The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-10-16
LARGE GATHERING OF THE
SETTLERS MEET LAND
COMMISSIONER
Full Investigation Is
Commenced
Final Settlement of the Question
as to Irrigation Capacity of Sys-
TEN Expected, When State Land
Board Will Decide It's Acreage.

Some three hundred settlers on the
Salmon River Irrigation tract assem-
bled at HOllister yesterday, pursuant
to notice from Governor Alexander,
to confer with United States Land
Commissioner Clay Tallman and the
land board of Idaho. The commits
sioners party consisted OF himself, his
secretary, M. A. Rattigan and Messrs-
| @. M. Wells and G.. W. Archibald, civ
il engineers and government land in
spectors. Governor Alexander, Secre-
tary of State Dougherty, State Audi
tor Van Deusen and Attorney Gen
| eral Walters represented the state
| land board, with f. A. Wirkie one
of the state engineers.
The government engineers had
spent several days overlooking the
tract, and with Mr.. Tallman, were at
the Salmon dam and over that end of
the tract early Monday morning AS
| already indicated, the settlers gener-
ally were out in force, but they were
specially represented by the officers
of their association and Judge Both
well, its attorney. The sale represen-
tative of the bond holders, or COM
pany, present, was Mr.. Hall, the resi-
dent manager.
During the late forenoon there was
considerable curbstOne argument and
DduludBes Dul dileI the return OF InC
officials from the south end, when the
crowd assembled in the school audi
torium, all settled down to serious, but
good natured business. The gathering
was called to order by the governor.
who briefly stated its purpose and in
troduced Commissioner Tallman.
r. Mr.. Tallman spoke at some length.
l. He concisely but clearly rehearsed the
e history of reclaiming legislltion; !;
k showed how both national and state
2 authorities, as well as settlers, had
lie felt their way, through many mistakes
u TO the wisdom of experience. Said
lie Idaho, under the Carey act, has the
best and the worst irrigation prof.
4 ects in the country; and also has
Of others, like this one where millions
TO have been spent in good faith on ex-
cellent wOrks-and yet the result is
~ far from satisfactory. The time had
ot now come, he declared, for entire
id frankness and honesty. The question
IN now is, what best can be done. The
n project must be contracted to the
amount of water supply, permanenc'
Id secured and uncertainty ended. Ex-
ne pressing his pleasure and satisfaction
ne at meeting the settlers; saying tina
ge he had heard the bondholders end en-
b. gineers and now desired the settlers
r Mr.. Tallman suggested that they b'
ce heard through the officers of their as
er sociation, and took his seat, leaving
the general impression that a sur'
no enough Daniel had come to Judgment
BY motion, the president and eigh
ch directors of the Water Users associa
ds ton, all of whom were present, wer
ny with Judge Boutwell,, their attorney
&c authorized to represent the member
nd ship thereof. Non members were ais
Invited to be heard and selecte
- Messrs. Carl DeLong, A. B. Wilson
ne ]. E. Farnham and two other as reI
M resentatives. To these were adde
ars Mr. c. H. Robins on behalf of desel
ou entrymen and one man from the Roe
at ersOn district, not represented on th
the directory of the association. Then tn
for inquisition began-Mr. Tallmon sta
'nd ing the questions to be settled a.
the first, the average supply of watel
we second, how much land will it irr
but gate; third, what is the best methC
his of elimination.
all Then followed a two hours sessiC
IN in pursuit of data-Mr. Hall furnis
ing, from the records of the compal
and most of the figures. These were i
ing teresting, but as Judge Boutwell, as
In ed permission to submit the report
'ay- Engineer Robinson, somewhat at va
AN lance Herewith, it appeared they we
her not fully accepted and no attempt
made to reproduce them here.
ime At five o'clock the meeting, viii
rich kept itself in apparent good hum
and throughout was adjourned until {
sub this morning, and will doubtless
no continued throughout the day. 1t a
e II pears that, after the land commissio
/ us er shall file his conclusions, the fiji
life, determination is in the hands of
for state land board; and while no O
ting pretends to know anything about
lave result, their reduction of the Oakl
the project last week, to 20,500 acres,
ting induced a general belief that the S
the mon tract will be cut to a point at
ev- below $4,000 acres.
thel
e to CL.oo Dafeo+.