The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-02-25

10 II h@SAsS
defOrmity'
used the water his decree calls for,
that his ditch wouldn't carry it and
that if he did use it he would ruin his
land.
A lawyer member whose practice
largely consists of water right litiga-
ton is afraid the operation of the law
would interfere with his practice and
he is doing his durndest to hang onto
this practice. | must saw however
that as a rult the attorneys are above
one member whom / have heard of
who has given this as his reason for
opposition. Then there are other men,
bers who think the operation of the
law will cost the state too much money
and still others who don't think the
state engineer should be granted as
much power as the bill gives him.
We know from past experience of
that the bill introduced has the proper
provisions and that everyone will be
well satisfied with the operation of the
law. We also know that the passage
of some such law will do much in the
way of helping the development of ir-
rigation enterprises. We hope it will
pass, but at the present time it is
pretty much of a guess.
Another reason for our lack of de-
velopment is that in the past it has
been extremely difficult to interest
capital in securities of this nature.
Part of this has been due to our poor
laws or lack of laws. Many bills to
correct this feature have been intro
duced and the legislature seems will
ing to pass all such laws that will
tend to help this situation. Lack of
knowledge about irrigation securities
has held back the sale to quite an ex-
tent and this lack of knowledge is not
only prevalent among people of other
states, but our own people seem very
ignorant on what we have to offer. l
heard of a case the other day where a
woman had some money which she
wanted to invest. Someone suggested
irrigation district warrants to her. She
consulted the attorneys for the district
and they assured her that the warrants
were legal and a good investment, they
advised her to consult her own attor-
ney, giving the necessary transcript of
the proceedings. Her attorney after
having examined the proceedings ad-
vised her that everything was legal
and that it was a good buy. She went
to draw the money at the bank and her
banker convinced her that instead of
buying these irrigation warrants she
should buy bonds of the English gov
eminent. My contention is that irri-
cation district warrants are probably
the best Montana securities being of
fered today. The amount issued per
acre is very small, usually not over
one dollar an acre, and they are first
liens, taking preference over all mort
cages. No one will say a word against
English bonds, but when they are
bought the money is shipped out of
the country instead of being spent in
Montana where we need it so badly.
This matter of education is one
where we all can help. We must first
inform ourselves and then transmit
this information to places where it will
be of value to US. There are now or
ganized or in process of organization
into irrigation districts over half a mil
lion acres of land which need financ-
ing. This is no child's job, in fact it
rs a mans size job. In the territory
where these districts have been or
ganized, they have decided that irriga-
ton is their only salvation. The peo-
pie who own the lands are hanging on
to them in the hope that the construc-
ton of the propects will be begun in
time to do them some good. If con-
struction isn't started within a reason
able time, the owners have no option
but to let the lands be sold for the
amount of the mortgages and taxes.
If this happens it will probably be
some time before the territory can be
revived as nothing gives a country
such a black eye as when the taxes or
the principal and interest on mort
cages is not paid.
To my mind this not something for
the future, it is a situation that will
have to be taken care of in the i'm
mediate future, hat is why l say in
the title of this article that irrigation
is Montana's biggest problem.
| don't wish to be misunderstood as
urging that every project is necessar-
lily good or that money should be in
vested in the bonds of irrigation dis
tricts Unfortunately. What l do
wish to say is that any project that
specifically looks as though it might
be successful is good security for the
necessary expenditure to make a thor
ough investigation as to water supply,
character of soil and cost of construc-
ton and operation. If it is found upon
the completion of this investigation
that the project can't justify itself as
a business proposition then it should
be dropped. To spend money on the
construction of a project which is not
easible will of course be a catastrophe.
not only in the territory where the dis
trict is located but for the entire state.
Thus far while some of the irrigation
district projects may have cos more
than was originally estimated, and
while the earnings may not have been
as large as the enthusiastic promoters
had hoped for, the projects built in
Montana under the irrigation district
plan have all been feasible and are all
paying out the principal and interest
OF the investment necessary to build
them while supporting successful far
mers. With more thorough investiga-
ton in the future even these faults
can be largely eradicated.
This problem of putting Montana or
It's feet as a farming state is one that
George will not solve for us-it is one
that we need to solve for ourselves. Ir.
rigation will do it. 1t is not an expert
ment with us. We have nough r
jects in successful operation to know
what we may expect. Now what are
we going to do? Are we willing to dc
the things that arc pacacc.., =; -