Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-06-26

to water my own place, / have also
inquired into the possibilities and
practicability of storing water for the
valley through the cooperation of its
citizens. l have learned through
competent engineers that there are
several good natural reservoir sites
that could be used for this purpose
Their locations are such that practi.
cally all of the valley could be
reached. Being situated high in the
mountains, the loss from evaporation
would be negligible. We have nc
physical obstacle prohibiting. But
the sticking point has always been
the lack of financial backing for such
an enterprise.
AS / see it, here is the remedy:
Under the present water laws of our
state when sufficient number OF
land owners in a community have
lands susceptible of irrigation from a
common source they are authorized
to organize themselves into irriga-
tion districts, to issue bonds, build
reservoirs and bitches, buy and sell
lands and do and perform any other
work necessary to establish and
maintain comprehensive irrigation
system. Here is the law:
Chapter Z, title XII, Lords Oregon
Laws, as amended by chapter 223,
General Laws of Oregon for 1911.
Section 6167 reads: Whenever fifty
or majority of holders of title to
lands susceptible of irrigation from
common source or combined sourc-
es, and by the same system or COM
bined systems of works, desire to pro-
vide for the irrigation of the same,
they may propose the organization of
an irrigation district, under the pro-
visions of this act, and when so or
ganized such district shall have the
powers conferred, or that may be
hereafter conferred, by law, up6r
such irrigation Districts
After organization, if the directors
see fit, they can, in lieu of a bond
issue, enter into contract with the
United States for the construction oi
such irrigation works under author.
ity of IAN act appropriating the re-
ceipts from the sale and disposal ot
public lands in certain states and ter.
ritories to the construction of irriga.
tion works for the reclamation o.
arid lands" (Seetion 61S1 of the
above chapter, Lords Oregon Laws.
Those who wish to read the law
can obtain the same, without cost, by
writing to John H. Lewis, state en-.
gineer, Salem, Ore, and asking fol
copies of the State Engineers Bien-
nial Report and Oregons Water
Laws, both bound in pamphlet form
They are well worth the reading and
are for free distribution.
Why not get together, the business
men and producers, in the true spirit
of cooperation and thoroughly inves-
tigate the merits of this proposition ?
If it is feasible and worthy of the
effort, organize the valley, or large
portion of it, into irrigation districts,
issue bonds or contract with the
United States for the necessary
works, and then OWN the system
instead of waiting indefinitely for
some corporation to come and, with
our own money, put in a system and
charge us twice the cost for the priv
ilege of enjoying its benefits? Work
ing on cooperative basis, the con-
struction work will give employment
to men of our community that need
and want the work. This money will
all be circulated at home and han
died by our local merchants and
banks. Every person in the commun-
ity will derive a benefit. AS soon as
construction is completed and water
applied our crops will double.
Some one is ready to say 1--WE can
not find market for what we have
grown. Why grow more?" To these
would say, Convert your product
into something that WILL sell. AL
most every acre of our valley will
grow grass, clover, vetch or alfalfa,
and grass will make meat, and who is
1t that will say there is no market
for meat when we have to pay from
22 cents up for bacon and corre-
spondingly high prices for other
meats? There is always a ready cash
market for meats and dairy products.
and nothing we can grow will ex-
haust the soil so little and give so
large returns annually with the same
investment and labor. Whynot make
a start toward the establishment of
a cooperative creamery, cheese fac