Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-07-31
SETTLERS SHOW
SURPRISE AT THE
ACTION OF BOARD
Approval of Contract With
the North Side Company
Arouses Indignation ALI
Over the Tract.

Settlers on the Twin Falls North
Side project were evidently entirely
taken by surprise at the action of the
state land board this week in approx
ing the new contract of the Twin Falls
North Side Land & Water company.
Many of them are said to be indignant
To show that sentiment was against
the contract petitions of protest were
at the time of its approval being cir
culated on the tract and literally
signed In a letter to Governor Haines.
H NJ Burditt, one of the land owners,
voices the disappointment of settlers
over the boards action.
Many of the settlers are said to go
so far as to declare the new contract
to be outrageous. They claim it is an
absolute surrender to the company,
placing the settlers at its mercy, for
the company is given every point it
oontended for except delivery of water
at Miner. Some of the settlers claim
they stand to 1 against the new con-
tract. while others assert that if a
canvass was made and the landoWn-
ers knew the concessions they are
making to the COMPANY they would
stand to l against the contract.
Engineering Investigation Ordered.
The board voted this week to slightly
amend the contract offered by the
company to the settlers and approve
it. At the same time the board in
structed the state engineer to make an
engineering investigation of the prof.
ect Immediately to determine the
amount of money that will be required
to complete the project so that the
board may be in a position to deter
mine the amount of bond it will require
the company to put up to assure faith
full performance of contract.
Prior to the board meeting this week
a hearing had been held at which both
the representatives Of the settlers and
the company or the trustees acting for
the bondholders of the company We're
heard. The Canal Users association
represented by r. V. Wilcox, protest
ed against the board approving the
contract. r S. Shepherd, representa-
tive of the trustees urged that the
board accept the contract. Those for
and against in some numbers were
heard. The board then took the new
contract under .adVisement. This week
it approved i. Now the settlers are
being heard from in protest. Mr.. Bur
ditts letter to the governor shows
some of the feeling that exists on the
tract. 1t is as follows.
Settlers Were Surprised.
Hon. John NJ Haines,
Chairman State Land Board,
Boise, Idaho
Dear Governor. I was taken entire
" by surprise on Tuesday to learn that
the state land board had passed upon
the approval of the new contract Of
fered on the Twin Falls North Side
tract, for I had understood that it
would not be decided before Friday or
Saturday of this week
Thinking that we would have that
much time, protests were being circu-
lated over the tract for the signature
of individual settlers, but had not been
nearly completed when We learned Of
the decision.
Although the matter is now decided
yet in view of the repre- entations that
were made to your board that only q
few settlers were Directing to the ap-
proval of the contract, and in order tc
justify my position before the board
and in fairness to the Canal Users as
ISOLATION (although I am not a member
of that organization), I feel I should
state to you the result of this partia.
canvass of the tract
To such protests, there had been Sc
cured the names of los resident set
tiers of jerome and vicinity and III
of the vicinity of Wendell, besides 2.
persons who had signed the petition
asking for the approval of the contrac
indicated their desire to have theil
names withdrawn.
These protests 1 have in my posses,
sion. but assume there is no need t.
file them now, unless you so desire il
which case we will complete the can
vass of the tract in order to get
full expression. and then forward t,
you I feel this justifies my position
and assume no changes will be made il
the order and that the incident i
closed.
Yours respectfully
H. NJ. BURDITT,