The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-08
BY G. E. ARNEY.

Special 10 The Tribune,
9,oG; Boise, Ida, Ida, April when the
were begun. little was known OF It's scope
when the lid was first removed This
was equally true OF the Philadelphia. OF
san Francisco and recently of tho Pitts
burg Investigations.
There is in the hearts OF all patriotic
people Of the country an inclination TO
ald In the unearthlng OF wrongdolng. es-
pcciaily when attached TO the record of
one chosen TO perform a public trust.
find this true In Idaho.
] have previously referred To my
ama2emcnt at the scope and the degree
of public interest attaching TO the rcrcl-
ations OF The Tribune In It's presenta-
tions on the Oneida irrigation district
| scandals, same being a quasi-public cor
poraulon,
am again called unou to express
srea, surprise at the scope and degree
Of interest taken in the brief exposition
made OF the improprieties Of the aLtor-
ncy generals office.
The first misconduct I took occasion
to point out TO the readers of The Trib-
une was the act OF omission OF the at
torney general, In company with the
state supcrin ntendent of public nstruc-
ton, as a member ex-officio Of the state
board Of education in permitting TWO
polySamouS women to draw public money
as school teachers I'm Preston. the me-
tropois of Oneida county where the at
torucy general. Mr., McDougall, has lived
for twenty years.
The second misconduct 1 mentioned
In relation 10 this office was an act OF
commission in that he left his Office In
Boise and travelled all the way to Malad
to act as an attorney for Parkinson ana
Hart In a suit whcrein the resident own
ers OF the land under the Oneida irriSo-
tlon district undertook 10 recover alb
stractod funds from its deposcd, default
ing officers. the state of Idaho. through
It's state land fund. being the largest
holder OF acreage under the irrigation
district system, and the attorney general
being A member eX-onlcio OF the state
board OF land commissioners,
This appears TO be only a portion ot
the culpabity Of this official, which fact
we observe with more than passing re-
Gret.
Anti-State Oficialdom.
In the office OF the attorney general is
an assistant Joseph III. Peterson. VINO
has overstepped the bounds OF proprlcty
and. following in the wake OF his su-
pcrior officer he also casts his weight
in the balances against the citizens ot
owners in one OF the meritorious Carey
act projects OF this great commonwealth
which has been so eminently successful
I'm its operations of this federal law oil
sixteen years ago, that IL often seems
the law was made especially for Idaho.
Joe Peterson, the assistant attorney
general under Attorney General Me
Dougall, is one OF three owners Of the
original MidOury Carey act project in
lIlmore county. In conjunction with l..
G Bradley. the present general man
the original promoters, and the present
vice president. j. II, Peterson, then as
now an assistant in one Of the four Of
fees of the state whose superior con
stitutes the state land board, entered
into contract for the waters and tho
reservoir site. and later secured filings
on four or five streams 10 furnish water
To this project and without any regard
for even the modesty Of the situation.
these dlincs were made in the name OF
the assistant attorney general j. il.
Peterson.
on the 10th day OF February. 1909. !.
H. Peterson actually fled on 1000 second
feet OF several streams In Gilmore coun-
uy which filing was for the purpose OF
conveying water onto the Midbury Carey
act lands, where later the state land
board was to. and did, authorize a sale
OF lands 10 he made to people whom the
state are inviting here TO make new
homes. This Ming was made in the
office OF the state engineer. Of whom the
attorney general Is the legal adviser.
On May thereafter the state engineer
Issued his permits to the assistant TO
his own legal adviser j. II. Peterson.
They were numbered 1915 and 1916 and
they entitled the attorney generals as
sistant TO appropriate and TO use the
creeks for irrigation purposes.
Unfaithful Work.
Following this segregation was made
by the state board OF LAND commission
crs. whose officers are the governor, at
torney general, secretary OF state and
school superintendent. The scheme was
allowed TO have existence by this board
and among the persons 10 promote the
plan was j. IL. Peterson. the assistant
20 Attorney General McDougan. who sat
on that board and not only granted the
segregation. but fixed the price OF the
water TO be sold 10 the settlers a SEQ
for each and every acre: same being the
highest price yet fixed by any board
for any project within the limits OF the
state since the first acceptance OF the
Carey act by this state.
Later these gentlemen formed a cor
poration, known as the King Hill EN-
tension Irrigation company. limited"
with a capital stock OF 5000 900. divided
into 100000 shares of 81 each. whercup-
on Assistant Attorney General Peterson
transferred the water rights granted I'm
his name by the state engineer. whose
office Is presumed to obtain its legal ad-
vice from the attorney general of the
state, TO this new corporation. In consid-
Grafton of which transfer the new COM
pany issued one-half or 500. 600 Of its
stock 10 G, w. Thompson and j. II.
Peterson.
So far as the record shows. j. II. Peter
son. the assistant attorney general TO
Attorney General McDougall. still main
tains his interest In said company
The state board of land commissioners
constituted as above suggested. Is the
basis for the Carey act. I'm that the gov
eminent. as well as the settler on the
lands. are by the terms OF the act. di-
rected 10 them for protection, They are
the all-powerful agency of control in
determining what is n fair compensation
for the land in justice TO the promoter
Of the individual project and to the set
tier under the land. whom. finally
must bear the burden of debt and pay it
off with accrued interest
Important Functions.
There is no other function of greater
Importance TO the future social CONNER
Cial and educational life OF this state
than this power exercised by these four
officials sitting i'm Judgment on contracts
for Carey act lands. In the main. they
deal with legacy which the fathers and
mothers Of this generation are 10 hand
down 10 their posteritY. The duties are
consequently Of the most serious nature.
| do not intend To call into question
the merits OF the Medbury or King Hill
Extension Irrigation project. The land is
Of the very y best in Idaho and I pre-
sumo the reports OF the state engineer
TO be scientific aud fair But the coarse
ness OF the situation. the total disregard
of propricty and the opportunities for
fayoritism To the promoting force. OF
of which the assistant To the attorney
general was one. is eminenuy unfair, un-
professional. and utterly fails to afford
protection to those who own and NAV