Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-05-19
INVESTIGATES
DRAINAGE PLAN
L. NJ. HOLT, GOVERNMENT ENGI-
NEER HERE TO REPORT on
INDIAN LAND ASSESSMENTS
BELIEVES DRAINAGE FEASIBLE
Ask Governor Davis and Commissioner
Swendsen To Come Here.

L. Nj. Holt, supervising engineer, OF
the U. S. Indian immigration Service
with headquarters at Yakima, Wash.
arrived here Sunday to spend several
days investigating the Kootenai Valley
reclamation project with a view of
making recommendations to the de-
partment as to the disposition of In
dian lands lying within the district to
be reclaimed. 1t will be recalled that
several years ago an attempt was made
to form huge drainage district of all
the overflowed lands of the Kootenai
Valley and that the legality of the dis
trict formation was questioned and
nullified by court order when it was
shown that it was not possible to as
sess the Indian owned lands for bene-
fits derived because the land is not
patented and the government does not
permit assessment of its lands or lands
held in trust
Engineer Holt was a guest of the
Kootenai Valley Commercial Club at
a noon luncheon Monday. He stated
that he came here to investigate what
bearing the proposed drainage plans
would have on Indian allotments that
the drainage project seemed to be a
worthy one providing the cost is found
to be reasonable and that the only
feasible way of handling the reclama-
ton work would be by an international
treaty that would permit of the widen
ing of the Kootenai Narrows in Can
ada He said that there We're possibly
three ways in which the question of
the assessment of Indian lands could
be taken care of; 1st-By disposing
of a part of each allotment in suf-
ficient amount to pay for the improve
ment 2nd-Grant the Indians a pat
ent. This can be done at the discre-
tion of the Secretary of the Interior
provided he is shown that the Indian
allotment holder is capable of looking
after his interests; 3rd-By leasing
the land contained in Indian allot-
ments ON long term leases and requir-
ing the lessee to pay the costs of the
improvements. Engineer Holt also
said that it might be possible to have
congress pass an appropriation in a
sum large enough to take care of the
amount of assessment necessary to be
placed on Indian lands. He said that
the department would likely adopt the
plan of meeting the difficulty which
was most agreeable to the Indians.
Tuesday Engineer Holt, A. ]. Kent
e. Des Voignes, j. Bert COwen and B
N. Hawks autoed to Creston with r. Ll
Squirting where they held conference
with Creston folks interested in drain
age matters. The Creston business
houses were closed while the proprie-
tors attended the drainage conference
The Creston people had little informa-
ton as to what has been recently ac-
complished towards getting the state
and federal government interested in
the Kootenai Valley drainage plans
and were anxious to take some action
that would result in the fastening of
matters. Guy Constable, who is one of
the most interested of the Creston
people in drainage plans, stated that
efforts should now be concentrated
upon getting the U. S. and Canadian
governments to select the best engi-
Ineers available to make a final report
on the feasibility of drainage plans.
Governor d. w. Davis and w. G
Swendsen, commissioner of reclama-
tion, are expected here about June
18th to investigate the Kootenai Valley
drainage project and the Creston peo-
pie have invited them and all persons
of Boundary county who are inter-
ested, to attend a conference to be
held in Creston on May Is.
A telegram was sent yesterday to
Commissioner Swendsen by Editor G
w King, asking that he and Gov. d
w. Davis make their plans to be at
the conference at Creston on the day
mentioned. Both Commissioner Swend-
sen and Gov. Davis were absent from
the capitol yesterday and so no reply
has been received as yet but it is con
fidently expected that they will be
here for the meeting and to spend
several days going over the land and
the drainage plans.
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