The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-12-16
LAND BOARD AND CAREY ACT
ACT PROJECTS

The people of north Idaho, as a rule,
have very little direct knowledge OF
the great irrigation projects of south
Idaho which have been carried out I'M
der what is commonly known as the
Carey act. Under this law large areas
of sage brush land have been segre-
gated and contracts have been entered
into by the state land board on behalf
of the state of Idaho with large com
panies who undertook to reclaim the
land by irrigation. Under these agree
ments these companies have been per-
mitted to sell land to settlers under
q guarantee of an abundance of Wat3r
to insure the successful cultivation II
the land. With the exception Of the
original Twin Falls tract, there has
been continuous complaint from set
tiers on these Carey act projects on
account of the failure of the irriga
ton companies to supply them with
water and to fulfill their contracts in
other respects The state of Idaho is
obligated under the law to enforce
these contracts and protect the settlers
In their rights and see that they are
not required to pay for their land until
they have received all the benefits I,
which they are entitled. Appeals have
been made to the land board by the
settlers for relief and 1t appears thai
that board has been quite active in
adjusting matters, but conditions still
appear to be far from satisfactory. This
is evidenced by report of commit
tee on irrigation and drainage created
by the last legislature which has just
filed its report with the land board
The commission enumerates many
shortcomings Of the irrigation COM
panies and calls upon the land board
to see that these are remedied before
patents are issued for the lands and
further payments are exacted from the
settlers. While the report of the COM
mission is a severe arraignment of the
land board, both present and past, for
laxity in protecting the rights of set
tiers, it is not time to bubble over
whether or not the criticism is justi-
fled. The thing for the land board to
do is to investigate the alleged condi-
ton and If found to be as stated by
the commission, then proceed to en-
force the terms of the contract with
the irrigation companies to the end
that every settler may receive every
advantage that he pays for.
And while they are on the job the
state land board should look into that
provision of the contract held by the
Twin Falls North Side Land and Water
which requires settlers who
filed on land within one mile of the
from Jerome to Gooding to
nav a bonus of IS per acre, bringing
the price of their land up to $4S per
acre. Every settler so located signed
that contract with the understanding
that that railroad was to be an electric
line, otherwise there could be no bene-
fit in being near it. The advertising
literature of the irrigation company
showed the proposed railroad on its
official maps and designated 1t as an
electric line. The contract signed of
course does not so specify it, but every
settler understood that it was to DE
an electric road. In spite of this un-
the road was built and
operated as a steam road, an actual
letriment to the land 1t was sup
posed to benefit. To cap the climax,
this little jerk water road which is
being used to extort IS per acre from
settlers has recently been placed in the
hands of receiver and an application
made to the utilities commission ask
ng an order to discontinue the service
altogether Surely the land board, IL
i understands this situation, will not
permit the irrigation company to en-