Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-10-03

maintenance and operating charges on
the water users who are now paying
n maintenance charge of 35cents per
I acre per year. The actual cost of
J opera ton and maintenance is said to
! be between three and four dollars all
of which is now paid by the company
except the 35cents collected from the
settlers. The contract of the company
with the State provides that the COM
pany shall pay all maintenance aid op-
| Grating charges above 35cents per acre
until the project is completed and
turned over to the settlers. The
League is the only means through
which the settlers can present their
opposition to this move of the COM
pany to saddle this extra maintenance
charge on the settler The company
acts as one man. through its legal rep
resentatives. Its action can only be
met by the settlers through the same
method-organizatio That is what
the league is. and through il the set
tiers are able to present their cause as
enc man.
Financial Standing of the Company |
Mr.. Bissell read from ! report nv
Mr.. Rays to the bondholders OF the
abilities of the Idaho Irrigation COM
pany at nearly 000.0OO.00 as com
pared TO their assets amounting to
about $4,000. 10000. The piasent
of the project is about
S250.000.00 a year of which s27. 10000
goes to maintain an office in New
York. Since the organization of the
Farmers Protective League the COIN
pany has. by its activities. been COM
PEELED to spend more than a million
dollars on construction work on a
project which they had claimed before
he State Land Board WIS aireldy
completed. Had the project been
brown onto the settlers in 1915 this
Il .000. 10000 would have come from the
pockets of the settlers.
Validity of Water Rights.
When questioned concerning the val
lie of the contracts with the company
attorney Bissell stated tia the matter, :
inged entirely on the date. All con-
racts dated prior to December Z. 1917.
Iill receive the IS inch OF water and
hose dated since that date will re- )
Give nothing under the present COM Il
laint before the Federal Court. For u
lose who have made purchases from
le company since that date. there is s.
cry little hope for water. II the COM
any wins they viii receive only half ;
Tough water the best years. and none NJ
lring the poor years. II the League N
ms. they receive none. dt
No Prior Rights on Water.
An decisions of the courts in the past A.
" years have been against prior 81
shts 10 water on Carey Act lands. lei
veral decisions have been made by n
linent judges and each has held that di'
Carey Act lands all settlers on tn
oject are on an equal basis. \ con- CO
lct dated the hast dav IS egallly as M
od as one dated the f.rst day Il the RAJ
: of the project en-.
J Wood River Reservoir and Canal a
Company. les
'he Big Wood River Reservoir and We
nal Company has 100000 shares of
ck. about SS.000 OF which are held son
the Idaho Irrigation company At wa
ecent election held by the concern Th'
president. secretary treasure and day
directors were elected from she a y
sent executive management Of she pre-
ipany. The actual users Of the pro 90
have no representation Ii the fiitt
ration OF the system be turned over A
this organization. ths management clss
still De under II. direction 81 ine Smi
10 Irrigation company. bu, the aet- The
VIII have TO faof the Niis sta
To Receive Fair judgments n
ate Commissioner OF Reclamation elias
ndsen. in adressing the audience cold