Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1913-07-31
URGES LONGER TIME
ON WATER PAYMENTS
Governor Haines Still Strong in his
Belief that Carey Act Payments
Should be Extended.

at Gooding last week, again urges
that longer term of years be given
Carey act settlers in which to make
payments for their land, stating
that the present term Of ten years
with the first installment falling
due at the time water is first avail
able for irrigation, invariably works |
a hardship on the settler. The |
governor suggests that the time he
heightened to twenty-five or thirty
years. Other changes in Carey act
regulations are being contemplated
a the result Of investigations by
the state irrigation commission,
with view of bettering the condi-
ton of the settler and giving more
stability TO irrigation securities.
Concerning these matters the gov
ernor spoke as follows:
When the first contracts for
water rights under the Carey act
projects were made the idea was
generally prevalent that in order to
find market for irrigation bonds
it was necessary to promise quick
return thereon. The mistake was
therefore made Of providing that
payments for water rights should
be made in ten annual installments,
the first installment falling due at
the time the water was ready for
delivery. 1t requires no argument
to convince you that in most cases
this provision of the contract has
placed a burden upon the settler
which in justice and reason he
should never have been expected to
carry. In many cases he has beer
unable to meet his obligations and
the security OF the bond purchase
has thereby been impaired. Th'
result Of all this has been that irri
cation securities have been for som'
time practically drug upon th'
market and when sold at all it ha'
l been only at an enormous discount
which has added an additional bur
den TO the enterprise selling tn
bonds. OF course, this burden ha
to be borne in the end by the set
\ tier.
n While we have no reason to douo
o the sincerity of the governor in hi
>, views on this matter, and while W
Il realize that the land board has n
legal authority to change any OF tn
l. existing Carey Act contracts, we d
i believe that they could do muc
!, toward bringing about an extensio
=, of the payments of the present sci
d, tiers on Carey act projects.
|
.. The Governor admits that unde
present conditions the average sci
tier cannot meet his payments
=, prescribed under the contracts, an
,, vet together with the land board !
-, is endeavoring to devise some meal
+, whereby the securities may be e'
. hanced from the viewpoint OF I'll
i bondholder. There are practical
';s no new segregations being open'
~ no in the state at the present TIN
40 and we doubt if there will be UNI
40 the present settlers are made TO ie
o that they can meet their obligation
Is il not incumbent upon the sta
); therefore to use its best influence
Lo getting the irrigation companies
arrange an extension OF these pa
-. ments along the lines as suggest
Il by the Governor
tie At the present time the s.a'e
an clamoring for patents for lands
M the various Carey act segregation
,as while the settlers on some OF th'
nv nroiects are at the same time p
IA testing against the issuing oil th
patents, believing that the iSsua'
of n patent at this time would We
re- a hardship to them instead Oh
al benefit. With long time ext
~ sion arranged for and the lear
ore foreclosure obviated, we do not
Of lieve there would be any great
,m lection to the issuing of patents.
tb- Instead of talking about tut
Inv contracts as means OF enhane
.f tha hpnd nOluer.