The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-08-28
WATER ASSURED FOR
KTTITAS HIGH LINE
Five Million Dollar Project Will
Advertise Bonds Soon and
Begin Construction

The, government contract for the
furnishing of water to the kittitas
High Line canal district was signed
in Washington yesterday by Secretary
Walter Fisher of the department of the
interior, and the hackers of the big
S5,000,00O project are now ready to go
/ ahead with active construction work.
/ This is the first contract signed
under the Warren bill. There is abb
soIutely no precedent to go back to-
said c. w. johnson, of Ellensburg
1.-The officers of the department OF
the interior and the reclamation SER
vice wanted to be certain that this
was a model contract before signing
| it, Several other similarly organized
| districts in every part Of the west
/ want water under this act. All their
projects have been held up pending
| the settlement of the Kittitas district
project. Thus, though we have been
delayed, every other project has been
held back pending the settlement OF
our contract. Again this contract is
not for a limited time only but is for
all time. The government wanted to
be sure that the interests of the pub
lie at large were carefully safe-guard-
/ ed. The directors of the district
wanted to obtain the most favorable
| terms for the people of the valley
Consequently 1t has taken months OF
constant work to obtain a contract
that would be satisfactory to the Of
ficers of the government and the di-
I rectors of the Kittitas Reclamation
district
! Credit to Senator Jones
I I'VE could not have succeed ed
without the untiring work and ef-
forts Of Senator Wesley L. Jones' lie
has been with us from the start He
has given his time and careful at
tention to our interests. He has KEEP;
constantly in communication with MS
and has been a friend of the district
constantly doing everything in his
power to have this contract favorable
to us and quickly signed. Carroll B.
Graves the attorney of the district
has also been to Washington repeat
eddy and much of the success is to
his credit"
! The officers of the district are
| Thomas Haley, president; A. C.
Spaldfng and John Catlfn, directors
and c. w. LONESOME, secretary.
Frank C. Kelsey is the chief engineer
of the district
Advertise Bonds Soon
I The directors will advertise for the
sale of the bonds in the near future
Bond buyers from all parts of the
United States and even from Europe
have had representatives here and
are expected to bid on the bonds
The advertising for the contract will
pi obably follow the advertising for
the sale of the bonds shortly and the
directors expect to have the contract
let and dirt flying late this fall
Some of the largest contracting
firms in the United States have had
their heads or their chief engineers
here going over the project and are
known to be figuring on the contract
An irrigation district under the
laws of the state of Washington, Is
essentially an improved district, with
certain powers of government, reg
ulation and control, for the purpose
of carrying out the objects of it's ere
alton. Proceedings for it's organiza-
! ton are commenced by a petition Il
the board of county missioners
| County court), and on a sufficient
petition, this board calls an election
of the resident land owners within
the proposed district; and, at such
an election, the voters determine
whether or not to organize such dis
trict, and also to select q board Of
directors. If the proposition In favor
| of organization carries by two
thirds majority, the district organ
ICES under the control of the directors
chosen at the election.
Cost is Estimated
Plans are then adopted for an tr.
rtgation system, and the cost there
of estimated and the question wheth
er the district shall become indebted
In the amount proposed by the esti-
mate Is submitted to the vote of the
resident land owners. If there is a
majority vote In favor of such in
dehtedness, then the directors ere au.
thor1zed to issue the bonds of the dis-
trict in the amount estimated, and
devote the fund to the construction Of
the irrigation system, and to purchas-
the necessary, property rights there.
Tor, The bonds are negotiable in
form, bear interest at the rate of siv
per cent per annum, payable semi.
annually. At the expiration OF df.
teen years six per cent of the prin.
cipal sum is payable, and at the ex.
plration of each year thereafter and
including the twenty-ninth year 81,
per cent OF the principal is PAYABLE
and at the expiration of thirty wears
ten per cent is payable. The revenu,
TO pay the interest and principal !,
derived by annual assessment ane
taxation of the real property in tn,
district. The land is assessed accord
ing to its actual value, and the wats,
; of the irrigation system of the dis
! trict is distributed to the land. ratahIv
> In proportion to its assessed vaIua
ton.
Is Governing Body
The board OF directors of the dis
trict causes all assessments To n,
made, equalizes the assessments an,
taxes, has general control over IN,
AFFAIRS of the district, provides nv
laws for the proper distribution n
water, and performs all the function
OF governing body, within the soon
OF the powers of the district
The district is given fun nove,,
to carry out the objects of its organ
izatlon, namely, to acquire Nate
rights and other property. In con