Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-01-07
MAY EXPECT
LITTLE U. S. AID
Sen. Elliott Believes Wrong Impressions
Made in Regard to Government
Assistance in Drainage
PRECEDENT is NOT ESTABLISHED
Says Drainage Problems Must Be
Worked Out By Landowners

l would like to have space In your
paper for the purpose of correcting
some wrong impressions that good
many persons seem to have in re-
gard to the part that the United
States government will take in the
drainage of the Kootenai Valley.
Whenever and wherever this sub
ject is discussed a vague idea pre-
walls that the general government
will ultimately take hold of the pro-
ject, complete the surveys, let the
contracts or do the work with its
own employees, oversee the construc-
ton and finance the scheme with gov
eminent money. In other words, If
would become a government project
similar to the great irrigation plans
carried out in southern Idaho and
elsewhere, such as the Arrowrock
dam, the Jackson Lake reservoir OF
the Miner pumping plant. Because
of the success and value of these
works which were built under the
Reclamation Service which deals only
with irrigation enterprises, many
people have assumed that it would
be an easy and natural thing for
the government to undertake the
reclamation of the Kootenai Valley
especially since it is a project which
has an international character.
This belief that the government can
and will finance this great undertak-
ing, has, in my opinion, done more
to retard and delay actual drainage
than any other single thing, and it is
with the hope of clearing up this mis-
understanding and making it clear
that | wish to set forth the real at
tituds of the government toward All
drainage projects in general and the
Kootenai Valley in particular.
/. In the first place the U. S
government has never directly re-
claimed any lands by drainage and
has persistently refused to adopt q
drainage policy. The Reclamation
Service has done some drainage where
it was found necessary to perfect
irrigation plans but only in connec-
ton with these.
2. The government has at times
indirectly, for some peculiar reasons
and under certain conditions, assisted
in an advisory capacity in drainage
work, but only as an advisor, never
as a constructor.
8. Whenever it has taken any in.
terest in such projects it has Away:
left the actual construction and fl
nancing to local districts organized
under the laws of the particular STATE
in which the drainage was under
taken.
A.. The extensive levee systems o.
the Mississippi Valley were in par
constructed by the war department
on the theory of improvement o.
navigation and not to create new ag
ricultural areas.
8. Under our present federal law
the government, or any Of its branch
es could not undertake any construc
ton work of this sort without thu
approval of congress. AS the gov
eminent, for half a century has re
fused to adopt favorable policy to
ward drainage it seems hopeless t.
expect relief in the near future.
The above statements are facts an,
well known to every one who is in
formed on drainage matters.
would take too much space to g
further into detail by way of sub
Stimulating them but that they ar
facts that can easily be established
About three years ago when Their
was so much talk about government
aid / wrote to the Office of Drainag
Investigations in order to secure a
investigation of the valley and re
port as to the feasibility of it's drain
age. After considerable correspor
dence and pressure we succeeded
getting a surveying party into tn
valley last spring which made pre-
liminary survey but has not yet mad
its report.
This survey was merely what
was intended to be; an examinatio
of the conditions in order to d,
termine whether a. drainage schen
would be practicable. 1t was as fl
as the Office of Drainage Investig;
tons could or would go and this We
clearly understood by those Of I
who were interested in getting IL
surveyors assigned to this duty. Du
ing this time Mr.. S. II. McCror
chief of the Office Of drainage inve