The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1915-11-26
President of Idaho Irriga-
ton Company Deplores
Effect of Trouble
Makers.
PRODUCTIVE OF HARM
Idaho Must Protect 1nves
ted Capital If 1t Expects
to Interest More.

S. H. Powell of New York. mem
Der of the banking house of N. w. Hal
sey & Co., and president of the Idaho
Irrigation company, is in Boise, on his
annual inspection visit. He has spent
several days looking over the company
properties near Richfield and Shoshone
Though we have just passed thru
the shortest water season on record II
southern Idaho" said Mr.. Powell, the
excellent crops raised on our project
give us renewed confidence in its merits.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
company has heretofore more than full
filled its contract obligations, l note q
deploreble tendency among our far
mers toward joining the movement in
Southern Idaho in attacking Carey act
companies, on account of the necessity,
which has this season confronted all
the irrigation companies, of insisting
upon economical use of water. AS 7
business man Lean not see what OBJ
lection there can possibly be to prip-
! ciple which is elementary in the con-
servation of our natural resources. lr
rigation laws and contracts in Idaho
presuppose that every inch of watel
will be made to do the highest duty, OF
else your state is not properly husband
ing its resources. Water should bs
used with the utmost economy at all
times. Lavish irrigation simply means
the eventual ruination of your land.
and limitation of the cultivated area
of the state.
FOUR MILLIONS INVESTED
"Cur company has invested in excess
of four million dollars in building pro-
ject under contract with the state OF
Idaho. In order that we might secure
the return Of our investment, the state
agrees with US that we might sell water
for one hundred and fifty thousand
acres of land. That our water supply
is sufficient is attested by repeated re-
ports of the state and government en-
gineers, as well as the past record Of
the project We have not only complied
with our contract but have done more
than the contract requires.
COMMISSION MISINFORMED
"The last session of your legislature
created an irrigation and drainage code
commission to codify the irrigation and
drainage laws of the state and to rec
ommend necessary legislation along
those lines. regret exceedingly thai
this commission unwittingly perhaps,
considered it proper in the performance
of its duties to libel one of the best
projects in Idaho. That the facts and
conclusions of the commissions recent
report should be erroneous is not sur
prising 1t was misled by certain
element around Shoshone and Gooding,
in an effort to work out a personal
spite and advance political fortunes.
The commission evidently accepted in
good faith the misrepresentation of
those self constituted representatives
of the farmers. Possibly the members
of the commission had no reason to
suspect the magnitude of the fraud
practiced upon them.
ONLY HURT THEMSELVES
Il hope the farmers on our project
understand the motives of those who
have been active recently in trying to
organize farmers protective league.
The only protection which our farmers
seem to need at this time is against the
narrow minded selfishness and personal
and political ambitions of few self
appointed leaders. will be very much
disappointed if, after all we have done
to make the way easy for our settler
more than any other company in the
state has done---they turn against us
now by even passively approving the
activities of this so-called Protective
league" If, after all we have done,
our people should now elect voluntarily
and with ths ir eyes open to join the
temporarily popular movement against
the financial interests which have made
all this Carey act development possible,
such movement can only render more
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