The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-09-01
are past and consider the contract
price of $55 an acre very reason
able"
Board IndOrses Gem District.

condition, that the purchasers shall
agree to enter said land with tho
district, provided that the said dis
trict shall by the first of January
1912, begin construction of a water
system and continue said work 70
completion"
Motion submitted by ATTORNEY
General D. c. McDougall and adopt-
ed by the unanimous vote of the
land board yesterday.
= This action of the board came at
the close Of lively debate between
the representatives OF the two or
CARNATIONS. At the opening of the
meeting a communication was read
from Ed B. Williams, representing
7. B. Garretson, Jr., a capitalist of
Portland, in which he said he had
cast in his fortunes with the Gem
Irrigation district This came in the
nature of a Knockout for the Ida
gon boosters, for they had been de-
pending on Williams to finance their
enterprise; he had agreed to be on
hand yesterday with assurances of
his ability to carry the scheme
through; he had an option on the
Idagon project running to Sept. s,
thus shutting the hackers of that
proposition from the opportunity of
tying up with other financiers.
Attorney ]. M. Thompson of Cald-
we'll was the first speaker of the at
ternoon. He said that C. B. Smith,
of the firm of Smith, Carey & Chase,
was present; a member Of a big en-
cheering firm of Montreal, Canada;
that he had agreed to the terms of
a contract for his company; that he
was abundantly able to handle the
proposition and that his firm was
ready to start work at the begin
ing of the year.
oliver o. Haga was present as
the representative of the Crane
Falls Power and Irrigation company,
that proposed to install the plant,
and assured the board that the Arm
was ready for business when as
sured by the land board and the en-
cheering firm that everything was
all right.
Favors Consolidation.
Milton Cage spoke in favor of the
consolidation of the two projects
the Gem and the Idagon. He said
there were 1000 acres of state land
that would not be watered by the
Gem pumping plant, but that 1t was
capable of irrigation under the Ida
gon gravity system. He said S. H.
Hays, representing the Kuhn inter
ests, had made a proposition to COM
bine the two projects, and that the
land board should not tie up with
the Gem until after it had consid-
cred this proposition.
c. C. Smith, OF the engineering
firm, said his firm had been in the
Snake river valley for the past two
years; that it had spent 100000
on the investigation of different pro-
jects; that 1t considered the Gem the
most feasible; that there was not
sufficient water available for the up
per land, and that these were cut
out for the present. His firm, he
said, proposed to put in a pumping
plant large enough to take care OF
$4,000 or 10000 acres. He said
that without the state lands included
in the district the scheme was not
feasible.
II. D. Page made a strong plea for
the Idagon project. He said MS
company already had 25 miles OF
canals. a camp for rs men and had
spent $4,000. He said further that
tho Kuhns were ready to back the
Idagon project and that he stood
ready to give bond to those In tho
Gem district that their interests
would be cared for.
Curtis Hayden OF Caldwell spoke
for some OF the members OF the
Gem district and raised the question
aa 10 whether the Smith COMPANY
was reliable and whether 1t would
be wise for the members of the dis
trict to join in the construction OF
A dam In the Snake river, He said
II the land board decided to go IN
the settlers would be willing to FOL
low.
Didn't Get Fair Chance.
s. H. Hays said his company hed
not been given fair opportunity 10
take up the proposition. He thought
a combination of the two projects
would be the best for all concerned
He said the larger plant, including
humping and gravity, would cost
more at the beginning, but that the
maintenance charge would be less.
President McCoard of the Gem dis