The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1918-11-13
landowners WILL VOTE
ON IRRIGATION DISTRICT
An Election OF Vital Importance To
This Project Takes Place Next
Saturday

sibilities for Churchill county than
ber 9Th, will be held next Saturday.
November 18th on the Truckee-Car-
son project, when the land owners
will be called upon to ratify or re-
ect the proposal to organize an ir-
rigation district.
Although too long delayed, there
Is every reason to believe that the
proposition will be carried almost
unanimously Even the most vio-
lent opponents of organization have
recently been won over and are now
numbered among its most ardent
advocates.
The farmer is notoriously the
most conservative individual On
earth and will bear with the estab-
lished order of things until patience
has ceased to be a virtue. But
when convinced that change is
needed he proceeds in a fortnight
manner to secure all the benefits
that are coming to him in one fell
swoop.
That the Truckee-Carson project
has Jagged behind some of the other
reclamation districts with far less
natural advantages cannot be gain
said. and the cause unquestionably
lies In the lack of an organization
legally qualified to act in the inter
est of the whole people on the pro-
ject Heretofore what little has
been accomplished in this line has
been individual in form and sporadic
in character.
With a full realization that the
most urgent need of the project was
a comprehensive system of drainage,
those few who felt that their fortu-
nate situation adjacent to some nat
ural underground channel or on an
elevation rendered them immune
from all danger of the rising water
table. selfshly refused to enter into
any oganization that might bind
them to contribute to the building
of drainage system. blindly ignor-
ing the palpable fact that for every
farm ruined by lack of drainage
there was a corresponding depreeia-
ton In the market value of their
holdings. II should be apparent to
everyone that the mere fact that
homesteader may have been fortu-
nate in securing a higher piece of
land than his neighbor, does not
morally exempt him from payment
of his just share of the damage
caused from the drainage of these
lands onto those of his neighbor.
But the need of an organization
does not begin or end with the drain
age question. As a matter of fact,
the perfection of the organization
does not necessarily imply that there
will be drainage. This is a matter |
that must be settled later, or after
the organization Is formed, since ey-
cry measure involving the issue of
bonds or the taxing of the landown-
ers must come up at a special elec-
ton.
Under the present hit or miss sys-
tenn on this project, we are denied
the privileges of the Farm Loan
Banks, since the government con-
struction charges are a first lien on
the property of every homesteader |
In the valley. Hence, as Farm Loan |
Bonds are based on first mortgages
only, loans cannot be made upon
lands upon which there Is lien of
any kind. Under the irrigation dis
triet system. 1t is stated, the district
can assume the obligation OF the
lien and provide for its
payment in the same manner that
school districts become responsible,
thus releasing the government lien.
Under the present system the
homesteader has no voice In the |
Management of the project, and has
no vehicle through which he can
make his protests known in the
event of an overcharge through ex-
trayagant or incompetent manage
ment.
There Is every reason to believe
that the present law is defective In
some of its features, but the best
means of finding out these defects is
BY actual practice. Doubtless some
of these will be manifest before the
adjournment of the forthcoming
Legislature, when they can be speed
lily rsmedied.
Every land owner In the valley
should be on hand and cast his vote
in favor of the organization on next
Saturday.
Election Officers and Polling Places
Following is a list of the candi-
dates to be voted for at the lrriga-
ton District election on Saturday,
November 16;
Division 1---Fernley, candidates,
w. A. Pray and G. w. Stock. Elec-
ton officers, w. T. Peoples, 8. b,
pray r. w. McCullooh Polling