The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-10
SCHEME To MAKE
EASY MONEY
How II Is Proposed to COnfiscate
the Homes of Utah
Farmers.
ECCLESIASTS WORKING
A VERY SMALL GAME
West Cache Valley Tillers of
the Soil Are Now Being
Worked.
Special to Tae-Tribune.

special 70 T.e Tribune.
TRENTON, Utah. Aug 9-There are
n great many things done in Utah that
would never be attempted in other
states, for there is no other state where
a church absolutely dominates as is
done here, and so many things are
worked under the cloak OF Mormonism
that the members of that denomination
have had the wool easily pulled over
their eyes.
But there has at last come an awak-
eMinG. There is revolt on. Tho coun.
sells of the bishop and the counsellors
aud the ward teachers are not being
koeded so much as heretofore. The peo
pIc have stood the many various rake
offs and have allowed themselves to be
held up for so long that the higher &C.
clesiasts reached the conclusion that
the people would stand for anything.
but they have laid on too many straws
and at last the camel's back has been
broken.
West Cache Canal.
In Cache county farmers who reside
in the western part of the county per
fected an organization known as the
West Cache Canal company. The pur-
pose was to construct an irrigation
plant which would water about $4,000
acres of land The work was undertak~
en- and when completed the company
had forty-two miles of canal at an eX-
penditure of S2S5, 900, although the or
iginal estimate of cost was put at S74,
600. In this expenditure was included
bond Issue of 100000 which had cost
to negotiate $4,000 The stock issued
was sold at par and the shares were $40
each. The tiller OF the soil had put up
his money. He paid the price. And
for this enormous expenditure there
was no dam by which the water might
be impounded, and now the intake OF
the canal Is about one and a half feet
above the water line on Bear river
from which the water was to be d.
verted-
Ecclesiasts Buy Stock.
Meanwhile ecclesaists had been gath
erlng IL the stock At from to % cents
on the dollar until the control is now
vested IN the hands of seven OF eight
persons, all high ecclesiasts, and one
of them an apostle. 1t has taken time
TO bring about the control. but it has
been done and now it is proposed to
irrigation district which in the end will
mean a conhscation of the homes of
large number of people and this, too,
under an act of the last legislature.
This act which was approved March
%, 1909, is known as the Pope law, the
bill having been introduced in the house
by Representative Pope of Wasatch
county. He represented a county that
was Just being developed and the gen.
eral opinion was that the measure was
intended for his section of the state,
hence 1T was an easy matter to get
the measure through the legislature.
Where Colored Man Lay.
However there was something else
Cache Canal company. AS said. large
sum had been expended by this com
pany. the stock had been corraled by
high ecclesIasts of the church. There
were muttcrings and murmurs of dis
content among the stockholders. In
.his canal the extraordinary expense
and also the fact that the canal never
rad carried the $50 second feet of wa
Ter which the stockholders had been
assured you'd flow through There had
been sevcral assessments levied upon
;he stock and paid srd the stockholders
had become So incensed over their as
scssmcnts after they had paid the
demands that they let 90 Of inc stock
at the prices cited above, 8 to % cents
on the dollar
This stock could be realized on if
there was n law under which an irri.
CATION district could be created. This
district could be bonded, the stock
could be cleaned up, the old bonds
could be paid off before maturity, thus
giving an additional rake-off Tho half
Of the water right retained by the limo
cent % purchaser could swallow up
what was left. It was a great scheme
il Il could be worked.
Politician Steps In
Cache county contains some smooth
politicians. They know good thing
when they see it, ard it is not ncces
sary to hit them with club when a
rekc-oF is in sight. The West Cache
Canal company was in need Of funds
600 and the rakc.off was $4,000 IN the
nogotintiou of the bonds. The cana
company might issue another 100000
worth Of bonds and rake of of $40,
600 or $4,000 again be secured, but tn,
jivvy would be small. Why not make
good haul and be done with 1t?
conference was held. If the stock O.
be eorraled a killing might be made
This done, an irrigation district could
be formed 1t would provide places 70,
several persons with nice, juicy sala
ries attached, But there was no Law
under which such district could b,
formed.
Then the politicians made a move
1t would not do TO have q bill which
provided for the creation of irrigation
districts come from the north end o
the state, for farmers in that section
might see through the game. The bill
could be prepared TO meet the Yves
Cache Canal case. but 1T must be faith
cred somewhere else. And it was Blu
the father of the measure was innocen
of the deal. He knew nothing abou
the scheme behind the bill. The bill
was passed and was approved March 22
1909.
Irrigation District Proposed.
Under the provisions of this law i
is now proposed 10 create an irrigation
district IL the western part of Cach
county which will take in tho Yves
Carhn Canal company and the 25.00t
arrcs Of land under this canal. Thi
can only be done by the land owner
pe1itioning the board of county CON