The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1920-09-23
THE ZIG RATTLE AND
WHAT IT MEANS I'd YOU

The following statement OF the
past performances. future plans and
general policy OF klamath Post Ne
is. American Legion. Is here printed
for tho benefit and information OF
cS-servlce men who are not members
OF the legion. members OF the Klam-
ath Water Users association. dry
land ranchers who hope to b. water
users some day. members OF the
chamber Of commerce. and any OF
the general public who take u gen
erai interest In anything for the up
building OF the community when
their attention is called TO H. We
feel that your interests are served by
our fight as much as our interests
are being served and that you should
make common cause with US. II you
can't. II may take us a little longer to
gain our ends. but that is all.
Our aim In to secure the compile
tion Ct the Klamath project as or
iginally planned by the government
some l2 or Is years ago to the end
that some 100000 acres OF govern
ment land included within the limits
OF this project be made available for
homestead entry. Most OF this home
steading will be by ex-service men
for the reason that the Sinnott bill
gives them so day preference right
in filing. II they don't take sdvan-
tage OF II any citizen gets chance
at II. This Is our big aim and what
our big battle In for. What has gone
before has been merely skirmishes-
some OF II. Just target practice. and
has been defensive operations rather
than an aggressive campaign.
Our first skirmish was over 10000
acres or 80 OF government land sur
rounding Upper lake. Secretary of
the Interior Lane had leased this
land for q term OF 30 years to Doak
and Brown for the dyking and re-
OF II. Al the expiration OF
80 years IL would commence paying
taxes TO the community as II would
be thrown open for entry and any
SO or 60 year old veterans OF the
great war could then file on II II they
wanted TO. The legion held to the
view that there was not enough gov
eminent land to go around and that
what was left should be turned over
to the people rather than to a big
and secured the cancel
lation Of this lease.
During these proceedings. the
power company butted In. as did q
number Of its friends. We did not
start to make a fight on the power
company but as the fight progressed
II came to light that the company had
spent considerable time. money and
energy In building up an enormous
influence In this community and In
Anvtl leo In.allV md M tnnnIIU xnhl.h
II diverted TO their proper functions
to the communities they serve would
have left everyone better off. How
ever their subsidized talent got busy
In all directions. They claimed Il
would be crime to put an ex-service
man on this Upper lake, land-he
would starve to death-the land was
wOrthless-suitable only for hunting
lodges and duck pasture. And this
In the face of the fact that adjacent
land partially reclaimed and fully re-
claimed is today held at $50 to $75I
per acre. The water users were told
that unless this lease went through
the California Oregon Power com
pany couldn't build a dam at tho
head of Link river and II the power
company didn't put dam at the
head OF Link river there could be no
additional water sent down to the
farmers In the valley. This smoke
screen stuff coupled the power COM
pany up to the Doak 4 Brown lease
80 We next made an investigation by
ourselves Of this power company
dam.
Secretary Lane had signed con-
tract with the power company to the
effect that they could construct q
dam at the head of Link river, for
the purpose Of storing flood waters
In the spring for use In the summer,
the power company to protect the
rights OF the private owners, whose
lands would be flooded, but the gov
ernment lands to be protected by this
D0ak 4 Brown dyke or not at all. II
the power compan ywas to have the
Of storing flood waters In q