Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-06-07
BY A. Z. Gilmore, Victim. !"

torney General Peterson at conference
of western governors, Denver, Coloo
Mr.. Peterson may be able by an out
burst of eloquence to convince a dozen
governors that the above statements
are true but he will have a hard time
in convincing the thousand or more
victims OF Idaho Carey act projects,
scattered all over the west. that there
has been no fraud committed.
Let's analyze some Of his statements
and see II we can find evidence to sus-
tain or discredit them. Take the fol-
lowing: There has been no fraud
practiced by the state of Idaho or the
officers of that great state"
When Mr. Woods attempted to get
this project transferred to a Carey act
he found that certain individual had
applied for a considerable portion of
1t and 1t was being held as state selec-
ton. Neither this individual nor the
great state of Idaho were making any
effort to reclaim this land, but it
was simply being held back from
homestead entry as no one dared to
settle upon 1t.
When Mr.. Woods asked him to re-
linquish this land so that it might be
included in the segregation where 1t
properly belonged this public spirited
gentleman demanded $1.25 per acre,
which, of course, Mr.. Woods refused
to pay Yet this man who could file
an application for several thousand
acres of the public domain and have ii
withdrawn from entry by bona flde
settlers. hol ling it thu, for years, per-
haps, and then demand SLIPS per acre
for his REIMBURSEMENT, after he had
pursued his dogin tile manger policy
as long as he we'll could. this man, I
say, was inspired with the laudable de-
sire to develop an undeveloped region
and push forward the frontier of civ
ilization.
When the state land board allowed
the Blaine County Irrigation company
to include 140D0 u res OF land in their
segregation, when they had demon
strated their inability to properly irri-
gate 500 acres, Pc mitting them to take
tens of thousands CT dollars from I'M
suspecting and rlisinformed people, for
which they have given nothing in re-
turn, they were simply inspired with
the laudable desire to develop an I'M
developed region.
When that certain member of the
state land board. who was present at
the September farce in Arco, got up
and told those settlers on the unsur-
veyed land that they were simply tres
passers, that they would have to go
into the drawing and take a Carey act
or lose all they had invested, there
was no intention to defraud or deceive
any one; he was merely inspired by
! the laudable desire to develop an un-
developed region and push forward the
I frontier of civilization.
When the land board accepts final
proof upon that land that had never
had water upon 1t, or. land that had a
prior water right upon it; or was
! occupied by a bona fide homesteader;
or land that had no house upon it, or
had never been occupied by the entry
man. they were only inspired by the
laudable desire to develop an unde-
veloped region.
| When the names of those several
settlers were sscGf ed to an applica-
ton for the survey of their land the
meaning of t.ose applications surrepti-
tiously changed and falsely certified.
no fraud was being perpetrated at all,
but the laudable desire to develop an
undeveloped region was being dis
/ played.
! When the company sold water rights
over lands that was already covered
by previous water rights and declared
those water rights forfeited because
the holders would not come into the
Carey act, there was no intent to de-
fraud. or to deprive any one of their
rights or property, they were only in
spired by the laudable desire to de-
velop an undeveloped region.
| When the land board gave their
agent at Arco permission to inspect all
final proof tracts and allowed him to
collect the sum of $40 each from the
already overburdened settlers, not be-
cause the land needed inspecting, but
because the agent needed the money,
this not being a state law but law
of the land board, as the law provides
that two witnesses accompany each
applicant for final proof, who are sup
posed to have inspected the land; such
evidence being sufficient in any United
States land office, 1t would seem that
this second inspection at fee of $40
was perpetrating a graft, or, in other
words, fraud. And, the fact, too, that
this $40 inspector was never known
to alter any evidence submitted by the
witnesses, whether that was upon a
tract that didn't have habitable house
upon 1t or one that never had water
upon It, or one that had never been
occupied by the entryman caused some
inconsiderate settlers to remark that
| they didn't feel any different over the
loss of their $40 than they would have
had some fellow held them UP on their
way to Arco and relieved them Of 1t
at the point of gun.
4 But we know 1t was not fraud. be-
cause Attorney General Peterson says
that the land board that allowed this
$40 and. of course, their agent that TOOK
1t was inspired with the laudable desire
to develop an undeveloped region.
! When the several bonafide settlers
who have lived upon their farms for
four or five years were contested In
their homestead applications by the
promoters of the Blaine County Irriga'-
/ ffap epranapv and tia land hoard ~