The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-08-28

is in any considerable measure de
pendent upon irrigation. These va
rious acts have been upheld In ever,
instance by the courts OF hast resor
in the several states; and the con
stitutionality of the act of California
almost identical in its provisions witt
that of Washington, has been upheld
by the supreme court of the United
States. In addition the several op.
erative features of the law have beer
universally sustained by the courts
| Organized Years Ago
| The Kittitas reclamation distric;
was organized in September, 1911, by
a nearly unanimous vote of it's elec-
tors. Out of a total of 3SS votes
there We're only six votes against the
organization. The board of directors
at once organized. and, after extern
sive engineering reports had been
received, estimated that five millions
of dollars were needed for COM
plete irrigation system and the ac-
curing of all necessary property
rights, and an election was called for
! the purpose of determining whether
bonds in that amount. This election
was held on the 10th day of Decem-
ber 1911, and out of total of 37e
votes on the proposition, only 81 votes
were cast against it. "
A general scheme for the irriga-
ton of the lands included within the
district has been in contemplation
for some years. The idea first being
to undertake the construction of the
system through the agency of pri-
| vate corporation, and later after the
approval of the Act of Congress of
1902, commonly referred to as the
Reclamation Act" it was sought to
| induce the interior department to I'M
| dertake the construction of this sys-
| tenn, through the agency of the re-
clamation service. Exhaustive sur
veys were made under the direction
of the secretary of the interior, but
before any work was undertaken, the
| reclamation service had invested
such large sums in various projects
In the sixteen western states and ter
ritories that the secretary of the in
terror had not at his command suffi-
GENT funds to construct this system
Got Act of Congress
| The surplus flow of the Yakima
river is not sufficient to provide a
water supply for these lands, and II
must be supplemented by storage wa
ter The United States government
as has been noticed before, has had
in contemplation the providing. of a
storage water for these lands and
other lands adjacent to the Yakima
river, and has been, and is now en-
gagged in constructing storage works
Lake Kachess and Keeehelus
The interior department, realizing
that it would not have at it's COM
mand sufficient funds to carry out
all of its contemplated projects, de-
cided to concentrate it's efforts to the
storage of water, and leave to other
agencies the task of distribution. In
aid of this view, the congress of the
United States, by act approved Feb
ruary 81, 1911, known as the War
rem Act" provided that the secretary
of the interior was authorized to de-
liver storage water to irrigation dis
tricts private corporations, and other
persons, upon payment of the actual
cost of storage.
Water Was Assured
| BY his letter of June 10. 1911, the
secretary of the interior gave official
assurance that there would be detiv-
cred to the Kittitas reclamation dis
| trict sufficient amount of storage
water to meet its demands upon the
organization of the district, and a
proper showing of it's ability to con-
struct distributing system The
funds to be derived by the districts
proposed bond issue will be used IN
the payment of the cost of storing 4
perpetual water supply for the dis
trict, and in the construction of the
necessary canals and irrigating works
and by this method the irrigation Of
the lands of the district will be ac
complished f air e9et
1t is believed that when contracts
are let, the construction cost will
make the expenditure of the district
fall below the estimate of five mil
lion dollars. but it was determined
to have an indebtedness to that
amount authorized, so that there
could be no question as to the ability
! of the district to complete and pu,
| into operation its entire system.
| The bonds are secured not ONLY by
the taxation of the land, but by eX-
press provision of the statute. are
made lien upon the irrigation sys-
tenn, water rights and all other prom
erty of the district The lands are
liable to annual taxation for the pay
ment of the interest and principle
ana the taxes levied are enforced nv
tax sale in all respects as conclu-
slVe as in case of sale for taxes lev
led to pay general state, county n,
municipal bonds. tract of land Is
not relieved from further taxation
ana sale by reason of n sale after any
| particular delinquency. but Is held
and remains liable for further taxa
ton and sale, upon its assessed pro.
p,rtion, until the bonds are fully
paid These taxes are superior to an,
antecedent or subsequent mortgage
| lien, or other incumbrance. or ann
conveyance. The statute of thi,
! state has received such CONSTRUCTION
ny the state supreme court.
Big Construction Work
rhe principal approximate duanti
ties in the entire work are as fol.
lows: Excavation, 5000, 900 cubic
Yards; concrete masonry, 10000 Gu
bic yards; steel. 100000 pounds
tunnels, 10000 lineal feet: and sy