The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-11-08
FARMERS MAKE
HEADWAY IN
WATER DEAL
Petition Asking for Irrigation
District will be Presented
November 26
WATERUSERS SHOW INTEREST
n;rectors for Proposed District to be
Nominated at Meeting This
Evening

plans whereby the waterusers pro-
nose to take over the irrigation sys-
tom of the Northern Pacific Irriga-
tion company have been maturing rap
idly since the mass meeting OF farm
ers in the Valley club house on last
Thursday evening. The first legal step
toward the organization of an irriga-
tion district has been taken. A Pc
tition asking that such a district be
created and outlining its boundaries
has been signed by so qualified water
users and public notice is being given
that this petition will be presented to
the board of county commissioners on
November 26, at which time objections
may be heard.
Thursday evenings meeting was
without question the most thoroly
representative meeting ever held in
the Kennewick Valley. Farmers from
every neighborhood under the grav-
ity canal and number of business
men were in attendance. The meeting
was notable in that it was entirely
free from the airing of grievances
against the irrigation company or
rantings against corporations in gen.
eral. While not all Of the farmers
expressed themselves as favoring the
proposition of taking over the system,
all seemed to be willing to work for
the general welfare Of the district.
The committee appointed some time
ago by the Finley Grange reported in
general way the results of their in
vestigations. 1t was reported that the
N. P. /. had tentatively agreed to turn
over the irrigation system for $4,000
and take the bonds Of the district in
payment. This sum the owners claim,
represents the value of the appro-
priated, but unused water, which could
be utilized were the carrying capacity
of the main canal increased. In the
event this figure was not acceptable
to the district, the company, it is said
will be willing to submit the PROPOSE
ton to competent appraisal board
and to accept the valuation as fixed
by it.
The committee had made only cur
sorry inspection of the canal and was
able to submit only rough estimate
as to the probable cost of putting the
canal in repair. They submitted fig
ures showing the volume of water
which passes over the dam at extreme
low water and estimated that by en-
larging the fumes, removing the de
posits from the sides of the canal, ant
Strengthening the embankments il
some places, it could be made to carr,
enough water to furnish three time
the water allowance to the 1900,
acres in the district.
The meeting wasted little or n
time in Flashing up" the committee
report. All seemed agreed that moth
ing could be accomplished until tn
waterusers have some legal body thr
which they can act as a unit, an
which will be clothed with authorit
to take up and officially dispose of an
details.
The real spirit of the meeting wa
shown when il came time to raise tn
funds for defraying the initial cost Q
organization. As the law under whic
Irrigation districts are created make
no provisions for meeting the cost {
organization other than guaranteein
payment by requiring the directors I
give bonds, it is necessary for thos
interested to in some way give fina1
cial support to the directors. Thi
proved task of only a few minute
After S. Feuchtwanger, of the Kcnn,
wick Clothing company, started th
fund with subscription of $1,000,
was only moment until the none
came fast and between $500 and sec
was pledged.
AS the law requires that the name
of the candidates for directors b
given in the notice Of election, non
mating committee was named. tt
report of that committee will be acte
upon at another mass meeting to |