Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1911-03-23
WAS A WHITEWASH.
Continued from page y

PAs ShSihCci from Los An |
geles, who came to Mackay and sub
mitted a comprehensive detailed re-
port of his fndsngs, which served to
advise his employers of the danger
which would obtain should the dam
be built to greater heighth than so
feet.
The original plans, accepted by the
Brady state land board, contemplated
a dam 1913 feet in height.
Then the citizens communicated
their acquired evidence direct to Gov
ernor Brady. Not until the commit.
tee of Mackay citizens had published
an epitome Of the report of the expert
did the state land board order the
work stopped, and today the dam
stands uncompleted, where it was last
July, and the present state land
board is now constructing an adequate
spillway to lessen the fears Of the
citizens of Mackay against the prob
able danger which might result dur
ing the high water period Of the late
spring floods, which are very heavy
in that drainage area.
Albeit a majority of the committee
found no error on the part Of the
Brady state land board, not one of
whom were required by the investi-
eating committee to be sworn and
testify as to their acts of omission.
Then came the inquiry into the
leasing Of the Fremont county state
grazing lands, $4,000 acres, to the
big Four Sheep Concerns" Of South
eastern Idaho.
These sheep companies are the
Woods Live Stock Compay, managed
by Bishop John w. Hart; the Kicks
Sheep Company, managed by Bishop
Nathan Kicks; the Austin Sheep Com
pany, managed by President Mark
Austin of the Rexburg Stake of Zion;
the Webster Stock Company, manag-
ed by Bishop James Webster, and the
Johnston-Severson Sheep Company,
managed by Bishop Peter G. johnson
of Blackfoot
John Hart has served several terms
in the state senate and is powerful in
southeastern Idaho politics. J. w.
Webster, Eathan Kicks and Pete
johnson have all served several terms
in the lower house from Fremont and
Bingham counties and are all power
full agencies in the politics of their
respective localities.
1t was the Gooding administration
which selected these lands through
State Land Selector Geo. A. Day, a
Mormon elder and former state
senator who had served from Cassia
county in the seventh and eighth
sessions with quite if not all these
cogent, political and ecclesiastical fac
tors i'll Fremont and Bingham coun-
ties. These lands were leased at a
fiat sum Of Z cents per acre.
These was much criticism at the
time Of the superstitious manner in
which these lands were selected and
leased, by the smaller sheep men and
some cattle men of Fremont county
Because of the unequal advantage
granted these distinguished saints one
big sheep man sold out his flock and
went to another part of the state,
where he could engage in the business
on more equal footing, apart from
the operations of a close union of
church and state, with the former in
control.
This first lease was for five years
and expired on December 81, 1909.
The published rules of the land
board inhibit the board from releasing
leased lands until 30 days before the
expiration of the existing lease, and
then says that when two or more APP
plicants appear for the same piece of
land, the lease privileges shall be
sold to the highest bidder.
The testimony before the investi-
eating committee of the 18th Idaho
session of the legislature shows that
on May 8, 1909, j. W. Webster
one of the lessees-appeared before
the board and made verbal applica-
ton for the release of all these lands,
not only to himself but to his associ-
, ate saints, and instanter, by the un-
anmous vote of the Brady state land
board, an order was spread at page
800 of their minute book, granting a
release of these lands for term Of
five years to the bishops of Mormon
dom.
In his testimony before the legis-
lative committee Selector Day adj
mitted that in several instances where
two or more men in Fremont county
had applied for lease on the same
land, he had "arbitrated. In one
instance he had gone to st. Anthony