Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-08-11
DECLARES IRRIGATION
DISTRICT NOT WANTED
BY M. ]. Anderson.

Courier advising that, as thu irriga-
tion act was new, it should be fairly
and openly discussed, before a dis
trict was voted under its terms has
brought no public response. 1t stirred
up some private personal abuse of my
self; but that Is no argument. and
will have absolutely no effect on my
opinion of the project or Its cham
pions, This is not personal ques-
tion and should not be judged accord
ing to our likes or dislikes Of the peo-
pie favoring or opposing.
Mr.. Paul s. Seeley informed ne
personally that was wrong in stat-
ing that the cost In case the district
was defeated would be paid by him
and his associates. He says he was
engaged by the Josephine irrigation
& Power company as an irrigation
expert" to put this district through.
and that all cost, past and future has
been, and will be, paid by the above
company, which has given a Dond to
secure such expense. / was surprised
at the above information and cheer
fully make the correction; also with
draw the intimatlon that Mr. Seeley
was a "philanthropist" for he made
| 1t plain the deal was strictly bust
ness affair with him, and the stock
holders of the local irrigation COM
pany paid the freight.
Mr. Seeley also criticised my state
ment that he was supposed" to own
water filings above the Ament dam;
he says he does own such filings so
We will strike out the word sup
posed. There were other small
things in the article with which he
found fault: "gumshoelng", for In
stance; but l do not care 10 make
correction without a more suitable
word to substitute, and the express
sion suits my idea of the methods fol-
lowed.
Mr.. Seeley, who seems to know
what he is talking about, says the In
tenton is TO organize and find out
the best service Of supply, which may
be storage on Louise creek, the APP
plegate or higher on Rogue river for
there is nothing to show the Ament
dam Is the best supply" OF course
this is the intention. No one would be
guilty of thinking business men such
as the board of directors of the JOS
ephine company would engage an ir-
rlgation expert and expend approx
mately 1000 to perfect an organiz-
alton to the point Of electing a board
Of five directors to watch Sanders;
as is claimed by those who pretend
there Is no intention to complete the
district and attempt to bond the land
II II were only necessary to have an
antagonistlc committee OF some kind
to watch Sanders, II looks like the
present board could fill the bill, as II
has had some experience In that line
during the past year or two.
claim there Is no need OF dis
trict organization at this time; that
the expenditure OF money for that
purpose after the sale to the Chicago
company was not justlflable, whether
there was authority to do 80 or not;
but II there was such a need the law
is a dangerous one and no landowner
should vote without thorough un.
derstandlng OF It's terms. The pro.
vision allowing nonresident owners
TO vote would permit OF any large
landholder temporarily transferring
small tracts TO his nonresident
friends for voting purposes and con
trolling elections, bond issues, assess
ments; II Is un-American, unsafe and
pronounced unconstitutional by every
attorney who has investigated II.
In my opinion there was neither
legal nor moral right to do what hal
been done. A bargain was made be
tween the local irrigation board ant
the Chicago-Rogue River company b,
which the bitches, water rights, ant
all property, was sold TO the latte
and this sale was ratified unanimous
ly on June 10. One OF the terms o
this sale, an recollect II, was tina
the Chicago company issue notes o
small denomination 10 be given 4
the stockholders TO the full value o
the stock held, and these notes wer,
to be accepted by the Chicago com
pany at their face value In paymen
for water 10 the extent Of 90 pc
cent OF each seasons water rental. II
other words the Btockholder sold hi
stock and took the note in payment
with the whole OF the proDerty eold