,a nav dam, else