The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-12-18
WANT IRRIGATION PROJECT NOW
Plan Outlined at Meeting Monday Sug-
gesting Way to Avoid Any
Further Delay

urtneT Octdy
a plan in embryo that proposes the
early Inauguration of work on the West
Okanogan Valley Irrigation project, which
includes the project formerly embraced IN
the East and West Okanogan Valley lr-
rigation districts, was presented by
committee of Tonasket cltlzens to hur-
ridly called meeting of land owners and
business men of Oroville at the city hall
here Monday afternoon. The idea was
carefully considered and discussed by all
present and met with such approval that
Il committee was appointed to draft as
comprehensive a proposition embody-
ing the idea possible and present 1t to
IL mass meeting of all citizens interested
in the project to be held in Orovlne on
Tuesday morning, December %, and
similar meeting to be held at Tonasket
the following day, Wednesday, Dec. 23.
About twenty persons were present at
the meeting Monday to hear the sugges-
tion of the committee from Tonasket.
composed of NJ. X. Bowen, j. z. Douglas
and r. l.. Picken. l.. +. Pourtales cali
ed the meeting to order and asked Mr..
Bowen to present the proposal.
Mr.. Bowen briefly outlined the propos-
a number of the land owners under the
project held at Tonasket Monday, Decem-
ber Z. AS he explained the suggestion is
that the people of the district undertake
to put the project through on their own
initiative. Assuming that the Great
Northern will be unable to handle the
bonds while the financial market is up
set by the European war which promises
ari hnf f1rf I
long delay and uncertainty would endan-
ger the ultimate completion of the pro-
ject, the land owners at the Tonasket
meeting determined to undertake the
construction with what aid and co-opera-
tion they can secure, and the united ef-
fort and assistance of everyone owning
land or doing business within the district.
l. was suggested that the bonds wOula
be accepted in part payment for the Ia
Dor, the work to be performed by resi-
dent land owners under the ditch and by
others in the vicinity who hope and ex-
pect to profit by the construction OF the
ditch, that material could be paid for
with bonds and that sufficient amount
of the bonds could be sold for cash to
provide enough money to carry on the
work to successful completion.
Mr.. Bowen was emphatic in the express
sion of confidence In the feasibility Of the
plan If the hearty and unreserved cooper
alton of all the people directly and indi-
recty interested in the construction OF
the ditch can be obtained.
]. +. Douglas was next called upon to
further elaborate the plan and offer his
suggestions, and he read the following
prepared statement, giving his views:
I'VE want that ditch-the Orovlle
ditch. We all know that the Okanogan
valley with it's peculiar climatic immun-
tiles is superior in natura. advantages to
any valley in the same latitude in the
United States. With water it will be-
come a garden of productive fertility, and
in fruit and vegetable growing will make
homes for, and give work to tens of thous-
ands of people.
"And the densely settled valley will be
a market for the wheat, wheat hay. oats.
barley, beef, pork and other produce of
the Nelson, Havillah, Wauconda, Anglin.
Tunk creek and Pine creek regions. And
during the berry and general fruit har-
vest seasons and during the winter and
early spring pruning and spraying sea-
sons, the valley will need and be glad to
have the help of every spare man, wo-
at good pay. Thus the valley and the
hills will work together; each needs and
will help the other And now neighbors,
you of the hills and you of the valley.
both of whom are vitally, almost equally
interested, this appeal is to you, for you
all. We, all of us need and want that
Orovile ditch. And now.
IF the Great Northern, on whom we
have been depending, can and will dig
the ditch, good and weA. That has been
the plan of the past and if it will work
out the writer and every one else at the
lower end will lend every aid possible to
help the matter to a successful finish
But with the slaughter of a world at war
shaking the financial universe to its CEN
ter, the Great Northern may find it diff
ficult, likely impossible. to dig up over
half million in gold coin with which
to put thru this project. Then what !?
Shall we wait the year or more for the
war to end and some three to five years
for financial matters to readjust them
selves, meanwhile passing up our water
rights. and await private capital to take
the matter up at possibly a much higher
cost? That. neighbors. is the issue and
it is coming up to you sQuarely and
the private building we might stand some
extra expense, for as projects now cost,
the Great Northern requirement of $50
per acre (regarded by some as higher
than necessary is only about half price
but the intolerable waiting the uncer-
tainty, the doing nothing and getting no
where. Neighbors, here is one who would
rather give three or six months labor
outright If necessary, and blot out this
picture of a dreary desert to be replaced
by a productive garden of plenty and
prosperity. Others here at the lower enc
feel much the same, and at IA meeting
held at Tonasket December 7th plar
OF action was formulated that the lower
end will back with labor and some means
If it proves acceptable to the central ant
Oroville sections AS the writer has fol
two years given some thought to a pos
sible way out IL other plans failed, h,
was requested by the meeting to give pub
licity to his ideas and the plan proposed
thru the medium of the two enterprisinl
papers at Oroville and Tonasket Nov