Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-10-24

To the Stockholders, Big Wood River
Reservoir and Canal Co. Ltd:
There appeared as news item in
the Shoshone Journal of October Bird.
1919. an article purporting to state
what took place at the meeting of the
stockholders of the Farmers Protec-
tive League held at the Baugh thea
ter in Shoshone on Saturday after
noon. September 9th. This article
consists largely of extracts from an
address delivered at this meeting by
Mr.. w. G. Bissell, Attorney for the
Farmers Protective League There
apears in the isue of the Shoshone
Journal of October 10th an article in
which certain of the statements here
tofore reported are repeated. We as
sumo that Mr.. Bisselrs statements are
correctly reported in the article of Oc-
tober Sd. that. as their legal repre-
sentative he spoke for the directors of
the Farmers Protective League and
that. therefore. we can in this state
ment addres ourselves TO the author
lied propaganda which is being en-
ployed in an effort to gain and hold
your confidence and support
/ There are in this article many
gross misstatements and deliberate
distortions of fact which we can not
allow to pass without comment. We
believe that you are entitled to more
reliable information pertaining TO the
policies and plans of this Company
than you have received through the
officers of the Farmers Protective
League and its attorney. This Com
pany accepts full responsibility for its
actions and is perfectly willing to be
judged on the basis of what they actu-
ally are, but objects to being indicted
upon misrepresentation and false
statements.
Here are the reported statements
to which we refer, followed by our
comment and statements Of the act
ual facts.
1-Air. Bissen says: 'Tn 1915. the Ida
no Irrigation Company presented af-
fidavits to the State Land Board to
the effect TIT THE PROJECT
WAS ENTIRELY COMPLETED
and made formal application to turn
il over to the settlers"
on April cath, 1916. this Compa
ny represented to the State Land
Board that it had performed the
contracts entered into with the
state Of Idaho AND REQUESTED
THAT THE BOARD IMMEDIATE
I.Y ORDER THE STATE ENG1n:-
EER TO MAKE A COMPLETE
EXAMINATION OF THE PROF
ECT TO DETERMINE WHETH-
FR SAID SYSTEM HAD BEEN
COMPLETED TO HIS SATISFAc-
TTON. The minutes of the State
Land Board of April 25th, 1916 re-
cite that: "'The application Of the
idaho Irrigation Company FOR AN
ORDER OF THIS BOARD d.
RECTING A THOROUGH AND
COMPLETE EXAMINATION BY
THE STATE ENGINEER of the
Idaho Irrigation project with the
object in view of acceptance by the
Board of the project as completed
according to contract was read
and ordered filed for future con-
sideration of the Board.
As the application and the min
utes Of the Land Board plainly
show. THIS WAS PRIMARILY a
REQUEST FOR AN EXAMTNA-
TION OF THE SYSTEM by the
State Engineer. AS A RESULT OF
WHICH THE LAND BOARD
WOULD DETERMINE WHETH-
Err OR NOT THE SYSTEM WAS
ACTUALLY COMPLETED and the
contract performed.
Mr. Bissell says: "The project at
that time G915) was far from con-
pIete. THE OUTLOOK TO
THOSE WHO HAD INVESTED
AND SETTLED UPON THE
LAND HELD VERY LITTLE
PROMISE OF EVER SECURING
WATER"
Water had been available "at
that time" and the project had
been operated since 1910 and, eX-
cepting during the latter part of
1915, and abundance Of water had
been delivered.
Mr. BisseH says: The Farmers
Protective League was then or
ganized by the water users of the
tracts and through this organiza-
tion the settlers secured represen-
tation at the State Land Board AND
BLOCKED THE MOVE OF THE
COMPANY TO TURN AN IN
COMPLETED SYSTEM OVER To-
THE WATER USERS. PRACTI-
CALIY EVERY YEAR SINCE
THE COMPANY HAS RENEWED
ITS EFFORT TO TURN THE
PROJECT OVER"
THE COMPANY ITSELF RE
QUESTED THE STATE ENGIN-
EERS EXAMINATION and has
been engaged ever since in per
forming the work required by the
State. AND PENDING IT'S COM
PLETION AND AT NO TIME UP
TO DATE HAS THE COMPANY
URGED THE ACCEPTANCE OF
THE SYSTEM AS COMPLETED
Mr.. Bissell says: Following the
Summer of 1917. reports from the
State Engineer demonstrated that
the source of water supply was in
sufficient and THE SYSTEM OF
WAS MADE
QJrAT FOR THE LAND THEN
UNDER CULTIVATION"
The State Engineer in his report
# Feb 27th 1917. based upon the
,xamination REQUESTED BY
rHE COMPANY. and during the
y fr,,,,4f,,,s.7 r., no 60 -1,.sal