Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-07-14
GREATEST INTEREST MANIFEST
in THE RECLAMATION PLANS
OF THE KOOTENAI VALLEY
Idaho State Officials and British Columbia Citizens
Discuss Problem of Draining $4,000 Acres Rich
Agricultural Land at Meeting Held Monday Night
Large Creston Delegation Is Present.

Several hundred citizens of the Koo-
tenai Valley of Idaho and British Co.
lumbia, all owners of tracts of land
subject to the spring overflow of the
Kootenai river, attended a meeting
held at the l. o. o. F.. hall Monday
night, to meet and hear discussion OF
the Kootenai Valley drainage problem
by prominent Idaho state officials and
representatives of the province of Brit
ish Columbia, several of whom had Just
returned from Victoria, B. c. where a
conference regarding drainage matters
was held with John Oliver, Premier of
British Columbia, II. d. Pattullo. Min
lister of Lands, and E. A. Cleveland,
Comptroller of Water Rights, attend
ing in the interests of Canadian prop
erty-owners and Governor D. W. Davis
and w. ID. Swendsen, Commissioner of
Reclamation for Idaho, representing
the property-owners of Boundary
county. Commissioner Swendsen was
the authorized representative of the
United States government at the con-
ference and Mr.. Cleveland represented
the Dominion OF Canada government.
President e. E. Fry, OF the Kootenai
Valley Commercial Club, presided and
in calling for order spoke briefly of
the efforts to secure drainage dating
back for period of some 25 years.
Gov. Davis was called upon for the
first talk
Gov. Davis stated that he had been
interested in the subject of reclama-
tion ever since he first came to Idaho,
and that upon being elected governor
of the state he had engaged actively
in furthering reclamation projects in
the west. He told of the organization
of the western states reclamation as
sociation and how it was planned
through this organization to interest
congress in western projects He told
of the bill now pending in congress
for the appropriation of S250,000, ,000
to be used for the purpose of assisting
reclamation projects in various west
ern states and stated that he confident
ly expected that this measure would
be passed at the regular session. The
governor touched but briefly on recla-
nation as it concerned the Kootenai
Valley, stating that he would leave it
to Commissioner Swendsen to speak of
the outcome of the Victoria meeting
held on July 6. He told of the atten-
ton being directed to Idaho among
eastern homeseekers and in connection
with an explanation of publicity plans
now being worked out, he told of how
anxious eastern homeseekers were to
get information about this state and
how woefully ignorant the majority
of fasteners are concerning condi-
tions in the western states. The gov
ernor concluded his address in an elo-
quent appeal for reclamation" of the
homes of American people-more at
tention to the needs of the coming
generation.
Col. Lister, member of the provincial
legislature, was the next speaker, and
gave an interesting talk in which he
told of what the people of his section
had been doing to further reclamation
plans. He urged that the people of
Idaho and British Columbia get to-
gether in their endeavors to secure aid
from their governments for drainage
At the conclusion of Col Listers talk,
DR.. Fry stated that it might be inter-
esting to those present to know that
Col. Lister served overseas in the World
War and was decorated with highest