Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-04-17
Question of Increasing the
Capacity of the Malad
Reservoir to $4,000 Acre
feet Considered and Per
mission Given.
SETTLERS AGREE TO
THE PLAN PROPOSED
Members of Board Contend
That They Are Respon-
sible and Should Require
Certification From State
Engineer - No Unneces-
sary Delay.

The state land board has taken the
positive stand that so far as all irriga-
tion contracts are concerned, it pro-
poses to have the last say, be the final
body to pass upon the instrument and
exercise the authority given it by the
people of the state. Having taken this
stand the board proceeded to amend
the contract presented for the building
of the Malad reservoir, and then &C
cepted 1t. James ]. Chambers and Ed
win Snow appeared before the board
on behalf of the reservoir company.
Dr. Rea appeared for the settlers.
There are no differences between the
builders of the reservoir and the set
tiers.
The Malad reservoir has been built
on the Little Malad river near the town
of Malad to the foot level at a cost
of $125,000. To raise it to the 50-foot
level as the plans call for an addi-
tional $4,000 will be expended making
the total cost up to that level $155,000.
The settlers wish to have the reservoir
SO enlarged as to raise the storage ca
pacity from 5000 to $4,000 acre feet, or
raise the level to 20 feet. This would
permit the storage of additional water
Rea presented the settlers plans to the
land board.
HOLD BOARD RESPONSIBLE.
The question arose as to whether the
contract should be so worded before
approved that the board would have
the last say as to the fulfillnent OF its
terms. The representatives Of the COM
pany took the stand that the state en-
gineer was competent to determine
whether or not the reservoir contained
the storage water guaranteed by the
contract, as the measurement Of water
was an engineering problem that the
state engineer and not the members of
the land board, was thoroughly famil-
lar with. The land board conceded
that point but commended that the board
is responsible in the end and should
reserve the right to require certifca-
ton from the state engineer to 1t
rather than to the company as has
been argued when the board could in
turn make a proper certification o. full
nllment of contract to the company.
Mr.. Chambers argued against unneces-
sary delay and was assured by the
board the company would not be de-
tayed by 1t.
MINUTES OF MEETING.
Boise. Idaho, April 16, 1917. The
state board of land commissioners Of
the state Of Idaho met this day in regu-
lar session. All members present.
Whereupon the following proceedings
were had, to-wit:
Minutes of the previous meeting
read and approved.
Motion made by the state auditor
and carried that one thousand originals
with duplicate form receipts, presented
by the register, be printed.
Moved by the state auditor, which
motion was carried, that the state land
commissioner be instructed to offer the
state lands in the Gem irrigation dis
trict for sale, excepting the Gem peui-
tertiary farm, and that the matter of
the sale of said Gem penitentiary farm
shall be subject to the opinion of the
attorney general, as to whether the
state can refuse to offer the same for
sale.
Upon a further motion duly made
and carried the board decided to take
up the above matter together with the
attorney generals opinion on Wednes-
day, April Is.
Upon motion duly made and carried
the board ordered lease No. 1890, leased
to Covery & Blaney, 919 East Third
South, Salt Lake City, Utah, cancelled
on account of non-residence.
The application of w. c. Whittle,
Oakley, for farm loan was presented
with request of register that the same
be returned for correction and show
that the state was loanins on so acres
Of ground instead of so acres. such cor
rection making application correspond
with abstract. which upon motion s
was SO ordered.
Motion was made by superintendent
Of public instruction that as per re-
quest Of Ralph Harrison. Bancroft. his
loan be increased from $500 to 5000 in
order that he might get his water stock
released from the Bancroft bank and
assign the same to the state, upon