Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-02-10
NO LEGISLATION
ON DRAINAGE
Hon. T. J. Jones with Other Members
Found it Impossible for
Any Action.
Any Action
TEST LAW BY A FRIENDLY SUIT
) Also Have an Attorney Frame Up New
Drainage Law.
Boomers Ferry, Feb. 5, 1912
Mr.. Bert Hall, Editor Herald;

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Dear Sir:
Owing to the fact that we are
all interested in seeing the success
full prosecution of the work OF
draining the overflow lands of the
Kootenai Valley. l though it might
be of interest to state through your
columns, some things regarding the
extra session of the legislature and
the drainage law.
1t was thought possible to get
the Governor to call another extra
session to consider the amendment
of the drainage law, Immediately
following the close of the extra seq
sion called to consider tax matters.
But there were many other things
which the mem bers interested con-
sidered Just as urgent and impor-
tant as our drainage law, and
which the Governor would have
been asked to include in any such
extra call. If all these had been
included it would have made too
long a session. and if only one had
been included, the members would
not have been in the mood to pass
anything, no matter how much
merit it might have had, Near the
close Of the session Mr.. Farmin,
Mr.. Sanborn and myself consulted
regarding the matter and enlisted
the aid of Speaker Storey who
wanted constitutional amendment
permitting a property qualification
for voters in organizing drainage
and irrigation districts. We can
vassed the sentiment of the House
to a sufficient extent to find out
that We could not hope to get any
thing through, without taking in
too many other subjects. All the
members were impatient to get
home, and any attempt to bold
them there even day longer with
out a general compromise, includ-
ing other legislation. would have
created so much opposition that it
would have been impossible to
pass anything AS nearly as
could arrive at the sentiment OF
those interested in the drainage
projects directly, it is that those
who own land in the district
should be allowed a vote In organi-
cation, whether they reside in thu
district or not. Or, in other words
there should be a property qualifi
cation for voting. By recent de
cision of the Supreme Court i'll al
irrigation case, it appears that they
hold that an irrigation district be
ing a quasi-public corporation
comes under the same provision
of the Constitution as municipa
corporation or a school district
Lawyers say that a drainage dis
trict is in the same legal status a
an irrigation district and would
therefore, come under this rulin
also.
Hence, il seems to be necessar
to observe the regular election law
in so far as the qualifications {
voters is concerned, in the organ
ton of districts, and the law coul
be so amended as to provide for a
election to vote bonds, when
property qualification could be r
quired
Bnt it seems TO me that il woul
be we'll to have some good lawy,
90 into the entire law and frame I
something as near as possible
what is desired. that will confor
to the Constitution, and present
to the next regular session, when
could probably be enacted witho
any trouble.
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