The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-01-09
GOV. RECOMMENDS CHANGES
IN CAREY ACT PROJECT LAWS
Continued From Page -

these companies to make some prac-
teal demonstration of their willing
ness to make amends for their mis-
takes. but so far nothing has been ac-
complished. l believe the time has
arrived for the state to exert its Sow
ereignty and ownership, not in the
lands but in the water, and this legis-
lature should make a positive declara-
ton that the water of the state of Ida
no belongs to the people of the state
of Idaho, and is not owner and cannot
be owned by any corporation or indi-
vidual except in its use for the pur-
pose of irrigating the lands, and the
lands so undertaken to be irrigated !
must receive a sufficient amount of
water for the raising of crops. Any
company that is not able to perform |
these functions should have no further
rights or should have a receiver ap- |
pointed and the privileges granted to
it revoked. The period of compromis- |
ing seems TO have passed, and the hour
for action in my opinion is here !
Every overture made to the company |
so far on some of these projects has
resulted in failure.
The bondholders claim more right
for their company on certain projects
than the state which furnishes the
only means for its existence, the wa
ter A law should be enacted which !
would make it possible to take these
questions at once into the highest
courts of our state for prompt and
quick solution and adjudication, SO
that these matters may be cleared up
and the mistakes of the past corrected
so far as possible.
From past experiences, we should
take a lesson for the future, and before
your honorable body adjOurns there
should be put upon the statute books
law governing irrigation that should
be plain and simple and deal with the
question in unmistakable terms.
First-Idaho does not want men to
be solicited to invest either in lands
or irrigation securities unless the pro-
posed Investments have genuine merit
and the necessary elements of success
Our lands are too valuable and our
waters too precious to be made the
subject of speculation by promoters.
The failures of the past were not due
to intentional dishonesty, but were,
rather the result of ignorance of nee
essary facts and to a superficial
knowledge of the water supply, or to
shortsighted and incompetent engi-
neering, extravagant financing, bad
management and poor operations
Second-The first declaration to be
made is that the waters Of Idaho be-
longing to the state, are not to be do
mated, given or lent to any individual
or corporation, excepting so far as
they may be used for beneficial pur~
poses for irrigation, which should
mean a sufficient quantity of water
to raise ordinary crops, and not to be
measured out by feet or inches, but
by necessity as it develops from time
to time Any irrigation project where
the use of the water cannot be made
to comply with these provisions should
not be undertaken, and before any
new Carey act segregation shall be
asked by the state from the national
government, there should first be a
complete investigation made of the
water supply and its adequacy be de-
termined before construction is com
menced or financing obligations in
CURED. This involves the full and
satisfactory determination that def
mite amount of water shall be con
served for the use of a given area OF
land.
Third Having found the amount
of water available and the amount of
land capable of being irrigated then
the cost Of construction should be de-
termined. and if found to be too eX-
Densive. the project should not be un-
dertaken for the present at least as
all these lands i'm course OF time Will
become valuable enough and the con
scrvatiOn of water and duty Thereon
will be better understood, SO that they
will be valuable enough some time IN
the future to bear a cost of reclamation
that is for the present prohibitive
FOurth-Every corporation pro-
posing to undertake to irrigate Carey
act project should be required to give
absolute evidence of its financial abil-
ity TO construct its system and to
operate it until such time as its own
ership shall be vested i'm the owners
of the land which it has to serve.
Fifth-The state should not be
put to any financial expense in the
investigations called for and any cor
DOratfOn or persons asking for the
segregation of lands for Carey act pur
poses should be required to pay to thf
state treasurer the full amount of eX
pense incurred in making all investt
cations. The state engineer should no
be alone required to act in an advisory
capacity. but he should have absolute
control in determining the probable
water supply, the amount of lands tina
can be reclaimed with such water sup
ply. and in the construction of thu
works, dams, bitches, reservoirs ant
all things connected with said project
From the reception of the granting o
the right until the final completion o
the project. the state should be in alb
solute control, and when the prOjec
is finished, the state should give a Ger
tificate that it has investigated tn
project and allowed it to be built an
has put its stamp of approval upoi
the works in every capacity
Sixth-The price of the water right
of any future project should be fixe
by the state engineer and approved b
the state land board. The price s
f;-od el,ouId oo,ror all oynonepc of oOn