The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-05-05
HOW WILL YOU VOTE ON
THE DRAINAGE QUESTION?
MANAGER COLE DISPELS SOME
FALSE IMPRESSIONS.
Impossible, Under Cooperative Work
TO Separate Individual Response
bility from General Responsibility.

| There seems to be more or less
misapprehension of the drainage
subject, on the part of water users
who have called at the Fallon office
for explanation.
The following additional expla-
nations are offered in the attempt to
dispel some false impressions.
Location
II was stated in the letter of
April 22nd that the locations of the
proposed drainage bitches. shown by
red lines on the map. were only ap-
proximate; but many people seem to
think that these locations have been
fixed and are unalterable. OF course
this latter is not true. The red
lines, as previously stated, merely
Indicate the general direction and
outlet of the drains and show that
the engineers estimate that these
main drains will be required. on the
average, at cne-mile intervals. 1t
is quite probable that the location
in detail will be altered to fit the
ground and local circumstances.
Diversions will be made around
sandhills at some points and at
other points will be made to pass
through swamps or low ground.
Likewise there may be several miles
of some of the indicated drains
omitted in the beginning. with the
substitution of cut-offs, or connec-
tions with other drains for tempor-
airy outlets. pending the time when
1t becomes imperative to drain all
of the territory which is involved
in the general plan.
Estimate of Cost
Again IL is necessary to point out
that the mileage and total cost is
designed to be an overall figure for
a safe estimate which cannot be ex-
ceeded under the proposed vote, hut
this does not mean that the Recla-
nation Service proposes to go
ahead blindly and dig all the bitches
and spend all the money Just be- |
cause it is provided for by the plans. |
Rather, the program would be to
feel our way along digging success
siye bitches where they we're OBJ |
viously most needed and watching |
the effect of these before undertak- /
Ing other bitches of doubtful util |
ity. Under this program it might be |
deemed advisable here and there to |
substitute certain lateral bitches for |
parts of the trunk lines indicated
on the map, but the total cost in any
event could not exceed and might
be very much less than the total es-
innate authorized
IL would be expected that the lands
of the district would be taxed only
the actual cost of doing the neces-
sary work so long as this did not |
exceed the total amount authorized. |
Amy savings within this total |
amount would be credited to the
lands so that it is possible that the |
total payments required might be |
Sc or 81 or sS an acre rather than |
the 50, which is set for the outside 1
figure.
Take IL or Leave IT,
Again it seems to be assumed by /
some that this improvement to the \
project is being thrust upon you by 4
the Government, and the Reclama- /
tion Service is promoting the prop |
osition without regard to the real |
Interests of the farmers. This idea |
is not well founded since the fact is |
that the government is merely Of |
fering you this opportunity to fl |
nance and carry out work which |
is vital TO the success of the COM
munity. OF course the government
wants to make the project a success, |
but ii has already carried out its
obligations under its contracts with |
the water users for the delivery OF |
sufficient water to irrigate the land |
There is no further obligation what
ever under these contracts for do |
any more work or spending any
more money and it therefore be-
comes question for decision by the |
people themselves whether they de- |
sire any further improvements to |
the system which so far as the |
government is concerned, has been
completed
AS pointed out to you in the
original letter you have an alterna-
tive in the creation of an irrigation
district under state statutes where
by you will be able to go ahead un-
der your own organization for fl
nancing and doing this or any other
similar work which you think you
need.
There may be some other simpler
and better and cheaper way of get
ting the result and l would be glad
to have you avail yourselves of 1t !,
If 1t can be devised.
In other words, except for it's
general interest In the project well
fare. the Government is Indifferent
as to this drainage matter and cer-l
tainly there Is only one way under
existing law whereby the Reclama.
tion Service can be authorized to /
spend any more money or to do any |
further work in your behalf That Il
way is the subject of your vote as
indicated by the previous circular
letter.
Divisions Into Districts
The burden OF most OF the Objec-
tions which I have heard is to the
point that this drainage cost is pro-
posed for covering the entire Car
son River district rather than the
comparatively narrow stripes of II
country which are In need of drain
age. The tendency seems to be to
consider the matter from the mar
rowest personal standpoint.
This idea is met by the fact that
the drainage necessity has undoubt-
ly been precipitated by the general
use of water throughout the project.
IL Is utterly impossible to separate
individual responsibility from gen.
eral responsibility. Therefore 1t is
equally impossible to separate the
expense for rectifying the damage.
III there ever was an institution L
which, by its very essence and exist
ence Is cooperative in it's nature. II
that institution is an irrigation en-
terprise. 1t is simply case of