The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1913-10-24
STATE OFFICIALS
ANSWER BONN
:.
Say That Chicago Man Is III
Informed
FORMER REGISTER STATE LAND
BOARD ALSO WRITES LETTER.
BOhm Makes Assertions That Are
Not Borne Out by Land Board
Records.

Records.
Governor Haines does not take kind
1y to the kind of publicity given the
state by Edward Bohm of Chicago,
ILL.,, through the columns of the Irriga-
tion Age, and he has evidently deter
mined to handle that gentlemtn with
out gloves for some of his statements
made in relation to the Big Lost river
Carey act project In an open letter
addressed to Mr.. Bohm, the governor
gives the other side of the picture and
shows the gentleman up in somewhat
!. the colors OF a muckraker. The gov
kernor's letter follows:
"Mr. Edward Bohm, care the Irriga-
tion Age, Chicago, Ill.-Sir: 1t is evil
dent from your open letter published
in the Irrigation Age for October, as
well as from the references you ap-
pend to your signature, that you at
tempt to qualify as one having expert
knowledge of Carey act matters, but
1t Is just as evident that you are en-
tirely lacking in fairness in your treat
ment of the question which confronts
the land board and the people of Ida-i
no today. This question cannot be
might have been, or by railing at the
state Of Idaho or its officials, past or
present.
Let it be admitted at the outset that
serious mistakes were made in the
financing and construction of small-
percentage of our irrigation projects.
and that these mistakes have been re-
sponsible for much loss and suffering
to individuals and for the arrested de-
velopment of our irrigation enter
prises. The account you give of your
relations to the Big Lost river project
is probably correct, except your state
ment that the land board announced
that 1t would hold first payments on
this tract in escrow. In this you are
not borne out by the gentlemen to
whom you refer, nor by the land board
records. Your story does not differ
materially from that of many others,
nor does 1t help the present situation,
nor bring us any nearer the solution
we are seeking
Neither will it help at this time to
seek to excuse or palliate admitted err
rors, nor to condemn the short-sight-
ed, selfish policy of those who sought
to make political capital out OF an un-
fortunate business situation. Equally
any new enterprise, operated under
untried and perhaps insufficient laws,
administered by inexperienced Off
cials pioneering a new field.
The great question now confront
Ing us is how to proceed so as to carry
these suspended projects to compile
t1on, and to be substantially just to all
concerned. AS you well know, action
not only by the state land board, but
by the legislature has been rendered
impossible by the litigation in which
the Big Lost river project Is involved,
but out of this legal maze we hope to
emerge in the near future. We are
\daily expecting decision by the fed
Ieral circuit court of appeals which
will we hope, definitely settle ques-
tions of title SO that negotiations look
ing to further construction can be
proceeded with. Acting on the best
legal advice obtainable, we have re-
Trained from instituting suit to recov-
er on the boEd pending the decision Of
] the circuit court of appeals, but the
papers have long since been prepared
IN the office of the attorney general
and the state but awaits the expected
decision before filing suit looking to
the recovery of the SIZE, 200 bond.
AAO "a O6CAL AA1lu OOdTU ud6 zone
deeply into all questions affecting this
and other projects and its members
have made numerous personal inves-.
LEGATIONS for the purpose of acquaint-
Ing themselves with the facts in pre-
paration for definite action at the
earliest possible moment. We feel
that we have done everything that
could have been done in the nine
months we have been In office and we
expect to work unremittingly In the
future to bring about a just and satis-
factory solution Of Idaho's irrigation
problems.
We need honest help. thoughtful
suggestions and conservative advice.
We do not need sarcasm. innuendo or
bitter reflections upon the mistakes Of
others.
''If you are III position to give us
any part of what we need. we shall be-
glad to hear further from you at any
time. II your qualifications enable
you to offer only what We do not need,
It IL perfectly evident hot only that
We can expect no help from you, but
that We must continue in our efforts
to bring about proper solution OF
our difficulties in spite Of you and
others who are adopts ct destruction,
but M1re Aovices at construction"
Continued ON page s.